The arts have the potential to help students develop holistically and positively impact a child’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. Intentional integration of the arts into daily curriculum can help students establish stronger physical awareness of their surroundings and of others within their class, mindfulness of their own physical and emotional responses to present situations, and find healthy coping mechanisms for use both in and outside the classroom. This chapter explains the body, mind, spirit integration, and how the arts can help foster that connection.
Mindfulness
The development of mindfulness is the first step toward holistic growth. Awareness of one’s surroundings, body, and feelings gives a person the power to identify danger before it arrives and to lay a boundary or take an action toward protecting oneself. It also works in the opposite direction, allowing us to open up and receive the good things life gives us such as a sunset or the sound of waves crashing, provided that is a comforting sounds to whoever is listening. If the sound of crashing waves induces feelings of anxiety instead of comfort, a mindful person will recognize the signs of anxiety in their body in response to the sound they are hearing. The power then rests in their hands to decide how they will manage that anxiety. An adult has the control they need to leave a situation that is making them feel anxious or unsafe, but unfortunately, many children do not. So how does mindfulness help a child in an adverse situation?
While we as teachers do not always have the power to remove a child from an adverse situation, we can provide a place of safety for them when they are in our care. Allowing them choice and control over some things can have a powerful effect on how they interact with their world both in and outside of the classroom. A child dealing with chaos at home may have difficulty focusing in school, but incorporating experiences that promote mindfulness during class can help that child regain control of their own body, thoughts, and feelings.
Arts and the Body
Whether we are aware of it or not, our bodies hold many memories and experiences from our past, which can affect the rest of our lives. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other physical illnesses can result from chronic negative stress caused by adverse situations. Helping our students develop awareness of their bodies’ responses to situations (either positive or negative), and how to manage those responses, empowers them to take control of their emotions and live healthier lives.
The arts aid in building a student’s awareness of their physical bodies, their surroundings, and of their relationship to others in the space around them. Movement, for example, encourages actions such as reaching away from the body’s center, or intentionally pulling limbs and extremities in toward the body to explore shape and space. Partnering experiences such as mirroring and follow the leader build awareness of and focus on others in the space. Something like this can be implemented when the class is lined up and transitioning from the classroom to the playground, for example.
Actions like clapping, jumping, marching, skipping, nodding, tapping, and stomping in time to music provide a unifying effect on a group of students, because they must pay attention to each other in order to stay in sync and on beat. This can help establish a calmer internal rhythm for a student who has difficulty self-regulating. It expels energy and encourages strong, heavy movement, as well as free, light movement. Offering a choice to a student about how they move gives them the freedom to express and explore without fear of judgement from the teacher or others.
Using visual art forms such as drawing, painting, and sculpture, and hands-on experiences with materials such as cardboard boxes, toothpicks, jelly beans, marshmallows, lincoln logs, legos, etc. gives students an opportunity to increase their ability to focus on a meaningful task. Hands on experiences in class reinforce the teacher’s lessons by helping students understand and apply what they are learning to real life situations. The typical classroom experience has children sitting for long periods of time, listening to a teacher lecture. But learning that engages the body not only increases motor skill development, coordination, and spatial awareness, it challenges students to think about how what they learn can be applied in real life. It opens the door for exploration and discovery, and allows students to solve problems on their own. For example, asking students to design a structure that complements or can be connected to another classmate’s design can help in the formulation of ideas and critical thinking, and students must think spatially about how their design can fit into or around someone else’s design.
Arts and the Mind
The state of the mind is highly affected by the state of the body, and vice versa. Students who come from adverse situations may be struggling from mental blocks or have difficulty focusing in class because their minds may be on constant “red alert”. This hypervigilant state prevents students from remaining present and focused on classroom tasks. To a hypervigilant child, the entire world is viewed as a threat, causing anxiety, fear, panic, and persistent worry. A student who cannot focus in class may appear to be jumpy, overly sensitive, and unable to regulate their own emotional and physical state. If a student is suffering from the trauma of abuse or frequent homelife difficulties, they may not be able to talk about or express themselves using language. However, creative art therapist Melissa Walker says in her TEDMED lecture called Art can Heal PTSD’s Invisible Wounds (November, 2015), “...[T]he process of art therapy bypasses the speech-language issue with the brain.”
A child experiencing stress like this is at higher risk of stunted brain and body development. According to communication pathologist and audiologist Dr. Caroline Leaf, the physical structure and function of the brain is established based on the thought patterns we choose to employ (2013). Leaf states in her book How to Switch on Your Brain: the Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health:
“You are free to make choices about how you focus your attention, and this affects how the chemicals and proteins and wiring of your brain change and function. Scientists are proving that the relationship between what you think and how you understand yourself- your beliefs, dreams, hopes, and thoughts-has a huge impact on how your brain works. Research shows that 75 to 98 percent of mental, physical, and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life” (2013, p. 33).
