Today was our second to last day of mindfulness. Today’s theme was cultural awareness. We started by journaling about what makes us, us, and if we would be the same person without the influences in our lives. After this we did a listening meditation where we listened to sounds surrounding us like we were hearing them for the first time ever. After that we did a laughing meditation. This was a meditation where we would mindfully laugh. We had some extra time, so we also did some yoga as well. Although the poses were very difficult, they were relaxing as well.
After this we learned to mindfully eat a tangerine. To do this, you’re supposed to smell, listen, and then feel the food. After that, you are supposed to feel the food in your mouth and then take small bites. The taste of the tangerine was much sweeter. Then we drank and read an article about a very expensive tea, Puerh tea. Puerh tea, which comes from the Yunnan province of China, costs upward of $184,000 per kilogram because it can only be cultivated in a specific way. The article talked about the expensive teas, and how some people would try to sell fake tea. The reason this tea is so expensive is because there are very few tea trees that grow these leaves, and these tea leaves have to be hand-picked. This tea is also reputed to have healing properties.
After drinking tea, we watched a documentary about mental health. This documentary talked about mental health and how to improve anxiety. Some ways to do this is to exercise, listen to podcasts, and challenge your brain. One interesting thing is that by interacting with posts on social media, you can actually improve your mental health, rather than just passively looking at social media which makes you sadder.
After, we hung up our mindfulness moments around the school, and went on a tour where everybody showcased their mindfulness moments. Each moment was very unique and details a mindfulness practice you can use and how to use it. Then, we made origami. We made a paper crane and then watched a story about the crane. After the US dropped the atomic bomb, Sadako, a girl at the young age of two, survived. However, at the age of eleven Sadako developed leukemia due to the effects of the bomb. Sadako’s dad promised Sadako that her wish would come true if Sadako folded 1,000 paper cranes. Sadako died of cancer, and her family didn’t have enough money for a proper funeral. However, her classmates raised enough money for a memorial statues for Sadako and the other atomic bomb victims. We then finished up our day by either going outside or staying inside and having some free time. – Aarav