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Mind the Bump - Mindfulness vs Mindlessness

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Learn about the difference between the state of Mindfulness and Mindlessness For more information please visit: www.mindthebump.org.au

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The Science Behind Mindfulness Meditation

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UpRising - Leadership Programme Birmingham 2015 - 2016 Campaign - ConZentrate

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Mind the Bump - Mindfulness and how the brain works

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THIS SCHOOL REPLACED DETENTION WITH MEDITATION

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THIS SCHOOL REPLACED DETENTION WITH MEDITATION

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This School Sends Kids to Meditation Instead of Detention And the Results Are INCREDIBLE!

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Meditation 101: A Beginner's Guide Animation

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Are you new to meditation, and interested in finding out how to start a practice? We'll walk you through the basics! Visit http://www.happify.com for guided meditations and other mindfulness-building activities designed by experts.

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Dr Daniel Siegel presenting a Hand Model of the Brain

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The Power of Mindfulness: What You Practice Grows Stronger | Shauna Shapiro | TEDxWashingtonSquare

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Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower: An Animation

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"Just Breathe" by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman (Wavecrest Films)

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How Mindfulness Empowers Us: An Animation Narrated by Sharon Salzberg

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Are you looking for mindfulness research and resources to help parents, staff, and administrators understand the impact of this work? Share this research page with your principal, PTA, or peers to help make the case for mindfulness in schools.

This page summarizes research on the benefits of mindfulness, including neuroscience, latest scientific studies, and specific benefits for educators and students. It also includes research studies on the Mindful Schools curriculum and the benefits for our course graduates and the students they serve.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

Scholarly research finds that mindfulness practice decreases stress and anxiety, increases attention, improves interpersonal relationships, strengthens compassion, and confers a host of other benefits. Below is a summary of research findings on the benefits of mindfulness particularly relevant to educators.

Improved Attention

Numerous studies show improved attention , including better performance on objective tasks that require an extensive concentration span.

Emotional Regulation

Mindfulness is associated with emotion regulation across a number of studies. Mindfulness creates changes in the brain that correspond to less reactivity , and better ability to engage in tasks even when emotions are activated.

Greater Compassion

People randomly assigned to mindfulness training are more likely to help someone in need and have greater self-compassion.

Reduction of Stress and Anxiety

Mindfulness reduces feelings of stress and improves anxiety and distress when placed in a stressful social situation.

The Benefits of Mindfulness in Education

Research shows that stressed teachers impact students' stress levels and student stress impacts learning outcomes. Students learn better in a climate that is more emotionally positive. Studies have demonstrated a link between positive emotional classroom climates and academic achievement.

Benefits for Educators

When teachers learn mindfulness, they not only reap personal benefits such as reduced stress and burnout but their schools do as well. In randomized controlled trials, teachers who learned mindfulness experienced:

Benefits for Students

Studies find that youth benefit from learning mindfulness in terms of improved cognitive outcomes, social-emotional skills, and well being. In turn, such benefits may lead to long-term improvements in life. For example, social skills in kindergarten predict improved education, employment, crime, substance abuse and mental health outcomes in adulthood. Research finds that youth who practice mindfulness can develop:

Our Results: Mindful Schools Research Study

In the 2011-12 school year, Mindful Schools researchers partnered with the University of California, Davis to conduct one of the largest randomized-controlled studies to date on mindfulness and children, The study involved 937 children and 47 teachers in three Oakland public elementary schools.

The Mindful Schools curriculum (taught to educators through our Mindful Educator Essentials course) produced statistically significant improvements in paying attention and participation in class activities versus the control group with just four hours of mindfulness instruction for the students-a very small, low-cost dose. Further instruction through our training courses could produce even more benefits.
More details about the Mindful Schools study.
Additional Research: Mindful Schools curriculum reduces depressive symptoms

A 2010 pilot study found that the Mindful Schools elementary-grades curriculum reduced depressive symptoms among minority children. Researchers randomized eighteen minority children at a summer camp to either mindfulness or health education. Children were ages 8-11. 64% were from Caribbean and Central American countries. An instructor led ten 15-minute lessons from the Mindful Schools curriculum. The mindfulness group showed significantly more reduction in depressive symptoms than the control group. Anxiety results were in the same direction but not significant (p=.07).

The researchers concluded that the results "show promise for the use of mindfulness to decrease particularly depressive symptoms in minority children. In addition, there is evidence that a larger sample size might enable distinction between the groups for anxiety symptoms." They also praised the Mindful Schools curriculum, noting that children "engaged completely in the activities" of the curriculum.

Further Reading

1 Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593-600.

Sedlmeier, P., Eberth, J., Schwarz, M., Zimmermann, D., Haarig, F., Jaeger, S., & Kunze, S. (2012). The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(6), 1139.

2 Jha, A. P., Krompinger, J., & Baime, M. J. (2007). Mindfulness training modifies subsystems of attention. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 7(2), 109-119.

3 Roemer, L., Williston, S. K., & Rollins, L. G. (2015). Mindfulness and emotion regulation. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 52-57.

4 Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2010). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion, 10(1), 83.

5 Ortner, C. N., Kilner, S. J., & Zelazo, P. D. (2007). Mindfulness meditation and reduced emotional interference on a cognitive task. Motivation and Emotion, 31(4), 271-283.

6 Condon, P., Desbordes, G., Miller, W. B., & DeSteno, D. (2013). Meditation increases compassionate responses to suffering. Psychological Science, 24(10), 2125-2127.

7 Birnie, K., Speca, M., & Carlson, L. E. (2010). Exploring self-compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Stress and Health, 26(5), 359-371.

Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28-44.

Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Biegel, G. M. (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1(2), 105.

8 Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593-600.

Pbert, L., Madison, J. M., Druker, S., Olendzki, N., Magner, R., Reed, G., ... Carmody, J. (2012). Effect of mindfulness training on asthma quality of life and lung function: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax, 67(9), 769-776.

9 Hoge, E. A., Bui, E., Marques, L., Metcalf, C. A., Morris, L. K., Robinaugh, D. J., ... Simon, N. M. (2013). Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Effects on Anxiety and Stress Reactivity. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 74(8), 786-792.

10 Lutz, A., Slagter, H. A., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2008). Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(4), 163-169.

Desbordes, G., Negi, L. T., Pace, T. W., Wallace, B. A., Raison, C. L., & Schwartz, E. L. (2012). Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6.

12 Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2010). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion, 10(1), 83.

13 Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191(1), 36-43.

14 Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2010). A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations. Psychological Medicine, 40(08), 1239-1252.

15 Zarate, K. Maggin, D. Passmore, A. (2019) Meta‐analysis of mindfulness training on teacher well‐being. Psychology in the Schools, 56(10), 1700-1715.

Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout, and teaching efficacy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(3), 182-195.

Jennings, P. A., Frank, J. L., Snowberg, K. E., Coccia, M. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (2013). Improving Classroom Learning Environments by Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE): Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. School Psychology Quarterly, 28(4), 374-390.

