If you've ever taken a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, you may have done the famous raisin exercise. It's basically a slow, methodical seeing, savoring of, and swallowing, a single raisin.
Recently, I tried the activity with a class of eighth graders, and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. I'm not sure how much fun they had, though.
I began by passing out a paper towel to each student, and told them we were going to do some eating for our brain break- a brief time each day when we practice some mindfulness together. The kids got excited and started to chatter. They probably had visions of chocolate shakes or maybe french fries.
But when I told them that we were going to be eating a single raisin, I saw disappointment cloud several faces. Some even let out audible groans of disgust. One boy looked like he might be sick.
Several asked, "Do we have to do this?" "No," I said, "you don't have to. Just please be quiet so others can try this out."
Several students decided to just sit and observe as I had other students pass out the raisins to the table groups. I began by reading a script from Mark Williams's book Mindfulness. As I went along, there were the usual comments and giggles. I didn't expect the silence of an adult setting, so I just tried to observe how they were reacting- to be curious- even as I tried to keep them focused and on task.
When we were done, the sense of relief from the students was palpable. The activity of truly slowing down and tasting a single raisin was more challenging for some than others. I asked for their feedback and reflection. I remembered that this wasn't about judging them, or imposing my ideas on how they should have experienced eating their raisin. The reflection was more about, What was this like for you?
One student said it was like "having her grandmother's finger in her mouth." Another said, "It was really good. It felt weird. But it was good."
Two students judged the experience without having even participated: "It sounded weird. I didn't do it, but if I did, it would have been gross." Another wrote, "It was very intense!! I didn't do it."
Another mused, "I have never thought about my food before I have eaten it. I also have never taken a long time before I've put something in my mouth."
And finally, another student wrote, "The raisin activity was something new. It made me really think about how detailed everything actually is."
I wrapped up by asking the class how the raisin exercise related to art class. A hand shot up immediately: "It's like how we are seeing the details of the things we are drawing," one said.
Like most learning activities, the takeaway was different for everyone.
My lesson came from observing the variety of reactions that a single raisin could stir up- the shock and disappointment, the excitement and laughter, the emotional drama. The activity revealed our human habit of judging events before we've even tried them, and of overreacting to, or exaggerating even the most mundane of our experiences.
Just what you'd expect from middle schoolers.
And from all of us, at times.
Recently, I tried the activity with a class of eighth graders, and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. I'm not sure how much fun they had, though.
But when I told them that we were going to be eating a single raisin, I saw disappointment cloud several faces. Some even let out audible groans of disgust. One boy looked like he might be sick.
Several asked, "Do we have to do this?" "No," I said, "you don't have to. Just please be quiet so others can try this out."
Several students decided to just sit and observe as I had other students pass out the raisins to the table groups. I began by reading a script from Mark Williams's book Mindfulness. As I went along, there were the usual comments and giggles. I didn't expect the silence of an adult setting, so I just tried to observe how they were reacting- to be curious- even as I tried to keep them focused and on task.
When we were done, the sense of relief from the students was palpable. The activity of truly slowing down and tasting a single raisin was more challenging for some than others. I asked for their feedback and reflection. I remembered that this wasn't about judging them, or imposing my ideas on how they should have experienced eating their raisin. The reflection was more about, What was this like for you?
One student said it was like "having her grandmother's finger in her mouth." Another said, "It was really good. It felt weird. But it was good."
Two students judged the experience without having even participated: "It sounded weird. I didn't do it, but if I did, it would have been gross." Another wrote, "It was very intense!! I didn't do it."
Another mused, "I have never thought about my food before I have eaten it. I also have never taken a long time before I've put something in my mouth."
And finally, another student wrote, "The raisin activity was something new. It made me really think about how detailed everything actually is."
I wrapped up by asking the class how the raisin exercise related to art class. A hand shot up immediately: "It's like how we are seeing the details of the things we are drawing," one said.
Like most learning activities, the takeaway was different for everyone.
My lesson came from observing the variety of reactions that a single raisin could stir up- the shock and disappointment, the excitement and laughter, the emotional drama. The activity revealed our human habit of judging events before we've even tried them, and of overreacting to, or exaggerating even the most mundane of our experiences.
Just what you'd expect from middle schoolers.
And from all of us, at times.
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