Dhyana: Meditation Techniques
Simple ways to sit quietly and breathe
Teacher Experience
A contemplative invitation for educators to reflect on before teaching.Practice a simple form of meditation, ideally on a daily basis, for however much time feels comfortable. If you have a practice already, return to a simple form that you might share with your students. If you have little experience, try a 3-minute breathing practice: simply notice your breath without changing it. Remember that getting used to the practice of meditation takes time, and our ideas about what it is and how it works will change over time. Aspire to have humility no matter how advanced your practice—meditation can be a profound tool on the path of wisdom, and it’s best if each student finds their own affinity by being introduced to it gradually over time in an open, relaxed and pressure-free environment.
Student Experience
A contemplative invitation for students to connect with this learning goal.Try sitting in rock pose and notice how still and quiet you can be, like a mountain or a sleeping bear.
Understanding
Students will understand...Meditation helps our minds become calm and friendly. We can learn different ways to sit quietly and breathe that help us feel peaceful and kind.
Action
Students are able to...Experience and explore different ways to sit quietly and breathe by practicing simple meditation activities like rock pose, balloon breath, and cushion care; demonstrate taking a seat with gentle attention; and show how bell sounds help create quiet time for awareness.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...Meditation is a way to train our minds to be calm, kind, and aware. Just like we use tools in the classroom to help us learn, we use special tools for meditation, like cushions, bells, and our breath. The Buddha taught people how to sit quietly and pay attention to help their minds become peaceful.
Taking your seat means sitting with intention and awareness, not just sitting down. We sit with our bottoms on the ground, backs straight like mountains, and hearts open like flowers. We take care of our meditation cushions because they help us practice, just like we take care of our toys and books.
Different meditation activities help us in different ways. Rock pose helps us feel still and strong. Balloon breath helps us notice how air moves in and out of our bodies. Bell sounds create a special quiet time when we can practice being aware and present.
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Practice rock pose by kneeling and folding forward while focusing on feeling still and strong like a mountain. Explore balloon breath by pretending to inflate and deflate balloons with slow, mindful breathing. Care for meditation cushions by learning proper handling, placement, and respectful treatment as special practice tools. Experience bell sounds by listening carefully to how the sound starts, continues, and fades away during meditation transitions. Practice “taking your seat” by sitting cross-legged with intention and awareness rather than just plopping down. Create quiet meditation corners using cushions, soft lighting, and natural objects to establish peaceful practice spaces. Learn simple meditation etiquette, like speaking softly and moving slowly in practice areas.
Assessment Ideas
Observation of students demonstrating rock pose, balloon breath, and respectful cushion care. Show how to “take your seat” and explain why bells help with meditation.
