Learning to BREATHE

Student Workbook—­
Eighteen-­Session Version

“MINDFULNESS is paying attention in a particular way:

on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”
—­Jon Kabat-­Zinn

B Listen to your Body

R Reflections (thoughts) are just thoughts
E Surf the waves of your Emotions
A Attend to the inside and the outside
T Try Tenderness—Take it as it is
H Practice Healthy Habits of mind
E Gain the inner Edge. Be Empowered!
 Mindfulness
B
is a way of paying attention to our experience
that helps us live our lives in a healthy way.

1. ON PURPOSE (or really meaning to pay

attention to the inside and the outside)

2. IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

(knowing right now what’s going on inside
and outside)

3. WITHOUT JUDGMENT (treating

yourself kindly, regardless of what your
inside or outside experience is—­without
getting all caught up in it)
Theme B: My Mindful/Mindless Life
What things (or activities) in your life do you do on automatic pilot (mindlessly)? What are the things
you do that fully engage you (mindfully)? Fill in the boxes with as many examples as you can name.
You can also write about how you feel when you do things mindfully (with attention) or mindlessly
B
(without attention).

My Mindful Life…

My Mindless Life…

 Mindfulness in My Life
B You can practice mindful attention in all of the moments of your day. As an experiment, select an
activity from the list below as “your choice”: an activity that you choose to do with mindfulness on a
regular basis. (If you wish to do activities that are not listed, you may write them in boxes 16, 17, and
18.)

1. Playing a game at recess 2. Going up or down stairs 3. Brushing your teeth

4. Getting dressed 5. Listening to someone 6. E-­mailing or texting

7. Eating a meal or a snack 8. Walking down a hallway 9. Spending time at your locker

10. Washing your hands 11. Doing schoolwork or 12. Standing in line
homework

13. Waiting for the bus 14. Packing your books for 15. Changing classes
school

16. 17. 18.

You can cut out the squares and put them in a box. Select a new one each day. Continue to add new
opportunities for mindfulness to your collection.
Now write what you will bring attention to as you do your chosen activity, or draw a picture of the
activity that you’ve chosen to do in a mindful way.
 Mindfulness in My Life Activity (Write):
Sensations 

B

Thoughts/Reflections 

Emotions 

Mindfulness in My Life Activity (Draw):

 My Home Practice: Theme B
B 1. Practice mindful breathing for at least three breaths at a time, three times per day.

2. P
ractice the “Body Scan” with audio (see audio downloads at www.newharbinger.com/27831)
times.
3. Do the “Mindfulness in My Life” practice.

4. W
rite about your experience in the box with lines, or draw your experience in the box without
lines.

My Experience (Write):

My Experience (Draw):
Tips to Take Away: Three-­Minute Body Scan
You can do a short “Body Scan” at any time, especially if you notice that you’re feeling tense or
anxious. B
Try it:
• while seated in class
• before tests
• before athletic events
• before speaking in public
• before getting out of bed in the morning
• before falling asleep
• while standing in line
• during social events
• before an interview

How to do it:
1. Use your attention to find your breath in your body.

2. S
tarting from either your feet or your head, move your attention through your body and notice
your experience. Scan for tension in your feet; lower back; stomach; shoulders; face, jaw, or
forehead; or wherever you hold tension in your body.
3. A
s you scan each area, breathe into the area, releasing tension and bringing in new energy as
you did in the “Body Scan.”
4. E
xpand your awareness to your entire body and feel the breath move from your head to your
feet.
 Theme R: Big Event Circles
Story 1
Write your thoughts in the circle below.    Write how you’re feeling in the circle below.

Story 2
Write your thoughts in the circle below.    Write how you’re feeling in the circle below.
Theme R: All Kinds of Thoughts

They’re just thoughts. Can you be mindful of all of them?

 My Home Practice: Theme R
1. Practice mindful breathing for at least three breaths at a time, three times per day.

2. P
ractice a short period of mindfulness of thoughts (once a day, ideally; see audio downloads at
www.newharbinger.com/27831).

R
3. Do the “Mindfulness in My Life” activity from theme B.

4. W
rite about your experience in the box with lines, or draw your experience in the box without
lines.

My Experience (Write):

My Experience (Draw):
Theme R: Tips to Take Away: Dealing with
Troubling Thoughts
Notice the thoughts that are arising in your mind.

Try the

mindful approach:
1. Become aware of what your mind is doing: THINKING. It’s generating thoughts. The thought
is like a bubble that arises in the mind. It’s just what the mind does.
2. Examine the thought with curiosity. How loud or soft is it in your mind? Does it yell to be
heard, or is it quiet, like a whisper? How strong is it? Is it pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? How
long does it last? Don’t try to push the thought out of your mind.
3. Get in touch with your breath as you observe the thought. Remember, it’s just a thought. Don’t
struggle with it because that can make it stronger.
4. Watch the thought fade away. Return your full attention to your breath.
 Emotion Faces

R
My Home Practice: Theme E
1. Practice mindful breathing for at least three breaths at a time, three times per day.