Kemeny, M. E., Foltz, C., Cavanagh, J. F., Cullen, M., Giese-Davis, J., Jennings, P., ... Wallace, B. A. (2012). Contemplative/emotion training reduces negative emotional behavior and promotes prosocial responses. Emotion, 12(2), 338.

Roeser, R., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Jha, A., Cullen, M., Wallace, L., Wilensky, R., ... Harrison, J. (2013). Mindfulness training and reductions in teacher stress and burnout: Results from two randomized, waitlist-control field trials. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 787-804.

16 Jennings, P. A., Frank, J. L., Snowberg, K. E., Coccia, M. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (2013). Improving Classroom Learning Environments by Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE): Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. School Psychology Quarterly, 28(4), 374-390.

Klingbeil, D.A. Renshaw, T.L. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions for teachers: A meta-analysis of the emerging evidence base. School Psychology Quarterly, 33(4) 501-511.

17 Jennings, P. Doyle, S. Oh, Y. et al. (2019) Long-term impacts of the CARE program on teachers' self-reported social and emotional competence and well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 76, 186-202.

18 Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout, and teaching efficacy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(3), 182-195.

19 Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). Early Social-Emotional Functioning and Public Health: The Relationship Between Kindergarten Social Competence and Future Wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283-2290.

20 Baijal, S., Jha, A. P., Kiyonaga, A., Singh, R., & Srinivasan, N. (2011). The influence of concentrative meditation training on the development of attention networks during early adolescence. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 1-9.

Napoli, M., Krech, P. R., & Holley, L. C. (2005). Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21(1), 99-125.

Semple, R. J., Lee, J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. F. (2010). A randomized trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children: promoting mindful attention to enhance social-emotional resiliency in children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(2), 218-229.

21 Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.

Sanger, K.L. Dorjee, D. (2016) Mindfulness training with adolescents enhances metacognition and the inhibition of irrelevant stimuli: Evidence from event-related brain potentials.Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 5(1), 1-11.

22 Barnes, V. A., Bauza, L. B., & Treiber, F. A. (2003). Impact of stress reduction on negative school behavior in adolescents. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 1(10), 1-7.

Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.

Semple, R. J., Lee, J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. F. (2010). A randomized trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children: promoting mindful attention to enhance social-emotional resiliency in children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(2), 218-229.

23 Cheang, R., Gillions, A. & Sparkes. (2019) Do Mindfulness-Based Interventions Increase Empathy and Compassion in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(7), 1765-1779.

Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.

24 Napoli, M., Krech, P. R., & Holley, L. C. (2005). Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21(1), 99-125.

Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.

25 Metz, S. M., Frank, J. L., Reibel, D., Cantrell, T., Sanders, R., & Broderick, P. C. (2013). The effectiveness of the learning to BREATHE program on adolescent emotion regulation. Research in Human Development, 10(3), 252-272.

Thieery, K., Bryant, H;, Nobles, S. et al. (2016). Two-Year Impact of a Mindfulness-Based Program on Preschoolers' Self-Regulation and Academic Performance. Early Education and Development, 5(1), 1-11.

26 Etherington, V. Costello, S. (2019) Comparing Universal and Targeted Delivery of a Mindfulness-Based Program for Anxiety in Children. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 29(1), 22-38.

Marusek, H.A, Elrahal, F., Peters, C.A. (2018) Mindfulness and dynamic functional neural connectivity in children and adolescents.Behavioural Brain Research, 336:211-218.

McKeering, P., Hwang, Y. S. (2019). A systematic review of mindfulness-based school interventions with early adolescents. Mindfulness, 10, 593-610.

Napoli, M., Krech, P. R., & Holley, L. C. (2005). Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21(1), 99-125.

27 Barnes, V. A., Davis, H. C., Murzynowski, J. B., & Treiber, F. A. (2004). Impact of meditation on resting and ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate in youth. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66(6), 909-914.

Mendelson, T., Greenberg, M. T., Dariotis, J. K., Gould, L. F., Rhoades, B. L., & Leaf, P. J. (2010). Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(7), 985-994.

Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.

Sibinga, E. M. S., Webb, L., Ghazarian, S. R., & Ellen, J. M. (2016). School-Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT. Pediatrics, 137(1), 1-8.

Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, S., & Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools-a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5.

28 Sibinga, E. M. S., Webb, L., Ghazarian, S. R., & Ellen, J. M. (2016). School-Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT. Pediatrics, 137(1), 1-8.

29 Raes, F., Griffith, J. W., Van der Gucht, K., & Williams, J. M. G. (2014). School-based prevention and reduction of depression in adolescents: A cluster-randomized controlled trial of a mindfulness group program. Mindfulness, 5(5), 477-486.

Sibinga, E. M. S., Webb, L., Ghazarian, S. R., & Ellen, J. M. (2016). School-Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT. Pediatrics, 137(1), 1-8.

30 Liehr, P., & Diaz, N. (2010). A Pilot Study Examining the Effect of Mindfulness on Depression and Anxiety for Minority Children. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 24(1), 69-71.

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Research on Mindfulness Are you looking for mindfulness research and resources to help parents, staff, and administrators understand the impact of this work? Share this research page with your principal, PTA, or peers to help make the case for mindfulness in schools.

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Today's educators and students carry so much on their shoulders. Meeting academic and social expectations - and simply growing up and developing a sense of self and belonging - can be tough. Yet the pressures in today's educational environment reach far beyond these basics. Our world is moving and changing faster than ever.

We need a response that addresses the overall health and sustainability of learning environments and supports the well-being of every educator, student, and member of the school community.
Students Face New Challenges

An increasing number of today's students face challenges that affect their ability to focus attention, regulate difficult emotions, build inner resilience, and form healthy and supportive relationships.

In response, we need to learn effective ways to help calm our students' anxious nervous systems while providing them with supportive relationships, nurturing experiences, and positive learning environments.

Educators Are Burning Out

Educators are tasked with teaching the next generation of leaders; yet their working conditions lack the support needed to ensure their success. Unsustainable conditions can manifest through decreased productivity and creativity, and escalate to more serious symptoms like anxiety, dissociation, frustration, and, eventually, burnout.

In response, we need to provide more support and investment in educators' development and well-being.

Toxic Stress Is Real

Healthy stress is a natural part of life, including childhood. Children and adults alike need to be challenged in order to grow and develop. However, in the contemporary education system, healthy stress is often displaced by toxic stress.
Toxic stress occurs when life's demands consistently outpace our ability to cope with those demands.
Toxic stress is challenging to work with because the stress response taps into some very old survival hardware in our evolutionary biology. When a fourth grader reports that she felt she "was going to die" from test anxiety, she's telling the truth. The responses of her autonomic nervous system are the same whether she's taking a math test or sensing actual physical danger.

Even children who have not suffered adverse childhood experiences may struggle with frequent "mismatches" between the severity of a stimulus (a pop quiz) and their response (loss of peripheral vision, sweating, nausea, terror, or immobility). In children suffering from trauma, these "mismatches" become chronic and habitual.

To transform our habitual responses and build resilience, we need to create the space to regularly practice our skills when we are not in "fight - flight - freeze" mode.

