Resiliency…… ……through Innate Health

 “teachers are burning out at an alarming rate” Dr. R. Common

Why do great teachers stay?  The challenge  The reward  Finding the FLOW  Connectedness  Autonomy  RESILIENCY – flexibility & hopefulness

Try the following activity…. MMMMake a list of 20 things you like to do. NNNNow…..test the list RRRRead each item and put a check mark beside each one you have actually done in the past week. HHHHow many checks do you have? TTTThe more checks you have, the more optimistic you are, and the better life looks!

What is Resiliency? 1.Able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed. (Oxford) 2.The ability to recover quickly from difficult conditions. (Oxford) 3.An innate and transcending ability within all children, youth, adults, organizations, and communities. (Henderson, et al.)

What is Innate Health?  A natural state of well-being  Spiritual essence

Innate Health always wants to float to the surface…. Innate Health always wants to float to the surface….

……but the weight of our thoughts often exceed that recommended by our PFD’s!

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale

The Three Principles M MIND  ENERGY T THOUGHT  REALITY C CONSCIOUSNESS  awareness

“Where attention goes, energy flows, and results show.” Barry Spilchuk

“If each person understood that his or her own idea or experience was unique…they would accept their differences as part of life and see that what they all had in common was the variable moment-to-moment “reality” of their thinking.” (Sedgeman, 2003)

OUTSIDE-IN vs. INSIDE-OUT Recognize the thought process behind the behavior….and respond with love and understanding.

External Event Thought EmotionPerception Behaviour

“Thinking creates an image. Images control feelings. Feelings cause actions. Actions create results.” Leland Val Vandenwall

 Teachers must view all students’ behaviour as a demonstration of their current mood, not as a preconceived expectation or label placed upon them

“You can never predict which students will be gifted or successful.” Dr. Ron Common

Do we want a high tolerance to stress, or a low tolerance???  If we have a low tolerance, we can respond sooner by recognizing the messages our bodies are sending to us.  It is dysfunctional to handle stress!

STRESS…. Was Hans Selye right???  Stress is created or generated by external factors or pressures.  This assumption has remained fundamental for decades, as researchers looked at stress and stressors.  This assumption has remained fundamental for decades, as researchers looked at stress and stressors.

How Selye Described Stages in Response to Stress  Alarm Reaction  Resistance  Exhaustion

Mood Tension + =

The body doesn’t care how justified you are…

Chronic Stress “provides a hormonal milieu conducive to the development of:..”  Visceral obesity  Insulin Resistance/Dyslipidemia Syndrome  Hypertension  Atherosclerosis  Osteoporosis  Immune Dysfunction  Depression  Irritable Colon  Peptic Ulcer  Substance abuse __________ as cited in VanItallie, T.B. (2002). Stress: A risk factor for serious illness. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental 51(6 Suppl 1):40-45.

thought Consciousness Mind Personal reality Thought

The Principles Describe Resiliency in Action The dynamic flow of thought, representing the intelligence of the innate and natural use of our minds, allows us to experience optimal health.

A Fresh Look at Stress  Stress is the experience of the neurobiology of insecure thought.  Insecure thought is reactive thought in response to a perceived threat to one’s physical or mental well-being.

A Fresh Look at Stress  Chronic stress comes from the attachment to insecure thought content.  Acute stress is temporary and responsive.

A Fresh Look at Resiliency  Resiliency is the natural, responsive flow of thought, unimpeded by attachment to any particular thought content.  Resiliency is the natural expression of a quiet mind in a positive feeling state.

Awakening to the Principles of Mind, Thought & Consciousness  Attachment to insecure thought content disappears. content disappears.  Mind quiets.  Gratitude, love and hope re-emerge.  Wisdom returns.  Physiology revives healing potential.

For Further Information on Innate Health and Resiliency: Banks, S. (1998). The missing link. Edmonton, AB: Lone Pine Publishing. Mills, R. & Spittle, E. (2001). The wisdom within. Edmonton, AB: Lone Pine Publishing. Pransky, J. (1998). Modello a story of hope for the inner city and beyond. Cabot VT: NEHRI Publications. Pransky, J. (2003). Prevention from the inside-out. Bloomington, IN: 1st Books Library. Williams, J.S. (2003). Why great teachers stay. Educational Leadership, 60(8),