Christine Mason
Michele M. Rivers Murphy
Yvette Jackson
foreword by Paul Liabenow
Copyright © 2019 by Solution Tree Press
Materials appearing here are copyrighted. With one exception, all rights are reserved. Readers may reproduce only those pages marked “Reproducible.” Otherwise, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mason, Christine Y. (Christine Yvonne), 1949- author. | Rivers Murphy, Michele M., author. | Jackson, Yvette, author.
Title: Mindfulness practices : cultivating heart centered communities where students focus and flourish / Christine Mason, Michele M. Rivers Murphy, Yvette Jackson.
Description: Bloomington, IN : Solution Tree Press, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018005654 | ISBN 9781947604063 (perfect bound)
Subjects: LCSH: Affective education. | School environment. | Behavior modification. | Mindfulness (Psychology)
Classification: LCC LB1072 .M37 2018 | DDC 370.15/34--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018005654
Solution Tree
Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO
Edmund M. Ackerman, President
Solution Tree Press
President and Publisher: Douglas M. Rife
Editorial Director: Sarah Payne-Mills
Art Director: Rian Anderson
Managing Production Editor: Kendra Slayton
Senior Production Editor: Tonya Maddox Cupp
Senior Editor: Amy Rubenstein
Copy Editor: Ashante K. Thomas
Proofreader: Elisabeth Abrams
Text and Cover Designer: Laura Cox
Editorial Assistant: Sarah Ludwig
For all the children around the world: may they be loved, may they be safe. This book is dedicated to the thousands of children who valiantly persevere in spite of the scars of the emotional trauma they experience because of adverse experiences (physical, racial, social), coming to school each and every day hoping to find a healing balm that will strengthen their resilience and intellectual courage to achieve. This book is also dedicated to the many selfless caregivers away from home—our teachers, support staff, and educational leaders who show up every day in our schools with strong conviction and compassionate hearts, striving to make a difference. These caregivers enrich the lives of those they teach through their nurturing presence and unwavering love and care.
Acknowledgments
We like this quote by Kofi A. Annan (n.d.) and want to start with it:
There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they grow up in peace.
Let me begin by thanking my coauthors, with the foremost thanks to Michele M. Rivers Murphy for always believing in our work, for being a motivational coach, and for her gift of working by my side, so to speak, even at a distance of hundreds of miles away. There were many days when Michele and I began our morning with a conversation and ended our day with a quick text or email. Then, I believe Michele will echo my gratitude for the loving, caring attention that Yvette Jackson provided to us. Yvette, as the more experienced author, and internationally known educator, has shown us a path forward, helping us navigate the publishing process.
On a personal note, thanks too to my husband, John Wilhelm, for his unflagging support and encouragement, and to our daughters, Maria, Holly, and Amber, for their love, their amazing ability to check in at just the right time, and their practical advice. As many of you know, trauma is something that many of us have experienced, and I cherish the insights from family as I hold in my heart their belief that this book is important for children and schools.
—Chris Mason
Writing our book has been a long and exciting process. I am thankful to have shared this special journey with my coauthors and cherished friends, Chris Mason and Yvette Jackson. Chris is an amazingly gifted and natural writer who has inspired me every step of the way through her unwavering passion for educating with both heart and mind and a strong belief in a more compassionate and caring world. I have shared many morning calls and rapid-fire emails in our mutual desire to strike just the right chord with our readers as we strive to cultivate a more compassionate educational landscape. Yvette is an invaluable resource and inspiration, having touched countless lives through her lifelong work and focus on strengths-based education as the vehicle to high intellectual performance. She has created a ripple effect of change, transforming educators’ belief about providing engaging and supportive environments so each and every child has the ability to maximize his or her potential. Yvette’s insights, work, and accomplishments in the field of education, as well as contributions to our book, have been remarkable.
On a personal note, I am both grateful and blessed to have my best friend and husband, Tom Murphy, always by my side to extend unwavering love and support and provide family balance for any endeavor I may choose. And, our daughters, Julia and Abigail Murphy, who inspire me every day through their compassionate hearts and goodness—to do more and make this a better world for all children. Lastly, I am indebted to my parents, Dick and Paula Rivers (both former educators), for being my first teachers and the best role models, parents, and cheerleaders that a child could have. Thank you for the many lessons learned along the way, for being nonjudgmental, and
