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    • Mindful People-Template

    Jessica Sousa

    Printable Version: Mindful People

    Before You Read

    Brainstorming

    •  What do you think mindfulness is? Search myths about mindfulness. Did you think any of these myths were true? Did anything surprise you?

    Image from: https://edtechbooks.org/-yYFA 

    • The text below is written by a blogger. Do you know what a blog is? Have you ever read one? Why do you think people write blogs?

    Predicting

    • The title of this blog post is called “Live in the Moment.” Spend five minutes writing about what you think this means. Discuss possible meanings with a group after. 
    • Scan the text. Notice the different subtitles the blogger uses. How many topics are there?What do you think this article will be about? 



    Vocabulary

    • Scan the text again. Find each of these words below. Guess the meaning of the word based on the context. 
    1. perspective __________________________________________________________
    2. aware _______________________________________________________________
    3. attention _____________________________________________________________
    4. conscious________________________________________________________________
    5. communication ___________________________________________________________
    6. surroundings _____________________________________________________________
    7. improve ________________________________________________________________
    8. goal ____________________________________________________________________
    9. distract _________________________________________________________________
    10. balance _________________________________________________________________

    Reading

    Read the following article.

    Live in the Moment

    We need to live more in the present moment. Living in the moment (also called mindfulness) is a state of an active, non-judgmental, and conscious attention on the present. It is awareness (with all your senses) about yourself, others and surroundings at any moment. It means not worrying about the future or thinking too much about the past.

    How to Live in the Moment?

    Living in the present requires practice. Practice everyday. It takes time to train yourself to enjoy and live in the moment. Here are the tips on how to live in the present moment. 

    Mindful Nature Walks:

    While you go for a walk/run, try to notice the things you have never looked at before. Look and notice the flowers, trees, clouds, birds, colors, sound of leaves, or cool  blowing breeze. Take advantage of the natural beauty around you to have greater mindfulness. Make your time a mindful nature walk.

    Mindful Eating:

    How often do you sit down to eat, completely distracted? With smartphones in your hands, perhaps you’re checking your email, Whats-app, Twitter or Facebook.  Try to make your eating time mindful. During breakfast, lunch or dinner, simply eat. Do not use digital devices, books, magazines or newspapers, etc.  Pay more attention to what you’re eating. Think about the senses–smell, touch, taste, etc. 

    Mindful Communication:

    We all communicate a lot in our daily life. Practice mindful speaking and listening. Being more aware about what you say and hear will help you to live in the present moment. It will also improve your communication skills and relationships. Listen to others. Be aware of your own thoughts. Control your words during communication.

    Mindful Writing: 

    This is what I am doing right now. One of the benefits of blogging is it gives you the opportunity for mindful writing. When I write content, I become more aware about my thoughts, values and beliefs. I have become more aware about my passion ,and what I love to do. Writing my blog is one of the meditation practices. The past and future do not distract me.

    Balance Among Past, Present, and Future

    Of course, this doesn’t mean you don’t need to plan, set goals, or prepare for the future. You can do all of these things and still enjoy each moment.  For example, if you set a goal to exercise each day, you continue the goal while enjoying the actual moment of exercising.

    Likewise, the past is the biggest teacher in life. You learn from past mistakes. These experiences help you when you deal with similar challenges and problems in the present. At times, you need to remember past events. But the past has a different perspective. It’s not for feeling bad. Instead, it’s to have improved knowledge and skills for dealing with problems in the present moment. So, a fair balance of past, present and future is required for living a meaningful life.

    Word Count: 486

    Time:  _______
    WPM: _______

    Text adapted from: https://edtechbooks.org/-waPn 

    After You Read

    Comprehension

    Answer the questions:

    1. What does the author say about living in the moment? 
      1. We should plan carefully for the future. 
      2. We should think more about events in the past. 
      3. We should focus our attention on the present.
      4. We should have more experiences in life. 
    2. Which of the following is NOT one of the four mindfulness tips mentioned?
      1. Mindful writing
      2. Mindful meditation
      3. Mindful eating
      4. Mindful communication
    3. What does the author recommend you do during a mindful nature walk?
      1. Go to a new or different place each time.
      2. Take pictures of all the beautiful things.
      3. Look at something you didn’t notice before. 
      4. Make more time to go on longer walks. 
    4. According to the author, how often should we practice mindfulness?
      1. once a week
      2. every single day
      3. twice a month
      4. every other day
    5. How does the author describe mindfulness?
      1. being aware of things around us right now
      2. finding time to relax in stressful moments
      3. looking for beauty in everything we see
      4. training ourselves to enjoy our lives more



    Discussion

    1. Do you think mindfulness is important? Why or why not?
    2. Do you agree or disagree with any of this writer’s ideas?
    3. Which of the suggestions would you like to try? Why? 

    Extension

    • Imagine you are going to create your own blog. You need to write about one mindfulness practice that you can recommend to others. Make your blog post and read your classmates’ posts. 
    • Try a mindfulness practice in class or at home. Think about five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. 
    • Watch this video: You are not your thoughts (https://youtu.be/0QXmmP4psbA) 
      • What do you think about the title “you are not your thoughts?” 

    Follow-up: 

    • Try one of the blogger's suggestions for one week. Then, report to the class about your experience. 

    *Teacher's Note:

    Comprehension Questions: Answers

    1. c 
    2. b
    3. c
    4. b
    5. a

    Strategies

    This article is useful for:

    • noticing “hooks” at the beginning of topic paragraphs
    • identifying supporting details and examples
    • word parts and collocations with target vocabulary i.e. aware of, distract from, balance with, etc

    Grammar

    This article is useful for:

    • imperatives
    • introducing gerund phrases

    This content is provided to you freely by EdTech Books.

    Access it online or download it at https://edtechbooks.org/PositivePsychologyReadingMaterials/mindful_people.