In 101: Mindfulness Foundations , learn practices that can resource you during the school day and daily life, with trauma-sensitive approaches for navigating emotons, working with thoughts and biases, and cultivating compassion and joy. Educators earn credits.

"Mindfulness has been a very powerful experience for my staff. My work with Mindful Schools helped me reach a better understanding of how mindfulness could be taught to children and profoundly affect the culture of a whole school."

Mindfulness is a way of supporting students and educators so that they can not only survive, but thrive.
Not Just Surviving ...

finds that Research mindfulness practice can help decrease stress and anxiety, and strengthen resilience and emotional regulation, for both adults and children.

Because the roots of stress, and toxic stress, lie deep in the nervous system, we need tools that go beyond the conceptual mind to directly target that system. To transform our habitual responses and build resilience, we need to create the space to regularly practice our skills when we are not in "fight - flight - freeze" mode. Professional development trainings at Mindful Schools support educators to explore different aspects of mindfulness practice in their classrooms and everyday lives.

... Thriving

Yet, the benefits of mindfulness can take students and educators beyond the terrain of managing symptoms to a place where they are also developing deeper human capacities that support their healthy development.

Research shows that mindfulness practice can increase attention, improve interpersonal relationships, and strengthen compassion.

Our goal in education is to provide emotionally supportive learning environments that can offer students and educators ways to calm their nervous systems, focus their attention, work with their emotions, and cultivate open and curious minds. In these mindful learning environments and "mindful schools," a new generation of students will be nurtured and prepared to lead a thriving world.

Solid scientific evidence shows that mindfulness practice improves attention, self-control, emotional resilience, recovery from addiction, memory, immune response, and more. This summarizes benefits that are particularly relevant to educators; these are fundamental human abilities that when fostered through mindfulness practice will contribute to greater well-being in our school communities.

Manage Stress & Anxiety

Mindfulness practice helps educators notice the impact of toxic stress and anxiety and develop the skills to more effectively transform stressful situations.

Strengthen Cognitive Health & Attention

Mindfulness contributes to greater clarity in executive choice, decision-making, and healthy cognitive functioning. It strengthens our "mental muscle" for bringing focus back where we want it, when we want it.

Model Compassion & Kindness

As an educator's mindfulness practice deepens, they develop a stronger capacity for self-care and self-compassion and ability to nurture, comfort, and heal themselves, students, and others.

Cultivate Awareness & Balance

Mindfulness gives us the skills to be present with our emotions, especially the difficult ones. Mindfulness practice can help reduce their intensity and impact on us and allows for new possibilities and patterns.

Foster Empathy & Connection

Mindfulness practice is a powerful way to develop a deeper sense of connection with both ourselves and others. Building our capacity for empathy supports us in effective communication, collaboration and leadership.

Grow Resilience

Mindfulness equips educators with resources like patience, flexibility, and equanimity, helping them to cope with adversity. Cultivating positive states - calm, relaxation, and peace - builds our inner strength to take on the daily challenges in schools.

Further Reading

1 National Institue of Mental Health. "Prevalence of Any Anxiety Disorder Among Adolescents." https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml

Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Jun;62(6):617-27. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15939839/

2 National Survey of Children's Health. "Adverse Childhood Experiences Among US Children." 2017. https://www.cahmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/aces_fact_sheet.pdf

3 Common Sense Media. "The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens." 2015. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/census_researchreport.pdf

4 O'Donnell, Jayne. "Teens aren't socializing in the real world. And that's making them super lonely." USA Today. 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/03/20/teen-loneliness-social-media-cell-phones-suicide-isolation-gaming-cigna/3208845002/

5 American Federation of Teachers. "Educator Quality of Work Life Survey." 2017. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/2017_eqwl_survey_web.pdf

6 Hackman and Morath. "Teachers Quit Jobs at Highest Rate on Record." Wall Street Journal. 2018. https://www.wsj.com/articles/teachers-quit-jobs-at-highest-rate-on-record-11545993052

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Why Is Mindfulness Needed in Education? Today's educators and students carry so much on their shoulders. Meeting academic and social expectations - and simply growing up and developing a sense of self and belonging - can be tough. Yet the pressures in today's educational environment reach far beyond these basics.

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Enhancing Cognitive and Social–Emotional Development Through a Simple-to-Administer Mindfulness-Based School Program for Elementary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Enhancing Cognitive and Social–Emotional Development Through a Simple-to-Administer Mindfulness-Based School Program for Elementary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Enhancing Cognitive and Social–Emotional Development Through a Simple-to-Administer Mindfulness-Based School Program for Elementary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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The authors hypothesized that a social and emotional learning (SEL) program involving mindfulness and caring for others, designed for elementary school students, would enhance cognitive control, reduce stress, promote well-being and prosociality, and ...

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Harvard researchers study how mindfulness may change the brain in depressed patients

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Harvard researchers study how mindfulness may change the brain in depressed patients

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In her current work, she is exploring meditation's effects on the brains of clinically depressed patients, a group for whom studies have shown meditation to be effective. Working with patients selected and screened by Shapero, Desbordes is performing functional magnetic resonance imaging scans before and after an eight-week course in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or MBCT.

During the scans, participants complete two tests, one that encourages them to become more aware of their bodies by focusing on their heartbeats (an exercise related to mindfulness meditation), and the other asking them to reflect on phrases common in the self-chatter of depressed patients, such as "I am such a loser," or "I can't go on." After a series of such comments, the participants are asked to stop ruminating on the phrases and the thoughts they trigger. Researchers will measure how quickly subjects can disengage from negative thoughts, typically a difficult task for the depressed.

The process will be repeated for a control group that undergoes muscle relaxation training and depression education instead of MBCT. While it's possible that patients in the control part of the study also will have reduced depressive symptoms, Desbordes said it should occur via different mechanisms in the brain, a difference that may be revealed by the scans. The work, which received funding from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, has been underway since 2014 and is expected to last into 2019.

Desbordes said she wants to test one prevalent hypothesis about how MBCT works in depressed patients: that the training boosts body awareness in the moment, called interoception, which, by focusing their attention on the here and now, arms participants to break the cycle of self-rumination.

"We know those brain systems involved with interoception, and we know those involved with rumination and depression. I want to test, after taking MBCT, whether we see changes in these networks, particularly in tasks specifically engaging them," Desbordes said.

Desbordes is part of a community of researchers at Harvard and its affiliated institutions that in recent decades has been teasing out whether and how meditation works.

In the 1970s, when transcendental meditation surged in popularity, Herbert Benson, a professor at Harvard Medical School and what was then Beth Israel Hospital, explored what he called "The Relaxation Response," identifying it as the common, functional attribute of transcendental meditation, yoga, and other forms of meditation, including deep religious prayer. Benson described this response - which recent investigators say is not as common as he originally thought - as the opposite of the body's adrenalin-charged "fight or flight" response, which was also identified at Harvard, by physiologist Walter Cannon Bradford in 1915.

