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Cultivating Seeds of Presence: Remembering to Look Up

Gabrielle Plastrik
Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully (COSEM) Board Member
Executive Functioning Coach at EdFront
Former K-12 English & Humanities Teacher
Washington, USA


When I graduated from high school, I received many cards congratulating me, and some contained tips, advice, or words of wisdom. I still have some of those cards today, stored in a keepsake box. One of my favorite teachers acknowledged my hard work throughout high school and then wrote, “Remember to look up.” His advice has stuck with me for twenty-four years.


I knew exactly what he meant because in a class discussion the year before, we had had a conversation about looking up–at ceilings, at the sky, at tree tops, etc. Someone had traveled to Italy over a school vacation and was talking about the ceilings in the churches in Italy. A week later, we went on a field trip to a theater, and we looked up–amazed by the ornate ceilings. He literally meant “turn my head up and look at the sky or the ceiling,” but he also meant take a minute to see what is happening in the world outside of you. Ground yourself and look around. He gave me the gift of this beautiful reminder to pause and orient myself, the gift of a path to presence.


Nowadays, I live in a magically beautiful place. Western Washington’s skyscapes are daily reminders of how magnificent this world is. I have the privilege of walking my dog in old growth forests and along the shores of the Puget Sound. I am also incredibly busy going about the things that need to be done. Everyday, though, I remember to pause and look up during our walks. I am rewarded with light filtering through Douglas firs, fog hovering low over the forest, gentle mist sitting in the sky, eagles stretching their wings, Caspian terns with fish in their mouth, and on one remarkable occasion, a splat of bird poop that I was able to dodge.


When I look up, I see everything from a different perspective. I see a world that is there, but that I often don’t attend to. Even better, I stand for a moment, and I hear the forest or the Sound. I breathe in and smell the damp earth, the cedar, and the sea. I wiggle my toes in my hiking boots, and I feel connected to the earth. I am present in the fullness of the moment because my senses are helping me be present. 


Being in the present, even if only for a few moments, is like a breath of fresh air. There is nothing but this one moment and then the next when it arrives. I am rejuvenated and more aware when I remember to pause in the present and look up. I am better able to self-regulate, better able to anticipate, and better able to contribute in the ways that I hope to contribute.


Ideas for Cultivating the Seeds of Presence:

  • Make a routine, like I do on my daily walks. What is something that happens every day that has space in it for “remembering to look up”? (Mindful Looking Practice)

  • Engage in sensory playfulness: notice what you are seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling (consider doing this alongside your children/students to expand their sensory awareness, too!).

  • Practice grounding in moments of joy, not just stress: Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. (Five Senses Practice from Chapter 21 in Educating Mindfully)

  • Eat mindfully: Slow down and think about all of the aspects of tasting, smelling, seeing, and touching an item of food. How does focusing on the present change your experience of the food?

  • Change-up a chore: pick a chore you don’t particularly love, and try to attend to your senses while you do the chore. What do you notice that you don’t normally notice?

  • Explore the Perspective COSEM Educator & Leader Embodiment Card, "What Do You See?"


Be kind to yourself if presence escapes you. It can take practice to sit in the present moment, and it is okay for worries, concerns, anticipations, and excitements to interrupt the presence. Being in nature may help you connect to the present. You increase your ability to sit in the present by practicing bringing your attention back to your senses. In that kindness, you are taking care of yourself.

Take a minute and look up. Breathe in. Breathe out for a little longer. Roll your shoulders back. Sit in this moment. Thank you for taking care of yourself today.



Featured companion Mindfulness-Based SEL Lesson Inspiration for COSEM Members:

  • COSEM members, be sure to log into your account before clicking the link so you are taken directly to this resource. Not a member yet and would like to gain access to this resource and more? Consider joining us today or ask your school/district leadership team to invest in a COSEM Group Membership so every staff member has access. 



 


About the Author

Gabrielle Plastrik, NBCT, is an executive function coach for children, teens, and young adults with EdFront. Prior to working as a coach, Gabrielle taught English and humanities in K-12 schools for 19 years. Gabrielle grew up in Chicago, and she has lived and taught in many states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Washington. Gabrielle graduated from the selective poetry creative writing sub-concentration at the University of Michigan and has an MSEd degree from Northwestern University. She is passionate about mindfulness in education, interpretive discussion, and the ways brains learn. She started her mindfulness in education journey in 2009 and has thoughtfully recalibrated mindfulness interventions for different teaching contexts. Starting in 2019, she began leading mindfulness Professional Learning for districts looking to better support Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI). She has spoken at local and national conferences including COSEM, WAETAG, SENG, NWAIS, NCTE, and ResearchEd. She firmly believes that the most significant MBI is helping adults learn self-regulation tools: teachers are powerful models.

 

Connect with Gabrielle!


 
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