Introduction
Meditation and mindfulness practices are increasing in popularity due to the research-based, documented benefits of engaging in these practices. But, if you practice a particular meditation and you don't feel like it speaks to you, do you think you will continue to practice it long enough to receive those benefits? There is an incredible amount of information out there regarding various types of meditation and explanations of what mindfulness actually is. This Webquest is intended to help you to delve deeply into a meditation technique that you are drawn to, so that you may find out more information and begin benefitting from this practice.
Task
Essential Questions:
What is meditation, what are its benefits, and how can this practice be beneficial for me?
What is the best meditation practice for me and why?
How can I create a sustainable meditation practice for myself?
Learning Targets:
I can explain what meditation is, identify one technique of meditation, and explain how it impacts mental and physical health.
I can produce high-quality work to present my research to my peers.
Task:
You will identify one meditation practice to research, practice, and reflect on. You will present your findings in a either a high-quality PowerPoint presentation or poster. You will present your findings to your peers and lead them in your chosen meditation (if possible).
Process
Task 1
Select 5 meditation practices that interest you (and, if you chose, your partner) (circle them on this list).
1. Zen Meditation
2. Vipassana Meditation
3. Mindfulness Meditation
4. Loving-Kindness Meditation
5. Mantra Meditation
6. Transcendental Meditation (TM)
7. Third Eye Meditation
8. Chakra Meditation
9. Gazing Meditation (Trataka)
10. Kriya Yoga Meditation
11. Sound Meditation (Nada Yoga)
12. Pranayama (Breathing Meditation)
13. "I Am" Meditation
14. Visualization Meditation
15. Qigong
16. Guided Meditation
17. Yoga Nidra
18. Binaural Beat Meditation
19. Food Meditation
20. Walking Meditation
21. Relaxation & Body Scan Meditations
22. Tonglen Meditation
Task 2
Perform a quick search on the five meditations you circled. Take notes on each meditation with your note catcher.
Task 3
After your quick search on the five meditations, select ONE to use to complete your research.
Websites to help you with your search:
https://liveanddare.com/types-of-meditation
https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/03/24/types-of-meditation-extensive-list-of-techniques/
https://www.choprafoundation.org/
Task 4
Bring your completed note catcher to Mrs. Macdonald. You will let her know which meditation you will be researching, how you will be presenting your research, and you will receive your research and reflection packet.
Task 5
Begin your research. You may use Google to search for your chosen meditation. You will record notes in your research and reflection packet, be sure to note the website where you received this information.
Task 6
After you complete your research, bring your completed research and reflection pack to Mrs. Macdonald. You will either receive approval to begin working on your final project or you will be provided with suggestions for completing your research.
Task 7
Once you have been approved to being your final project, you will create a "rough draft" of your work. If you are creating a poster, use pencil to design the poster first, we will peer edit and revise that poster to ensure that our result will be "high-quality" work. If you are creating a PowerPoint, use the spell check feature and make sure that you are choosing fonts, etc. that will be visible to your audience. We will also peer edit the PowerPoint to make sure that we are showcasing "high-quality" work with our final projects.
Task 8
Final review is done by Mrs. Macdonald. Additional suggestions or corrections will be completed at this time. Once those corrections are completed, you will set up a time to present your research with Mrs. Macdonald.
Task 9
Take a deep breath (hopefully, your practice and research will help you to feel more calm and peaceful as you present)! Presentation time! Please use the presentation rubric to understand the expectations.
Evaluation
Conclusion
Thank you for all of your hard work! I truly hope that you can use the information/practice you found to help you to reduce stress, live more in the present moment, learn to control your emotional state, and generally have a overall feeling of well-being.
Credits
Created by Melanie Macdonald, Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School, High School SEAM Teacher, Rochester NY