Other MGH researchers also are studying the effects of meditation on the body, including Sara Lazar, who in 2012 used fMRI to show that the brains of subjects thickened after an eight-week meditation course. Work is ongoing at MGH's Benson-Henry Institute; at HMS and Brigham and Women's Hospital's Osher Center for Integrative Medicine; at the Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance, where Zev Schuman-Olivier directs the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion; and among a group of nearly a dozen investigators at Harvard and other Northeastern institutions, including Desbordes and Lazar, who are collaborating through the Mindfulness Research Collaborative.

Among the challenges researchers face is defining mindfulness itself. The word has come to describe a meditation-based practice whose aim is to increase one's sense of being in the present, but it has also been used to describe a nonmeditative state in which subjects set aside their mental distractions to pay greater attention to the here and now, as in the work of Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer.

Another challenge involves sorting through the many variations of meditative practice.

Recent scientific exploration has largely focused on the secular practice of mindful meditation, but meditation is also a component of several ancient religious traditions, with variations. Even within the community practicing secular mindful meditation, there are variations that may be scientifically meaningful, such as how often one meditates and how long the sessions are. Desbordes herself has an interest in a variation called compassion meditation, whose aim is to increase caring for those around us.

Amid this variation, an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course developed in the 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center has become something of a clinical and scientific standard. The course involves weekly two- or 2½-hour group training sessions, 45 minutes of daily work on one's own, and a daylong retreat. The mindfulness-based cognitive therapy used in Desbordes' current work is a variation on that program and incorporates elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves talk therapy effective in treating depression.

Ultimately, Desbordes said she's interested in teasing out just what in mindful meditation can work against depression. If researchers can identify what elements are effective, the therapy may be refined to be more successful. Shapero is also interested in using the study to refine treatment. Since some patients benefit from mindfulness meditation and some do not, he'd like to better understand how to differentiate between the two.

"Once we know which ingredients are successful, we can do more of that and less, maybe, of the parts that are less effective," Desbordes said.
Research funding includes the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. For more information about the Mindfulness & Meditation program at Harvard University, visit its website.

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Harvard researchers study how mindfulness may change the brain in depressed patients

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Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are examining how mindfulness meditation may change the brain in depressed patients.

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Effects of Mindful Awareness Practices on Executive Functions in Elementary School Children

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Effects of Mindful Awareness Practices on Executive Functions in Elementary School Children

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Effects of Mindful Awareness Practices on Executive Functions in Elementary School Children

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(2010). Effects of Mindful Awareness Practices on Executive Functions in Elementary School Children. Journal of Applied School Psychology: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 70-95.

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The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

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The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

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A new study shows how mindfulness education in the classroom can reduce students' sense of stress and lengthen attention spans

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A new study shows how mindfulness education in the classroom can reduce students' sense of stress and lengthen attention spans

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How mindfulness education can help reduce stress in the classroom.

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Greater Mindfulness is Associated With Better Academic Achievement in Middle School

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Greater Mindfulness is Associated With Better Academic Achievement in Middle School

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Greater Mindfulness is Associated With Better Academic Achievement in Middle School

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Despite increasing interest in improving academic outcomes for students by enhancing mindfulness, there is a paucity of evidence that greater mindfulness is associated with success in school. We meas...

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Imagine. It's 8am. You're in the back of a 6th grade science classroom. The students are sitting up tall in their chairs, their eyes gently closed. The teacher walks slowly around the room and guides them through a breathing exercise. "As you breathe, you may notice your attention drifting to thoughts that come into your head, distracting you from your breath... Treat these thoughts like trains coming into a station... Simply let them pass through, returning your attention to your breath..."

The teacher pauses. You hear only the sound of deep breathing. After a few short minutes, the exercise ends. The teacher invites the students to open their eyes. It's time to begin the school day.

Just three years ago, it would have been hard to imagine this scene in a Baltimore middle school, and harder still to imagine just how effective these short mindful breathing exercises would be. But this fall, nearly six hundred teachers in Baltimore City will be using these exercises with their students.

Mindfulness was not the original goal. In collaboration with the Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP), my colleagues and I at the University of Pennsylvania began a project to help underperforming middle school students achieve academically. At first, we thought we would target grit and perseverance. Our aim shifted after we conducted interviews and focus groups with teachers.

Three years ago, it would have been hard to imagine this scene in a Baltimore middle school, and harder still to imagine just how effective these short mindful breathing exercises would be.

Many teachers told us that their primary concern was getting their students to calm down and focus. Teachers in all three middle schools had their hands full; nearly one-hundred percent of their students qualified for free and reduced-price lunch, and a significant number of students struggled to regulate their behaviors and emotions in ways that schools demand. These factors and many more contributed to the lack of focus and engagement in the classroom. As a result, teachers wanted approaches and practices that would get their students ready to engage and learn.

We looked for evidence-based approaches that could lead to increased focus, attention, cognitive function, and well-being. We found mindfulness.

These days, "mindfulness" is everywhere. You can't go very far without seeing a beautiful blond-haired woman meditating on the cover of a magazine. The reality of Baltimore City schools could hardly be more different. How can mindfulness apply to-and help-real and struggling students?

First, what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the capacity to regulate one's attention and present experience, while holding an accepting stance towards that experience. In plain English, it is attending to the moment, non-judgmentally. We can think of mindfulness practices (meditation, yoga, mindful walking) as ways of cultivating this capacity.

These practices are rooted in Eastern religions, particularly Buddhism, but a secular version has taken hold in the United States. During the late 1970s, a professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts, Jon Kabat-Zinn, developed an eight-week secular mindfulness training program for adults. This training program came to be known as MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction). Since MBSR's inception, studies of this eight-week training program have shown a raft of positive effects: significant increases in participants' attention and emotion regulation, activity in brain regions associated with positive emotions, quality of life, and reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression.

Based on this secular approach, many programs are springing up in school settings with the hope of fostering these same capacities in youth. ( MindUP, Mindful Schools, and Learning to Breathe, are several examples.) These programs range from modified versions of the MBSR curriculum to mindful coloring to breath awareness exercises to yoga. In response to this recent uptick in mindfulness-based interventions, an emerging body of research examines the effects of these interventions in educational settings.

We looked for evidence-based approaches that could lead to increased focus, attention, cognitive function, and well-being. We found mindfulness.

A recent meta-analysis examined 76 studies of mindfulness-based interventions, 49 of which were conducted in school settings. The meta-analysis found that these programs consistently lead to reductions in negative emotions and subjective distress, and show promising positive effects on academic achievement and school functioning, as well as on physical health.

However, the meta-analysis also exposes a few methodological limitations. For instance, most of the studies do not account for whether the interventions were implemented correctly or track the quantity of time participants practice mindfulness-based exercises. In addition, only a handful of studies looked at outcomes like academic achievement and school functioning, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

Furthermore, the majority of studies included in the meta-analysis examined comprehensive training programs (similar to the MBSR approach for adults). Only a few assessed light-touch approaches, such as the short and frequent breathing exercises mentioned above. That said, the meta-analysis found no association between student outcomes and intervention dosage.

