This year a number of Ackworth School students have taken the opportunity to study the .b Mindfulness course (Sixth Formers during their Games lesson and 1st to 3rd Years during their after-school club).
‘.b’ stands for ‘stop’ and ‘be’. This may sound simple but it is actually an important life skill and not as easy as it may first appear. Being able to step back and ‘unhook’ from the busyness of habitual activity and the chatter of the mind takes practice.
Living in the present
Learning Mindfulness can help us to create greater space for living in the present moment. This, in turn, can result in increased levels of happiness and can offer clarity to help us respond effectively and make choices that support our performance and well-being in both our school and personal lives.
What do pupils think?
“Since starting the Mindfulness course I have been able to incorporate it into many different aspects of my everyday life. I think that mindfulness is something that should be a key part of everyone’s daily life as it helps you to focus, be present and gain perspective on anything that life throws at you! I think that this particular mindfulness course is a fantastic and positive addition to the school.”Abrielle, Sixth Form
“Since I am easily under pressure, I think the Mindfulness class is very helpful. Many techniques help me to calm down (I like the ‘beditation’ technique best!). I highly recommend Mindfulness to everyone.” Linda, Sixth Form
“Admittedly, I have found mindfulness more relaxing than it’s probably meant to be! However, it has certainly proven to be a useful technique that I encourage anyone to practise especially where you need to untether from your thoughts and distractions and focus solely on the present.”Harry, Sixth Form
“Mindfulness is like good triumphing over evil, how you can stay calm under pressure when things are starting to get out of hand.”Jacob and Luke, 2nd Form
“Mindfulness is giving me the opportunity to take some time to think about myself and the surroundings. A Mindfulness technique that has helped me the most is ‘beditation’, and there are lots of ways you can do it! Lots of these help me get to sleep. Overall, Mindfulness has helped me a lot!” Aden, 1st Form
Mindfulness has had a really positive impact on how I act day to day. I’ve used many different techniques which I have been taught over the last few weeks I especially like 7:11 breathing technique and I have used this often over the last few weeks Daniel, 2nd Form
As a Quaker school, Ackworth shares some similar values with mindfulness principles. Hear from Ackworth’s Visiting Friend, Zephyrine Barbarachild about her adventures through life as a Quaker.
Click here to learn more about the Mindfulness in Schools Project