Meena Srinivasan is an Indian-American educator and an internationally recognized leader in the field of mindfulness in education. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and has taught in Brazil, India, and the United States. In this book, she shares how she has used mindfulness practices to cope with typical challenges of a school day.
What is mindfulness? According to Srinivasan, it is "energy we cultivate through kind, present-moment awareness. It involves the practice of coming back to the peaceful compassionate space we all have inside ourselves with curiosity and without judgment. When we come back to this space repeatedly, it grows."
Simply put, this practice helps us to be more responsive and less reactive. Later in the book, she lists nine benefits of practicing mindfulness:
1. Maintain focus/attention
2. Work skillfully with our emotions
3. Manage stress
4. Develop a sense of inner peace
5. Promote compassion and kindness toward oneself and others
6. Be resilient: recognize interdependence/interconnection
7. Foster understanding
8. Communicate effectively
9. Make healthy decisions
Throughout the book, Srinivasan uses practices and exercises by Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn including a "Food Meditation" and "Joy of Meditation as Nourishment" (see excerpt). Teach Breathe Learn is a valuable addition to the growing archive of books on mindfulness.