In other words, there is no evidence to suggest that participation in MBSR-type programs is more beneficial than brief mindful breathing programs; there were net positive outcomes for both program types. Future research could explore the relationship between program type (e.g., frequent and consistent practice versus comprehensive curricula) and student outcomes, to help educators make more informed decisions about programs based on their time and budgetary constraints.

In Baltimore, my colleagues and I settled on a light touch approach, mainly because teachers were concerned about giving up instructional time for mindfulness exercises. We developed quick and easy-to-implement exercises, framing them as potential time savers. We called them Focus 5: seven exercises which take no longer than five minutes to complete. All the teachers needed to do was read the cards.

Video produced by Wide Angle Youth Media

We hypothesized that by using short yet frequent breathing exercises, teachers would be able to establish calmer and more focused classroom environments. This in turn would lessen distraction, boost engagement, and elevate student learning and achievement.

These exercises, which were short and easy, proved to be effective, at least qualitatively. They were well-received by teachers, administrators, and students.

One 6th-grade teacher who implemented Focus 5 stated, "I think the most surprising thing is that the students I expected to be most resistant, it works the best for. It's almost like it's a reset button. And they're like, 'Okay, I'm ready now.'"

"I think the most surprising thing is that the students I expected to be most resistant, it works the best for. It's almost like it's a reset button. And they're like, 'Okay, I'm ready now.'"

More research is needed to measure the extent to which the exercises promote outcomes like increased focus, attention, and academic achievement, as well as whether the exercises work better for some students than others. But there are many lessons from this piloting experience.

First, light touch interventions, like these short breathing exercises, allow for flexibility and scalability, both of which are essential when trying to bring about change in complex school settings.

Second, it is essential to listen to teachers when developing these types of interventions, because teachers understand best what is most needed and feasible in their school contexts. This not only promotes initial buy-in, but also boosts support down the road when it comes to encouraging widespread adoption of these practices.

Third, it is not only important to listen to teachers; it is essential to start with teachers. They need to be doing the practices too.

It might seem intuitive that if schools want to bring these practices to students, they should begin by bringing these practices to teachers. But that is usually not the case. Currently, there are few programs and studies focusing on mindfulness for teachers. How can these practices stick if teachers are not doing them as well? I'll delve into that in my next article.

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The Mindful Student - Behavioral Scientist

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Imagine. It's 8am. You're in the back of a 6th grade science classroom. The students are sitting up tall in their chairs, their eyes gently closed. The teacher walks slowly around the room and guides them through a breathing exercise.

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Elisha Goldstein on how creating space in the day to come down from a worried mind can mitigate the negative effects of our stress response.

Two-thirds of Americans say they need help for stress. But stress itself is not the problem. It's how we relate to stress. The stress response is critical to our survival. It can save our lives or enable a firefighter to carry a 300-pound man down 20 flights of stairs. Of course, most of us don't encounter a life-or-death threat all that often. We usually experience stress reactions in response to thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations. If we're actively worried about whether we can put food on the table or get the perfect exam score, presto: the stress reaction activates. And if the bodily systems involved in stress don't slow down and normalize, the effects can be severe. Over time, we can succumb to, among other things, high blood pressure, muscle tension, anxiety, insomnia, gastrodigestive complaints, and a suppressed immune system.

Creating space in the day to stop, come down from the worried mind, and get back into the present moment has been shown to be enormously helpful in mitigating the negative effects of our stress response. When we drop into the present, we're more likely to gain perspective and see that we have the power to regulate our response to pressure.

Here's a short practice you can weave into your day to step into that space between stimulus and response.

Stop what you're doing; put things down for a minute.

Take a few deep breaths. If you'd like to extend this, you can take a minute to breathe normally and naturally and follow your breath coming in and out of your nose. You can even say to yourself "in" as you're breathing in and "out" as you're breathing out if that helps with concentration.

Observe your experience just as it is-including thoughts, feelings, and emotions. You can reflect about what is on your mind and also notice that thoughts are not facts, and they are not permanent. Notice any emotions present and how they're being expressed in the body. Research shows that just naming your emotions can turn the volume down on the fear circuit in the brain and have a calming effect. Then notice your body. Are you standing or sitting? How is your posture? Any aches or pains?

Proceed with something that will support you in the moment: talk to a friend, rub your shoulders, have a cup of tea.

Treat this whole exercise as an experiment: Get curious about where there are opportunities in the day for you to just STOP-waking up in the morning, taking a shower, before eating a meal, at a stop light, before sitting down at work and checking email.

You can even use your smartphone's message indicator as a reminder to STOP, cultivating more mindfulness with technology.

What would it be like in the days, weeks, and months ahead if you started stopping more often?

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Elisha Goldstein on how creating space in the day to come down from a worried mind can mitigate the negative effects of our stress response. Two-thirds of Americans say they need help for stress. But stress itself is not the problem. It's how we relate to stress.

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Studies suggest that the amount of stress matters, and can impact student academic performance as well. While low levels of stress can boost memory formation, moderate and high levels of stress can impair a student's ability to retrieve memories, making it more challenging to pass tests, write papers, or make a presentation in class.

Can mindfulness-a nonreligious form of meditation that teaches students to breathe, focus, and center themselves in the present moment-help reduce any of the detrimental effects of classroom stress or hectic student schedules? Can it help students learn, leading to gains in academic achievement? Many schools are betting on it, integrating relatively simple mindfulness techniques into the school day.

Mindfulness Reduces Stress

For Rebecca McLelland-Crawley's middle school students, stress was becoming a major problem. When the school district surveyed students a few years ago on their stress levels, the responses were staggering.

"More than 80 percent of the kids at our school feel stressed, most or all of it bad. It's normal to feel stressed-but it's not normal for an 11-, 12-, and 13-year-old to feel toxic levels of stress. So that was how classroom mindfulness came about," said McLelland-Crawley.

To address the problem, her students created their own mindfulness group, NüYü, to learn more about stress and to share healthy coping strategies with their school. Every week, they encourage other students to participate in the Panther "Pause" Challenge, a series of stress-reducing lessons and activities. NüYü students recently held a wellness fair for over 200 parents, students, and community members, at which they introduced yoga stations, stress balls, and glitter jars to participants. They also held workshops on mindful eating and explained the science behind mindfulness.

Now in its second year, the program is expanding to include sixth- and seventh-grade students at the school.

The research suggests that McLelland-Crawley's students are on the right path-mindfulness can be an effective strategy to help students deal with stress. In 2014, a Dutch study found that elementary school students who participated in 30-minute mindfulness sessions twice a week for six weeks exhibited lower levels of stress, higher levels of well-being, and better behavior than their peers.

Mindfulness can be especially helpful for children who experience stress resulting from community violence, poverty, substance use, and trauma. In a 2015 study, students from two low-income, urban middle schools participated in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program and experienced a range of mental and behavioral benefits, from lower levels of stress and depression to a more positive mood and better ability to cope with challenging situations.