2. Do a short mindfulness practice on feelings (once a day, ideally; see audio downloads at www.
newharbinger.com/27831) once a day.
3. Continue with the daily mindfulness practice of your choice. Or continue your “Mindfulness
in My Life” practice from theme “B.”
4. Write about your experience in the box with lines, or draw your experience in the box without
lines..

My Experience (Write):

My Experience (Draw):
 Tips to Take Away: About Anger and Other
Uncomfortable Emotions
Everyone gets angry. Anger has many different names: irritation, frustration, impatience, rage, hatred,
annoyance, resentment, irritability, and moodiness. Sometimes anger in the body feels like “heat.”
Sometimes people say, “I am boiling mad,” or that others are “hotheaded.” Other times it can feel hard
or stone cold. Anger can make us feel tense and tight. Anger makes us feel out of control. Anger
makes us feel jumpy. Anger interrupts our thinking and interferes with our decision making. Sometimes
when we are angry, we act impulsively in ways that hurt others or ourselves. Shouting, threatening,
fighting, being rude or disrespectful, and name-­calling are a few examples.

Kick the anger habit! We can think of anger as just energy in the body.

E
When you feel yourself getting angry:
• Stop: Pay attention.
• Notice: Where is the anger in your body?
• Allow: Let the feelings of anger be waves, coming and going.
Don’t try to block them or get rid of them. Don’t try to hold on
to them or keep them. Anger can be viewed as a strong energy
in the body and mind.
• Breathe: Focus on the breath. See if you can ride the waves of
the anger and watch them get smaller and smaller.
• Say: “I can feel this anger and care for myself without hurting
others.”

Remember:
You can use this approach to work with any difficult feelings. Surf the waves of your annoyance,
boredom, sadness, disappointment, jealousy, and so on. Breathe and watch the feel-
ings rise and fall. They’re not fun, but they will pass. And you will become stronger
and more balanced.
A Stressed-Out Case

A
 What’s My Limit?

A
Did you know?
• Your body’s fight-­or-­f light response is intended to help you deal with stress.
• Your body gets a temporary boost of energy in an emergency, which helps you cope.
• Some foods (cola, coffee, tea, chocolate) and drugs (nicotine) also cause a stress-­like reaction
in your body.
• Our bodies respond to mental stress in the same way that they respond to physical threats.
 A
List
your chronic stressors
List your chronic stressors. “Chronic” means that they happen a lot.

 1.    6.  
 2.    7.  
 3.    8.  
 4.    9.  
 5.   10.  

Circle your top three stressors.

 Sitting Postures:

A Palm Press Upward Stretch

Seated Tree Seated Twist

Standing Postures:

My

Mountain Pose Upward Stretch

A

Reach Up Taking Your Seat

 Home Practice: Theme A
1. Practice mindful breathing for at least three breaths at a time, three to six times per day.

2. Practice mindful movements or mindful walking each day.

3. Begin to notice thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as they arise throughout the day.

4. Do the “Mindfulness in My Life” practice from theme B.

5. W
rite about your experience in the box with lines, or draw your experience in the box without
lines.

My Experience (Write):

My Experience (Draw):
Tips to Take Away: Mindful Eating
PRACTICE 1
1. Pick a food or snack. Pretend that you have never eaten this food before and that this is a new
and interesting experience.
2. Look at the food with curiosity. Notice color, textures, shapes, smells, sounds.

3. Before chewing, experience what the food feels like in your mouth.

4. As you chew, notice all the movement and sensations. Swallow more slowly than usual.

5. Slow down the pace of eating.

PRACTICE 2
Try eating a snack or a meal in silence.

PRACTICE 3
Try practicing gratitude for all the people whose work made it possible for you to eat this food.
A
 Eating Awareness Experiment
Practice mindful eating by choosing one experience of eating each day and trying to become aware of
that experience while it is happening. Record in detail your responses to the questions below, after the
experience.

What did you eat? (Feel free to draw a picture.)

How aware were you of eating (chewing, swallowing, tasting) while it was happening (very aware,
mostly unaware)?

A
How did your body feel while you were eating? Describe the sensations using your five senses.

What feelings or thoughts did you notice while eating?

Tips to Take Away: Mindful Walking
Pay attention to all the sensations of movement as you walk.
1. Choose a period of time to practice mindful walking. Select an area or path (even in your
bedroom) where you can practice without interruption.
2. Notice the contact of your feet with the floor or the ground when you stand.

