Daily Mindfulness Training Schedule
Throughout the school day the student is presented with a variety of meditations, tasks, and reflections. These gently bring their awareness to bear on the various conflicts and tensions that come with being part of a community while struggling to establish a stable selfhood.
Morning Meditation, 9:00-9:20 am:
The school day begins with a period of instruction in seated meditation. All students are required to attend. Often new students and younger students are unsure of how to use this time, but for the most part, they all eventually learn to concentrate, relax, and observe the ebb and flow of their thoughts and feelings.
Exercise Period, 12:00-12:20:
This brief period is an effective way to shake off the doldrums and waken the appetite. It is important that students come to lunch with increased body awareness after a morning of classes.
Blessing, 12:20:
We begin lunch with community announcements and a moment of silence. By emphasizing the obligations each of us has to the community and following this with a short period of introspection, the superficially dual nature of a student's experience is highlighted.
Kitchen Chores:
Students rotate through daily clean up every three weeks. They soon learn that food should not be wasted, that cleaning up should not be taken for granted, and that working together makes everything much, much easier.
Afternoon Meditation, 1:05-1:10pm:
This short meditation quiets the whole school down, asking the students to turn inward and make the adjustments necessary to finish the school day well.
End of Day, 3:50
Clear and focused endings are the seed for clear and focused beginnings. Here we bring the day to a close by sitting in meditation together and each student noting for themselves the present moment.
Weekly Trainings:
Monday Morning Meditation:
After a few minutes of sitting quietly, students then write down their intentions for the week. They are encouraged to observe areas of difficulty for themselves, blocks or conflicts they may be having, and to take the mindful approach of accepting and moving towards the difficulty with self-compassion.
Wednesday Afternoon Meditation:
Here students ask the meditation teacher questions about specific difficulties they face in their practice.
Friday Training Schedule:
Dharma Talk, 9:00-9:20
The meditation teacher discusses various perspectives on the self and the community in the context of meditation practice and different western and eastern philosophical traditions.
Formal Meal, 12:10-12:40:
Students and teachers eat together in a meal, practicing manners, grace, and gratefulness. We end with tea.
Work Practice, 12:40-1:10:
Students and staff work throughout the building and grounds to prepare the building for the coming week.
Gratefulness Practice, 3:50-4:00:
Each week begins with the student committing inwardly to an intention. The week ends with students sitting quietly and spontaneously offering thanks to family, friends, and teachers for the ongoing support they receive.
Classes that emphasize mindfulness training:
Shim Gum Do:
This martial art, which translates as “mind sword path”, uses a wooden practice sword to develop a firm and clear relationship between mind and body. It is a non-violent martial art, in essence, a very active moving meditation. Students learn numerous forms (in Japanese: kata) and test for rank every few months. Students who show focus, achievement, and determination help with instruction of the class. This class meets 2-3 times weekly.
Yoga:
By practicing a planned series of asanas, or postures, students train in strength and flexibility. By staying calm and increasing their ability to focus during challenging positions, the students bring tranquility into their lives with the recognition that conflict and inhibitions, and the emotional distress that comes with them, are impermanent. Class ends with a period of gratefulness practice, relaxation, and chanting. This class meets twice weekly.
Group:
Based on a traditional group therapy model, this class is less formal and more oriented to the needs of our teenaged students. Stress reduction, perspectives on relationships, and family conflict are among the topics explored. The emphasis is primarily on building adaptive awareness skills and support networks at home and at school.
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