Mindfulness Boosts Academic Performance

In addition to boosting students' emotional and psychological well-being, mindfulness can yield academic benefits by increasing students' ability to self-regulate and focus.

Annie O'Shaughnessy, a high school English teacher in Vermont, spends 10 minutes at the start of class every Monday practicing mindfulness with her students. Using a combination of mindfulness videos and breathing techniques, she helps students handle the stress and anxiety they typically experience during school.

"I teach mindfulness every single year in English class. After teaching it, I can go up to a kid who is about to give a presentation, and I can see that he's in amygdala hijack mode. He's forgotten what he's going to say, and he wants to leave. So I tell him, 'So now it's time to do the breathing.' So he does the square breathing exercise, where he breathes in, holds for four [seconds], breathes out, holds for four. And he's then able to give his presentation," she said.

As improbable as it sounds, taking a few seconds to breathe and focus can translate into academic benefits. In 2015, researchers at the University of British Columbia found that fourth- and fifth-grade students that participated in a 12-week mindfulness program had higher levels of attention, better retention, and 15 percent higher math grades than their peers. This was on top of psychological benefits such as lower levels of depression and increased feelings of optimism.

A 2016 study further explored the connection between mindfulness and cognitive benefits, looking at middle school students in a four-week mindfulness program. Compared with their peers, these students showed significant improvements in working memory capacity. "These results are consistent with the notion that the practice of meditation-which requires sustained attention while simultaneously redirecting attention back to the current experience-is closely related to the function of working memory," researchers wrote in their study.

Academic benefits have been found for children as early as preschool. A 2015 study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison examined a 12-week Kindness Curriculum program that included mindfulness exercises in addition to kindness practices such as empathy, gratitude, and sharing. Compared with their peers, the preschoolers participating in the program earned higher report card grades, in addition to showing more empathy, kindness, and willingness to share.

"Mindfulness is a great tool for learning," explained O'Shaughnessy. "If I want my students to learn, I need their prefrontal cortex, I need their neocortex. I need those parts of their brain online, and in most grades, those parts of their brain aren't going to be online until they've relaxed and done some mindful activities."

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Mindfulness Is All the Rage-But Does It Work?

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Studies suggest that the amount of stress matters, and can impact student academic performance as well. While low levels of stress can boost memory formation, moderate and high levels of stress can impair a student's ability to retrieve memories, making it more challenging to pass tests, write papers, or make a presentation in class.

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We all experience stress at work, no matter the job. But for teachers, the work seems to be getting harder and the stress harder to shake.

A new report out this month pulls together some stark numbers on this:

Forty-six percent of teachers say they feel high daily stress. That's on par with nurses and physicians. And roughly half of teachers agree with this statement: "The stress and disappointments involved in teaching at this school aren't really worth it."

It's a problem for all of us - not just these unhappy teachers.

Here's why: "Between 30 and 40 percent of teachers leave the profession in their first five years," says Mark Greenberg, a professor of human development and psychology at Penn State.

And that turnover, he says, costs schools - and taxpayers - billions of dollars a year, while research (like this and this) suggests teacher burnout hurts student achievement, too.

Greenberg has studied America's schools for more than 40 years, and, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (also an NPR funder), he helped author the new brief exploring teacher stress.

He says teachers feel frazzled for many reasons, including high-stakes testing and the fact that many students are themselves coming to school stressed. As for the fixes, Greenberg recommends a few.

New teachers who receive steady mentoring are less likely to quit. Workplace wellness programs can also help. But both require schoolwide, even districtwide buy-in. If that's not realistic, Greenberg suggests a fix that is well within every teacher's control, one that just might surprise you ...
Mindfulness
That's right, mindfulness. For teachers. Patricia Jennings wrote the book on it (literally). It's called Mindfulness For Teachers.

Jennings was a teacher herself for two decades and now studies stress in the classroom as a professor and researcher at the University of Virginia. The Journal of Educational Psychology will soon publish a study of her work in New York City, teaching mindfulness to more than 200 educators in high-poverty schools.

Jennings says the teachers who received mindfulness training "showed reduced psychological distress and time urgency - which is this feeling like you don't have enough time. And then improvements in mindfulness and emotion regulation."

Translation: These teachers were better able to cope with classroom challenges and manage their feelings, which made it easier for them to manage their students' big feelings. And that, says Jennings, helps students learn.

What is mindfulness? Definitions vary, but Jennings likes to think of it this way: attending to things in the moment with curiosity and acceptance.

If this all sounds a bit ... squishy, rest assured, there's even research on how mindfulness can help reduce stress in U.S. Marines preparing for deployment.

Meria Carstarphen is not a teacher but knows a thing or two about classroom stress. She has run a couple of big city school systems and is now superintendent in Atlanta. Carstarphen says she advises new teachers: You can't take care of your students if you don't take care of yourself.

"Put your oxygen mask on first," she tells her rookies. "Then we'll talk about everybody else."

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Teachers Are Stressed, And That Should Stress Us All

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When educators are buried under problems beyond their control, here's a solution: Get mindful.

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If you're an educator interested in developing students' social and emotional well-being, it can be hard to know where to start. Which social-emotional learning (SEL) program should you choose? Or would it be better to focus on mindfulness? Perhaps you've heard great things about both, and, in the end, don't they just do the same thing?

© Remains

The confusion is especially understandable given that research in both fields suggests some similar outcomes for students: increased academic achievement and well-being, less risky behavior, and better relationships with peers and teachers.

SEL and mindfulness, in fact, are two separate areas-that work great when taught and learned together. Thus, choosing one over the other may not actually be the best choice.

One of us ( Linda) has had a front-row seat in the development of both SEL and the practice of mindfulness in education, as a co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning ( CASEL) and other researched-based SEL and mindfulness programs. With over 40 years of experience, Linda has learned that both SEL and mindfulness may be necessary to truly make a difference in students' lives and in the world.

But how can they be integrated? The answer is that one works from the outside-in-and the other works from the inside-out. When the two come together in the mind of a student, the effect can be powerful.

The difference between SEL and mindfulness

To start, SEL uses an outside-in approach with a focus on teaching skills: a teacher introduces a skill such as recognizing an emotion or using "I" messages, the students practice it for a set amount of time, and then the teacher moves on to the next skill. SEL assumes that this process is enough to enable students to use the skill in all relevant, real-life situations.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, works from the inside out, drawing on the premise that each person has the innate capacity for relationship-building qualities such as empathy and kindness-a premise that research now supports.

By helping students become aware of and then embody the connection between their emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations, students are better able to regulate their emotions, which then impacts things such as their behavior, stress levels, relationships, and ability to focus. In short, mindfulness practices connect students' inner and outer experiences and help them see the congruence between the two.

Cultivating in tandem

SEL and mindfulness, however, are each limited in their own way. Telling students to use an "I" message when they get angry doesn't guarantee that they will do so when their emotions are running high. And just because someone practices mindfulness doesn't mean they have the skills to resolve conflicts.

The limitation of SEL was really brought home to Linda when a male student who had been taught SEL skills through the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program lost control of himself. The boy had been serving as a conflict mediator in his high school when he heard balloons pop. By the third pop, he had shoved the student who was popping the balloons up against the wall.