Because the physiology of the brain changes depending on the way a person thinks about himself, destructive thinking patterns can be very difficult to change. A student from an adverse situation believing that he must be perfect in order to receive love, or that he is not worthy of love not only suffers from emotional and spiritual burdens, but potentially lacks the mental capacity to do well in school or believe that they are capable of accomplishing even the littlest of tasks. Negative thinking leads to anxiety and stress, which can cause the development of physical ailments and disabilities, and hinders the body’s natural ability to heal itself (Leaf, 2013).
Dr. Leaf says that developing positive thought patterns about oneself helps build stronger academic skills, improve a student’s focus, foster a stronger tolerance for frustration, and nurture the ability to work through problems which builds confidence in one’s abilities and inner resources (2013).
One way to encourage positive thinking in the classroom is to take time for gratitude. Gratitude has incredible power in the mind. Dr. Leaf (2013) says that according to research, “...DNA actually changes shape according to our thoughts…[N]egative thinking leads to stress, which affects our body’s natural healing capacities. Toxic thinking wears down the brain” (p. 35). If this is true, then it also stands to reason that our brains and bodies respond in positive ways to positive thinking. We often have little control over our circumstances, however, Dr. Leaf has found that when we take control of our thinking by developing habits of gratitude and positive thought, circumstances also seem to improve.
Helping students find ways to be grateful, even in the midst of pain, can assist in relieving stress, anxiety and fear. A child living in fear experiences immense stress in her body, which contributes to a higher risk of heart disease, obesity, addiction, mental illness, and so on. Creating an environment where students can find relief from this stress by engaging their brains in new ways can help them heal and build coping skills to handle the stress of their environments elsewhere.
Arts and the Spirit
The spiritual aspect of arts-integrated learning aids in connecting the body and mind with something greater than oneself. When a student begins to look outside of himself to others around him, he starts developing and sense of pride and ownership in his work, empathy for others, building healthy communication skills, and finding hope in his life.
Working in groups provides many opportunities for spiritual growth. Providing openings for students to be heard and listened to by their peers through sharing their work is important for fostering good relationships. When a student accomplishes a task or project or and receives positive feedback from others, a sense of pride and ownership is manifested through the students’ desire to continue working and help their peers in future endeavors, which makes them more pleasurable to be around (DeSteno, 2018). Students experiencing pride in their work also seem to have a stronger tolerance for frustration when it comes to problem solving and working with others. Professor of psychology at Northeastern University David DeSteno writes in his article How to Cultivate Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride on Your Team (2018), “...[P]eople made to feel pride or compassion are willing to persevere more than 30% longer on challenging tasks...because pride and compassion induce them to place greater value on future rewards.”
DeStano says that when people are confident and able to take pride in their own work, they are more likely to feel compassion for those around them (2018). For students working alongside their peers to accomplish common goals, empathy and compassion are key factors to their success. Experiences that ask students to listen to each other and find ways to work together to implement ideas have long-term benefits, and teach kids the value of other voices. The action of understanding another and, for a moment, removing the focus away from oneself helps to build trust among people and opens up opportunities for deeper conversations and sharing in the classroom.
When trust is established among students and with teachers, a child can begin to share her story, and come to realize she may not be alone in her experiences as others nod in agreement when they’re listening, or find the courage to share a similar feeling with the group. Dr. Bruce L. Moon writes in his book Art-Based Group Therapy: Theory and Practice, “Art brings our fears, loneliness, and anguish close to us. It does not rid us of difficulties, but it enable us to live courageously in their presents. This is especially true of art made in the presence of others” (2010, p. 62). Students who are able to make art or use art as a mode for self-expression are empowered to share their stories with others, without having to revisit their “fears, loneliness, and anguish” alone. It does not make those things go away, but it enables students to live courageously with them, because they do not have to do it alone.
Dr. Moon says, “Making art with others fosters a sense of personal and communal empowerment” (2010, p. 66). Hope begins to manifest as students start taking initiative, offering ideas, and thinking about their futures with excitement. They begin to set goals and figure out how to accomplish them, they apply the principles and ideas taught in class into their lives outside of the classroom. Increased interest and participation in classroom experiences, active collaboration with other students, and independent thinking begin to transform the classroom experience. These are all signs that hope is growing. When a child has hope, she has a greater chance of academic and social success throughout the rest of her life.
Arts-based Classroom Experiences that Engage Body, Mind, and Spirit
Noticing Breath
Description of Experience
This can be used before class begins or after a recess or lunch period, the teacher can guide a short breath awareness exercise. At their desks or in a circle, students can sit or stand and place their hands on the abdomen. If the student feels safe closing their eyes, this is recommended. Students inhale for 8 counts, filling their abdomen with air and then exhale for 4 counts until the last little bit of air is out and they feel their inner abdomen muscles working.
Students change their hand placement to their rib cage and repeat the breathing sequence, then move hands to the top of their chest just below the clavicle and breathe again.
