Summary

Daniel Rechtschaffen, a Marriage and Family Therapist, has a master’s degree in counseling psychology. He founded the Mindful Education Institute and the Omega Mindfulness in Education conference, has developed a variety of curricula for mindfulness in the classroom, and leads mindfulness trainings for schools and communities around the world.

Adults need stress relief, well-being, focused attention, and the other benefits of mindfulness as much, or more, than students do. So when he integrates mindfulness into a schools, he begins with the adults.

Discover Your Why – Free Coaching Call Valued at $250

Teaching students how to be happy, present, and content first can then help them better absorb the information they are trying to learn. Often after taking a mindfulness training, teachers will say that they find an amazing transformation in their classrooms, showing up as a mindful teacher. It’s like dropping an ice cube in a cup of hot water and feeling it cool down.

This is a great chat about mindfulness and the benefits it has not only in the education of children but to all our lives.

Key Take Outs

• Understanding. It’s so easy to judge and criticise another when we don’t first seek to understand. Stephen Covey illustrates this beautifully in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. When we lack the information required to understand something we tend to put up some kind of resistance. This resistance can be reduced when we view the full picture, when we cannot, only part of the story is understood. That is why the more we can share, listen and remain open the better we will understand. In collaboration this will lead to greater results.
• Engage with stories and song. One method to raise engagement in what you speak is to put it into story or song. Sometimes words are meaningless when they cannot be put into context. In context people will more likely listen, become involved and benefit more deeply.
• The 5 Literacies of mindfulness. Body, mind, emotions, social, and global. Daniel talks about these in this interview. They are in order of where one might begin when starting out in their mindfulness practice. Become aware and more connected first with body and then progressing from there.  Presence is one of the secrets to fulfilment and happiness.
• What’s the reason for mindfulness? Mindfulness help you develop more awareness and presence. With this you are better able to navigate yourself through life even when you face challenge or adversity. Being present allows you to connect with each moment in life more fully. This removes you from any sadness or depression from the past and any anxiety about the future.
• Accessible and fun. To have success in adopting new behaviours or influencing others to do so, making it accessible and fun makes a load of sense. The easier it is to act on and the more enjoyment found in taking action the more likely we will act and sustain the action.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.If you are anxious you are living in the future.If you are at peace you are living in the present.” Lao Tzu

Do you have any routines and rituals that you believe contribute to your success?

Starting the day with physical activity to active the body and mind.

What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?

His 20-year old self would tell him to play more. He would tell his 20-year old self to have fun and not to worry. Also to have trust and be authentic.

Daniel’s interpretation of success?

Being able to feel fulfilled.

What is your number one productivity advice?

Don’t get frustrated, don’t judge myself, don’t do it necessarily the way we think we have to do things but instead follow your heart and intuition and in that you will find greater flow and productivity.

What advice would you give someone that needing/wanting to make change?

Allow your emotions to live, don’t block them. In this sense you will face less resistance, be more present and in that happier.

Quick round questions

Favourite Food

Food from his garden.

Favourite Leisure Activitiy

Tennis

Favourite book(s)

Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness by Chogyam Trungpa

The Mindful Education Workbook: Lessons for Teaching Mindfulness to Students by Daniel Rechtschaffen

The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students (Norton Books in Education) by Daniel Rechtschaffen

Quote

“You don’t see the world as it is, you see the world as you are.” Anais Nin

What does living life with passion and purpose mean?

Its really a moment by moment experience and an ever deepening question.

Do we all have a why?

Yes. We all have our skills and abilities but the true why is your unique gift. There is a difference. What is it that’s in you that needs to come into the world?

How to find Daniel and other links

You can find out more about Daniel by jumping on the his website Mindfulness Eduction here.  

You can also visit his personal website here. 

Discover your Hidden Why – Jump on the Discovery Call and take your life to the level you desire it to be. In this free coaching call, valued at $250, discover what it takes to start living you life with greater passion & purpose. Do you want more freedom, fulfilment and happiness? Let me show you how. Limited spots available!