The principal called Linda and said, "I don't know what went on here. I know he has these SEL skills. Now I have to suspend him and he'll never be a mediator again." When Linda talked to the student, she found out that at one point in his life he had had a loaded gun shoved into his mouth that thankfully didn't go off. She quickly realized that because balloon popping sounded like gunfire, the student had been emotionally triggered and lashed out.

So, even though this student knew how to mediate conflicts-a standard SEL skill, because his amygdala had "hijacked" him, he wasn't able to access those skills when he really needed them. If this student's training had included mindfulness, he would have been more likely to notice that something was going on in his body when he heard the balloons pop. With this awareness, he could have chosen to regulate his emotions through deep breathing or some other technique and then use the skills he had learned through RCCP.

On the other hand, children who just learn mindfulness without SEL skills may be able to calm their emotions in a difficult situation, but still make wrong choices when it comes to getting along with others. For example, students who are insecurely attached - meaning they haven't experienced a safe, trusting relationship with a main caregiver - might have a belief that, in general, people are not to be trusted; thus, these students may not possess the skills for forming positive relationships with peers and teachers.

Integrating SEL and mindfulness

When SEL and mindfulness are integrated, the five SEL competencies laid out by CASEL have more fertile ground in which to grow and ultimately be embodied by students and adults alike. For example:

Competency 1: Self-awareness Students' self-awareness deepens when enhanced by the mindfulness practices of focusing attention and self-compassion.

Competency 2: Self-management Mindfulness increases students' emotion regulation skills, which enhances their ability to resolve conflict more creatively or to say how they're feeling in an emotionally balanced way.

Competency 3: Social awareness Mindfulness increases students' empathy by helping them to regulate their emotions rather than get emotionally overwhelmed when faced with a difficult situation. As a result, their capacity to notice another person's suffering and respond to it increases.

Competency 4: Relationship skills Mindfulness increases compassion. Thus, when students practice SEL skills such as creating a win-win solution with someone who challenges them, they are doing so with more compassionate understanding.

Competency 5: Decision-making Mindfulness increases cognitive flexibility and creativity, which gives students a wider range of responses to challenging situations.

Being the change in the world

Ultimately, when taught and learned together, mindfulness and SEL have the potential to transform our communities and our world with the former cultivating the tendencies for compassion and ethical ways of living and the latter teaching the skills to make that happen.

Linda saw this potential while working with schools in New Orleans when the city was rated the highest in the country for daily shootings. One day when she was teaching students SEL skills, a siren went off in the school and all the children hid under their desks.

One child said to Linda, "Ma'am, Ma'am, please duck and cover. Please duck and cover." Linda then realized that there was a free-for-all shooting happening outside and that the bullets might come in through the classroom windows. The shock of the situation made Linda wonder if there was truly any value in the skills she was teaching to these children.

Later, she asked this group of fifth grade students, "How many of you have been using these skills?" and they all raised their hands. But then one child said, "You know, it's very sad. We're using these skills, but then we go outside and we see terrible things. I saw someone get killed yesterday." Then Linda asked all the students, "How many of you have ever seen somebody get killed?" Again, every hand went up.

But then another child raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute, I just thought of one thing. I realize that even though those bad kids and bad adults are out there, pretty soon we are going to grow up and we're going to be those adults. And that's where it's going to change. That's how it will change for good."

And that is how it will change for good.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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How SEL and Mindfulness Can Work Together

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When taught together, social-emotional learning and mindfulness can have even greater impact on both individuals and the world around us.

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Have you ever lost control of your emotions and did something in the heat of the moment that you later regretted? Perhaps you've "lost it" or blown up at someone-your partner or child, work colleague, or perhaps the driver of another car-to such a degree that later, you realized was uncalled for.

If your answer is yes, then you've probably been hijacked by your amygdala.

The term "amygdala hijacking" was first used by psychologist Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book, "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" to refer to an immediate and intense emotional reaction that's out of proportion to the situation. In other words, it's when someone "loses it" or seriously overreacts to something or someone.﻿﻿

Goleman's term aims to recognize that we have an ancient structure in our brain, the amygdala, that is designed to respond swiftly to a threat.

When you see, hear, touch, or taste something, that sensory information first heads to the thalamus, which acts as your brain's relay station. The thalamus then relays that information to the neocortex (the "thinking brain"). From there, it is sent to the amygdala (the "emotional brain") which produces the appropriate emotional response.

However, when faced with a threatening situation, the thalamus sends sensory information to both the amygdala and the neocortex. If the amygdala senses danger, it makes a split-second decision to initiate the fight-or-flight response before the neocortex has time to overrule it.

This cascade of events triggers the release of stress hormones, including the hormones epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and cortisol.

While many of the threats we face today are symbolic, evolutionarily, our brains evolved to deal with physical threats to our survival that required a quick response. As a result, our body still responds with biological changes that prepare us to fight or flight, even though there is no actual physical threat with which we must contend.

Mental Health and the Amygdala

Chronic stress and certain mental health conditions can also play a role in the functioning of fear circuitry in the brain, which can result in greater chances of amygdala hijacking.

People with other anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder may also respond more strongly in their amygdala.﻿﻿

Even without a diagnosis of PTSD or anxiety disorder, chronic stress can lead to an overactive fear and anxiety circuit in your brain, which also reduces the functioning of other areas of the brain that help with inhibition of fear, such as the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex.

All of this means that chronic stress can trigger more frequent amygdala hijacks and even subsequent problems with short-term memory, which is why it is important to work on understanding and taking charge of your emotional reactions. One way to do this is through preventative work.

Learning coping mechanisms and planning ahead can positively influence how you will respond in times of stress and help avoid an amygdala-induced overreaction.

Prevention

The best way to prevent an amygdala hijack is to increase your emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence describes your ability to understand and manage your emotions and use this information in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, and defuse conflict.

A person who is emotionally intelligent has strong connections between the emotional center of the brain and the executive (thinking) center.

Although some people are naturally more emotionally intelligent than others, like many skill sets, emotional intelligence can be cultivated. One way is by practicing mindfulness.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of where you are and what you're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around you. According to a 2014 study, mindfulness meditation can help improve your emotional intelligence in three major ways:﻿﻿

Improves your ability to comprehend your own emotions

Helps you learn how to recognize the emotions of others

Strengthens your ability to control your emotions

By practicing mindfulness every day, you will develop this part of your brain and make it stronger. Then, when you find yourself in a stressful situation, it will be easier to switch on the mindful part of your mind.﻿﻿ If you still find yourself having trouble with this concept, try keeping notes throughout the day about situations that cause you to feel strong emotions.

Stress Management

Another key to preventing amygdala hijacking is being aware of your stressors and identifying when acute, everyday stress has turned into chronic stress. If you find yourself constantly in a state of stress, employing stress management techniques can help.

Effective stress management should include fast-acting stress relievers (like breathing exercises) for immediate relief in stressful situations as well as healthy habits that reduce overall stress (like exercise, meditation, and journaling).

