School program inspires compassion

SANDPOINT – The road to finding a state of grace can be easy and direct or long and arduous. Lindy Lewis had to take the latter route to discover self-kindness.

    Learning that she had multiple sclerosis on the heels of a bitter divorce left her with a broken spirit and a body that felt as if it was breaking down just as quickly. Oddly, the combination of catastrophic events also led her to a place of trust and self-awareness.

    “I had gone through the achieving, the doing, the accolades, the credit – all of those places where we usually find validation,” said Lewis. “What I had to learn was how to breathe, how to be mindful and how to stop beating myself up over everything.”    With a corporate background that included presenting Broadway shows, she now leads an organization called Underground Kindness, which has taken its message of self-acceptance self-love into public school grades 7-12.

    “In a way, I’m still presenting – it’s just that now, I’m presenting wellness,” she said. “We’re just planting seeds with these kids.”

    Underground Kindness has presented more than 80 classes to middle- and high-school students this year, with another 60 to come, according to program coordinator Jody Pignolet.

    Working with program developer Tracy Fox, Pignolet helps to train a team of “compassionists” who share the importance of kindness with this vulnerable age group.

    “The goal, once we’ve helped them take care of themselves, is for them to turn around and ripple that kindness back out into their families and the community,” Fox said.

    At the epicenter of that ripple effect is the message that every individual – teenagers included – has the power to affect positive change through their reactions and responses. And in a high-stress environment where students sometimes feel over-scheduled and over-tested, finding a clear, calm inner space can make all the difference, according to the Underground Kindness team.

    As the program has spread, teachers and administrators have begun to see the value in placing an emphasis on self-care.

    “The educators love it,” Fox said. “In every class I’ve done, the teachers have stayed. They’re learning, too, and getting the benefit, as well.”

    When students are less stressed and teachers find themselves more in the moment, she added, what can be a frantic academic situation settles into one of calm intention.

    “It changes the entire mood of the classroom so that everyone can focus and be fully present and available for learning,” said Fox.

    Underground Kindness uses no taxpayer dollars, Lewis pointed out, since the program is funded entirely by private donors. The concept began about three years ago when she was teaching an after-school yoga class. Instead of reacting with giggles and goofiness, the students who attended saw the class as one of the few quiet moments in a hectic day where they could stop and wind down.

    The same approach to breathing and relaxation techniques has been adapted and modified to fit in the public school setting, where students gather in a circle for what might look to an outsider like a slow-motion P.E. class.

    “It’s not spiritual; it’s all about mindful stretching,” Lewis said. “I taught a class with about 70 kids recently and it was lovely – you could hear a pin drop.”

    Beyond the physical benefits of chilling out and taking a nice, deep breath, students are introduced to the mental attributes of taking responsibility for their actions and reactions alike. For many of them, it’s the first time they hear the message that they have control over whether or not an emotional situation escalates out of control.

    “It’s about learning to manage your own stuff,” said Lewis. “Once you can do that, it takes you out of your self-bullying. And, when you’re nice to yourself, you’re nicer to others.”

    Fox has seen that connection play out time and again in the classroom, where she and the other compassionists engage teenagers in student-led brainstorming sessions to generate ideas on how to spread random acts of kindness around the schools.

    “They’re incredibly receptive and they get how much it matters,” she said. “They understand that it’s one thing to hold the door and another thing to hold the door, look somebody in the eye and smile at them. That way, it’s a conscious act – they’re thinking about it.”

    As the third quarter draws to a close, Underground Kindness will begin working with students on how to shake off the fight or flight response and unwind the mind for optimal test results, Lewis said.

    The program currently has 10 trained compassionists teaching at the middle- and high-school levels. As the number of classes expands, the need for additional instructors has resulted in a series of upcoming training sessions for people interested in joining the team.

    “We’d eventually like to have about 30 compassionists and we need more men,” said Lewis. “This is a gentle movement that connects the community and gives people a way to come from a place of kindness and grace.

    “I’m on a 500-year plan,” she went on. “My hope is that, when these kids are adults, they’ll be able to access these same tools if things in life go sideways.”

    An informational meeting on the Underground Kindness program is scheduled for this Tuesday, March 18, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with a new compassionist training session immediately following for anyone interested in becoming part of that team.

    For information, contact compassionist coordinator Jody Pignolet at (208) 597-4364 or program developer Tracy Fox at (208) 255-1787. To learn more about the organization itself or how to become a program donor, visit them online at: www.inspiringgrace.org