BUDDHIST MINDFULNESS IN SCHOOLS: "STOP, BREATHE, AND BE" (.b)

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What Does It Mean To .b? by katieferrell82 .b pronounced (dot-be), stands for “Stop, Breathe and Be!” This simple act of mindfulness provides the kernel of a nine-lesson course for schools. Written by experienced classroom teachers and mindfulness practitioners, and evaluated positively by the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford Brookes, .b can be used in a wide range of context and age ranges, including adults. Richard Burnett and Chris Cullen, co-Founders of the Mindfulness in Schools Project, http://mindfulnessinschools.org/, met in 2007. Along with Chris O’Neil, these schoolteachers had experienced the benefits of mindfulness themselves and wanted to bring it to life in the classroom. In approaching the development of a formal course, they tried to answer the following question:  Question:  When 25 teenagers tumble into your classroom at 11:45 on a wet Tuesday morning, how are you going to interest them in mindfulness? They are tired. They are hungry. They are playing with their phones, and they’d rather be somewhere else. They’ve never heard of mindfulness, it doesn’t sound very exciting, and if you were to tell them that it involved periods of stillness and silence, you’d lose them before you begun. How are you going to convince them that mindfulness is a skill which could make a real difference to their lives? Answer: .b (Stop, Breathe and Be) The .b curriculum is a powerful and proven model for teaching mindfulness to teens. It is now offered in 7 countries and has been integrated into school programs throughout the U.K. This curriculum is considered a valuable resource for professionals in multiple disciplines who work with youth and who are interested in integrating mindfulness into their teaching. .b and The Mindfulness in Schools Project have been featured in numerous articles and interviews highlighting the benefits of mindfulness training with teens, including a recent TED talk by Richard Burnett, .b co-founder. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness Professional Training Institute, http://cme.ucsd.edu/mindfulness/teachb_home.html?utm_source=.b+Teacher+Certification&utm_campaign=.b+teacher+certification&utm_medium=email, is proud to join efforts with the Mindfulness In Schools Project in offering the first .b Teacher Training on the West Coast. Please join us for this event in July 2013 and become part of the .b teaching team here in the U.S. Information and registration can be found on the Professional Training Institute Website. For a complete review of .b in the media please click here.http://mindfulnessinschools.org/events-media/press-media/?utm_source=.b+Teacher+Certification&utm_campaign=.b+teacher+certification&utm_medium=email. We invite you to join Lorraine M. Hobbs, MA, CHom UCSD Center for Mindfulness Director, Youth and Family Programs and her distinguished co-teachers for the first .b teacher certification program offered on the West Coast, July 18-21, 2013, Francis Parker High School, San Diego, CA _______________________________________________________________