3. As you begin to walk, slow down your pace and focus your full attention on walking.

4. Notice:
• Weight shifting from one foot
• Lifting of the foot
• Moving the foot forward
• Placing the foot on the floor

5. B
e mindful of fifteen to twenty steps in one direction. Stop and feel the sensations in your feet.
Mindfully turn around and pay attention to fifteen to twenty steps in the other direction. Stop
and repeat several times.
6. When your mind wanders, just bring your attention back to the sensations of walking.
A
You can do mindful walking:
• As you move from place to place. Use the transition as a
time to be in your body by experiencing the sensations of
walking.
• As you walk up stairs. Feel the movements of your body
and the changing sensations.
• Instead of rushing. Try slowing down to pay attention.
 Ways We Take Care of Ourselves
Write or draw your ideas here:

Thoughts  

Actions  

T 


Feelings 



Ways We Don’t Take Care of Ourselves
Write or draw your ideas here:

Thoughts  

Actions  


T



Feelings 



 My Home Practice: Theme T
1. Practice mindful breathing for at least three breaths at a time, three to six times per day.

2. D
o a short loving-­kindness practice     times. Change the language to suit yourself, if
desired.
3. B
egin to notice thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as they arise throughout the day.
Pay particular attention to thoughts and feelings that are related to self-­criticism or criticism of
others.
4. W
rite about your experiences in the box with lines, or draw your experiences in the box
without lines.

My Experience (Write):

T
My Experience (Draw):
A Recipe for Positive Emotions: Daily
Doses of Gratitude
Gratitude helps make us happier and more resilient, because when we’re grateful,
we notice and appreciate all that we have. We’re more likely to remember these
good things when things get hard. Gratitude is more than just a nice feeling; it is a practice. Gratitude
is both a noun and a verb. We practice gratitude in order to cultivate it and help it grow. The recipe
for gratitude is practicing grateful thoughts, grateful feelings, and grateful actions. By practicing grati-
tude each day, we can get our daily recommended dose. Cut the squares and place them in a box or
an envelope. Try choosing one activity each day as your special practice. Add to the squares by
making your own suggestions.

Write a gratitude note to Keep a notebook where Notice something that a What foods are you
someone to thank that you list some things you’re relative does for you, and grateful for? Eat one of
person for something he grateful for each night thank that person. them mindfully.
or she did for you. before you go to bed.
Write down five things Be mindful that people While riding in a car, try When you watch a TV
about yourself (your you don’t know very well to identify ten things that show, notice whether the
talents, skills, and so on) often show you kindness. you see that make you characters have an
that you are grateful for. Say “thank you” often. grateful. attitude of gratitude. How
do they show it?
Be mindful of the good Notice something a friend Notice how having What music are you
things that happen in does for you, and thank kindness, compassion, grateful to be able to
your day, even if they are that person. Make an and gratitude toward listen to? Listen to it
small. What’s the tiniest effort to repay the favor. others feels in your body mindfully.
good thing you can (maybe in your heart or
notice? The biggest? face).

T
Read a story about Offer loving-kindness Notice something a Think of your pet or an
gratitude. Read or write a practice to a friend as a teacher does for you, and animal you like. Consider
poem about gratitude. way of showing your thank that person. how much the animal
appreciation for that makes you happy.
person.
Try to do a favor for Make a gratitude collage Try to say something good When you see someone
someone you appreciate of pictures of things and about a person who who is sick, sad, or angry,
without their noticing (for people you’re grateful for. becomes the subject of a send that person
example, putting Hang it in your room to conversation. kindness.
something away). Can you remind you to practice
keep this a secret? gratefulness.
When you are feeling sad, What sports are you Notice something good Pick something that you
upset, or angry, notice grateful to be able to play? about a classmate you usually take for granted
and stop. Pay attention to Play mindfully. don’t know well. Notice (like water, trees, your
your breath. Think of that you can feel gratitude house, and so on), and
three things you are for having this person in make a list of reasons why
grateful for. your life. you’re grateful for it.
 My Home Practice: Theme H
1. Practice mindful breathing as often as possible throughout the day.

2. Practice being mindful in your daily life.

3. Note your observations and reflections in the box below.

Write how you plan to practice mindfulness in your daily life:

Draw how you plan to practice mindfulness in your daily life:

H
Designed to “Re-­Mind”
By:

H
 Tips to Take Away: Mindfulness Cues
‘‘ Ride in a car or walk with the music turned off, for a change, to notice your surroundings.

‘‘ Take three slow, mindful breaths as you get up in the morning and before you go to sleep.

‘‘ When you talk to a friend, really listen. Gently let go of your own thoughts and ideas, and tune
in to what the person is saying.

‘‘ Each time you hear a bell ring (at home or school), take a mindful breath.

‘‘ Choose a path or street that you walk or run down regularly. Practice mindful walking or
running each time you go there.

‘‘ When you are outside at night, really look at the stars for a minute or two.

‘‘ When you go outside during the day, really look at something beautiful in nature for a minute
or two.

‘‘ Exercise or play a game mindfully. Pay attention to thoughts, feelings, and the movement of
your body.

‘‘ Practice taking a mindful breath before responding to an e-­mail or text message, or before
answering a question.

‘‘ Focus your attention by taking five mindful breaths before you begin to work on something.

‘‘ Continue to expand on your chosen mindfulness practice from theme B, “Mindfulness in My

Life.”

‘‘ Practice kindness to yourself and others at least once a day.