When selecting my topic for my Free Inquiry Project, I thought to myself: What can I explore that will be both challenging and constructive? What can I do to benefit my knowledge with regards to technology and education, but also allow for personal growth and enjoyment?

The topic of mindfulness initially came to my mind, and I decided to focus on it for a variety of reasons. Primarily, this year getting back into school has been difficult for me. I have always been a diligent student with a motivated work ethic, however this year I have struggled to find a healthy rhythm in my studies. I’m not sure if this stems from having a 3 year break since completing my undergraduate degree, or just a general mental block. In an effort to combat this slump I’ve found myself in, I’ve decided to make mindfulness the focus on my free inquiry. I think that by focusing on mindfulness, which to me encompasses acting with intention, thought, and purpose, I will find a way to engage with school more passionately again. I am certain though that I will see the benefits of this project beyond my academic pursuits.

My questions are simple: how does intentionally practicing mindfulness affect me? Which mindful practices are most favourable to me? And finally, how can I bring these mindful exercises to the classroom and incorporate them to my teaching style?

In my opinion ā€œmindfulnessā€ is a broad term that can encompass a variety of practices and activities. However, at its core, the intention of mindfulness is to connect with your inner thoughts and disconnect from the outside world in a meditative way. This can be achieved through a variety of strategies such as meditation, exercise, writing, etc.

My plan to begin my journey to a more mindful lifestyle is as follows: each week I am going to integrate a new ā€œmindful practiceā€ or challenge into my daily routine. My first thoughts are things like challenging myself to go to yoga every day for a week, or spending a week with my social media apps deleted from my phone, or conversely using an app to follow a guided mediation practice. If I find that something I’ve tried is useful, hopefully it is something I can continue practicing as I carry on with trying new mindful exercises.

Although it is a couple years old now, I found this TEDtalk about mindfulness to be really engaging and informative to me about what mindfulness looks like in practice. He discusses how mindfulness is as simple as ā€œfamiliarizing yourself with the present momentā€ and really emphasizes how it doesn’t need to be this intense, incense fueled meditative experience. It’s a great introduction to the topic and helped me construct my own framework for mindful practice.