Bring attention to the sensations of the air in the nostrils as they inhale and exhale, to their feet on the floor or their if they are sitting to their seat in the chair.
Benefits:
Re-grounds the student after an exciting or anxiety inducing experience.
Relaxes the nervous system and helps to calm the mind.
Catch the Energy
Description of Experience:
This can be used at any time, but is most helpful when students are restless, have energy to expel, or have experienced something that has caused excitement, anxiety, or other adrenaline releasing emotions.
Have students dispel their energy through running around the room (if it is safe to do so), wiggling, dancing, jumping, etc. If the teacher deems it appropriate, students may also use their voices to shout, sing, chant, etc. Then have them “catch their energy” by clapping their hands together and freezing. After they have caught their energy, they place their hands on top of their heads or over their hearts, take a deep breath all together, and exhale all together as a group. The teacher should then instruct students to wiggle their toes to help them sense to floor below them.
Benefits:
Calms the nervous system through deep inhalation and exhalation
Re-centers the student’s mental focus and emotional energy and helps them remain present and aware of their body
Feeling their feet on the floor or their hands on their heads helps provide grounding for students.
Mindful Tapping
Description of the Experience:
Noticing/releasing tension/relaxation (5 minutes or less) - Tapping or thumping on specific areas of the body help to “wake up” and revitalize the body. Use these to energize students
Benefits:
revitalizes the immune system
lifts energy levels
balances blood chemistry by restoring oxygen back into the system
Circle Dance
Description of Experience:
Stand in a circle. Prompt students to share a movement that expresses how they feel after the centering exercises. As each student shares their experience, everyone else in the circle repeats their movement together. Practice connecting the movements as new ones get added to create a short movement phrase together.
Benefits:
Builds empathy by connecting students on a deeper level, and allowing them to share and be understood without talking
How do I feel today?
Description of Experience:
Students may sit or stand during this experience. The teacher asks students to name some common emotions they feel.
Students then describe what those emotions feel like in their bodies (examples: “When I’m excited I feel like jumping and wiggling” or “When I’m angry my face feels hot and my body shakes”)
Benefits:
Increases body awareness by identifying emotions and how they make the body feel.
Opens opportunities for students to learn how to use breath and other strategies to help regulate their emotions.
Worry Box
Description of Experience:
Have a decorated shoe box with a hole cut in the top.
Students write on pieces of paper about their worries, and then stick them in the box as a sign of “letting go” of what they cannot control. If the student feels the worry again later, they can write it down again and stick it in the box.
These are kept confidential, and should not be read aloud to the class.
At a later time, the teacher can discreetly use these to create themes for arts-based projects.
This can also be done in the form of a “Gratitude Box” or any other theme that seems beneficial.
Benefits:
Gives students an opportunity to reflect and be honest about their feelings, without fear of judgment or being embarrassed in front of their peers.
Develops a deeper sense of trust in a “higher power” or “that which is greater than oneself”, and help them refocus on what is in their immediate control.
Helps students regain a sense of control in their lives.
Writing exercises
Description of Experience:
Writing experiences with themes that encourage positive thought and reflection can help a child change their self-perception and build their self-esteem. Some examples of prompts are:
“Write about a place (real or imaginary) that is safe for you. What smells, sounds, colors, designs, textures, and people are there? How do you feel when you think about this place?” You can also incorporate drawing or painting into this. Have the students draw their safe places.
“Write about a time when someone did something for you that made you feel loved.”
“Write about a time when you accomplished something you thought was impossible.”
“Write a letter to your grownup self about ….”
“Write about something that made you angry or afraid”
Later take these and let the kids decide what to with them (shred them, rip them up, scribble on them, crumple them, etc. For a positive twist, turn them into airplanes or something that represents hope or peace)
- Benefits:
The ripping and crumpling motions provide a cathartic release and help relieve pent up emotions.
Writing with a prompt engages students’ imaginations and allows them to play out their experience in a safe, judgement free environment.
Writing can lead to other forms of expression such as movement, painting, drawing, and music making.
Conclusion
Body, mind, and spirit are intricately connected, and when one suffers, all suffer. While it is not the teacher’s role to diagnose a student’s mental or physical condition, she can use arts-based experiences in the classroom to begin the process of healing for children with ACE’s. Providing opportunities for students to grow their tool kit of life skills by allowing them to create and share who they are through the arts could have a powerful effect on the outcomes of their lives.
Resources:
“Art Can Heal PTSD’s Invisible Wounds.” TEDMED, November 2015.
DeSteno, David. “How to Cultivate Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride on Your Team.” Harvard
Business Review, 20 February 2018.
www.hbr.org/2018/02/how-to-cultivate-gratitude-compassion-and-pride-on-your-team. Accessed 22 February 2018.
Leaf, Caroline. Switch on Your Brain: the Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health.
BakerBooks, 2013.
Moon, Bruce L. Art-Based Group Therapy: Theory and Practice. Charles C. Thomas Publisher,
LTD., 2010.