Mindfulness in Education

Mindfulness in Schools (PK-high school)

Teaching mindfulness at school allows children and adolescents to learn how to pay attention to what is going on in their lives as a whole. When young people have the skills to manage their emotional and physical experiences, they are empowered to make healthier choices for themselves. Because mindfulness strengthens our abilities to focus and concentrate on what we are doing moment-by-moment, distractions, daydreams, fears, and anxieties tend to fade away much easier. As a result, young people are able to pay attention more completely, can learn easier, and can increase learning comprehension. Mindfulness practice can also increase self-awareness and impulse control, which results in individuals being better prepared for their academic and social lives.

Benefits of Mindfulness Skills Training in Schools:

• Improved focus and concentration
• Increased readiness for learning
• Increased self-awareness and empathy
• Increased impulse control
• Increased emotional management and understanding
  of how to treat oneself and others better
• Feelings of greater comfort and happiness with self

Mindfulness in Schools Incorporates:

• Mindful breathing- paying attention to the breath
• Mindful listening- listening attentively to sounds in the environment
• Mindful eating- using all senses of the body to engage in eating
• Mindfulness of body- awareness of body and sensations inside and outside the body
• Mindful movement- being aware of the space around one’s environment and understanding how best to move within that space
• Heartfulness and gratitude- thinking of others and wishing good things for all people

After a sequence of time and practice, these mindfulness skills and habits can naturally become a part of the individuals and the school community at large. Rather than isolating a specific part of the day to practice mindfulness, it can organically be a part of the day and part of the community as a whole.

To learn more about, or to bring mindfulness into your classroom or school, please contact Trish or call 507-450-7339.