Though very effective in preventing amygdala hijacks, it can take time to learn and incorporate mindfulness and stress management into your daily routine. If despite your best efforts at prevention, you find yourself in the middle of a hijack, there are a number of things you can do to quickly get your unwanted emotions under control:

Name it. Notice when you've been triggered and identify what's triggering you. Notice changes in your tone, tightness in your chest or stomach, clenching in your jaw or hands, etc. In these moments, say to yourself, "I'm feeling triggered right now."

Remember the 6-second rule.It takes the chemicals that are released during the amygdala hijacking about 6 seconds to dissipate. Using this time to focus on something pleasant will prevent your amygdala from taking control and causing an emotional reaction

Breathe. Become aware of your breath and slow it down. When you slow down your breathing and make it rhythmic, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is your rest response. This type of deep breathing calms down your nervous system and allows you to make thoughtful decisions in stressful times.﻿﻿

Draw on mindfulness. Look around you and notice things in the environment. This will help you to move out of your head and back into the present.

Take a timeout. If you are truly feeling out of control, excuse yourself from the situation you are in to get a hold of your emotions.

While preventing an overreaction in the first place or diffusing it in the moment may be the ultimate goal, it's OK to slip up. If you do find yourself in the aftermath of a full-blown amygdala hijack, take some time to acknowledge your actions and review what happened.

Spending some time thinking about your reactions-especially when they aren't a reflection of your best self-can help to shift you toward a mindful way of viewing your experience. Over time, this practice will help to develop your emotional intelligence as well.

A Word From Verywell

An amygdala hijack can be frightening because of the sense of loss of control and can leave you feeling guilty and regretful. But, with practice, it is possible to avoid letting your emotional response to get the better of you.

If practicing mindfulness and employing stress management techniques aren't cutting it or you could use some extra support, set up an appointment with a mental health professional. Together, you can work to better understand and manage your emotions.

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How to Prevent and Cope From an Amygdala Hijack

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Have you ever lost control of your emotions and did something in the heat of the moment that you later regretted? Perhaps you've "lost it" or blown up at someone-your partner or child, work colleague, or perhaps the driver of another car-to such a degree that later, you realized was uncalled for.

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Discover how mindfulness practices are being applied in schools, learn about some of the early research on benefits, and explore classroom, school-wide, and after-school strategies and programs.

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Need a mental break? Research suggests that practicing mindfulness on a regular basis can restore a sense of calm in educators' busy lives-and it can improve students' ability to focus. Discover tips for implementing mindfulness personally and in your school or classroom with the following collection of articles, videos, and resources.

You can also learn how teachers and administrators are using mindfulness to improve their practice in " The Mindful Educator ," from the November issue of Education Update.

Mindful Schools : A nonprofit based out of California, Mindful Schools offers online and in-person mindfulness training courses for teachers. Their website includes a sample lesson to use with students, as well as the Healthy Habits of Mind video that offers an introduction to mindfulness and ways that it's being used the classroom.

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Need a mental break? Research suggests that practicing mindfulness on a regular basis can restore a sense of calm in educators' busy lives-and it can improve students' ability to focus. Discover tips for implementing mindfulness personally and in your school or classroom with the following collection of articles, videos, and resources.

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Creating a safe place for our kids to learn might begin with creating some space for them to breathe.

By Caren Osten Gerszberg

On a cold March afternoon, the hallways were abuzz with chatter and giggles at Chatsworth Elementary School in Larchmont, New York. As the kindergarteners from Liz Slade's class ambled into their classroom from lunch and recess and put their jackets and lunch boxes into their cubbies, Slade asked, "Can today's mindful leader please come up front and begin?"

Isabella, a 6-year-old wearing a heart-clad gray shirt and polka-dot leggings, quietly took a cross-legged seat on the classroom rug facing her peers. With her palms facing up and resting on each knee, she began to tap her thumbs on each of her fingers, simultaneously repeating the words "I-am-calm-now" with each tap. Without hesitation, each of Isabella's classmates, along with their teacher, followed their mindful leader, tapping their thumbs and saying "I am calm now," gently lowering their voices after each repetition until the room grew quiet. Slade then asked her students to slowly make their way to their tables and take out their "feelings" journal.

"They are learning the experience of settling their body," said Slade. "What used to be a wild time now becomes a charming, sweet moment when we all take a pause and come back to being present."

Chatsworth is one of thousands of schools across the country that is bringing mindfulness into the classroom. Growing numbers of teachers, parents, and children are reaping the benefits that learning mindfulness-defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn as "the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally"-can bring, including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, increased focus and self-regulation, and improved academic performance and sleep, among others.

Children today are faced with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety-25% of 13- to 18-year-olds will experience an anxiety disorder according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.

With heightened academic pressure trickling down to kids as early as kindergarten, resulting in less time for play and the arts, children today are faced with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety-25% of 13- to 18-year-olds will experience an anxiety disorder according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Such early stress levels can negatively impact learning, memory, behavior, and both physical and mental health, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Escalating stress and pressure continue into middle and high school- a survey of 22,000 high school students conducted by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence found that, on average, students reported feeling negative emotions, such as stress, fatigue, and boredom, 75% of the time. An antidote to all this stress has never been needed more. Enter mindfulness.

Case Study: Mindfulness translates into improved academics

The Research on Mindfulness in Schools

While the implementation of school-based mindfulness programs for children in grades K through 12-such as Inner Resilience, Mindful Schools, Learning to Breathe, and MindUp to name just a few-is becoming more popular, empirical research proving the benefits of mindfulness is only beginning to emerge and more rigorous research will be needed over the coming decades. "We know very little about which programs work and what works for whom and under what conditions," said Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, Ph.D., co-author with Robert Roeser of the recently published Handbook of Mindfulness in Education: Integrating Theory and Research into Practice, and a professor and researcher at the University of British Columbia. A 2015 study by Schonert-Reichl looked at the effectiveness of a 12-week social and emotional learning (SEL) program that included mindfulness training. Ninety-nine 4 th and 5 th graders were divided into two groups: one received MindUp's weekly SEL curriculum and the other a social responsibility program already used in Canadian public schools. After analyzing measures, which included behavioral assessments, cortisol levels, feedback from their peers regarding sociability, and academic scores of math grades, the results revealed dramatic differences. Compared to the students who learned the social responsibility program, those trained in mindfulness scored higher in math, had 24% more social behaviors, and were 20% less aggressive. The group trained in mindfulness excelled above the other group in the areas of attention, memory, emotional regulation, optimism, stress levels, mindfulness, and empathy.

Compared to the students who learned the social responsibility program, those trained in mindfulness scored higher in math, had 24% more social behaviors, and were 20% less aggressive.

Although in its early stages, research on the effects of school-based mindfulness programs is being fueled by three decades of studies on adults, which shows promise for its psychological and physiological benefits. Researchers are turning their focus to children and teens to figure out what, when, how much, and from whom the teaching of mindfulness works best. "We don't have conclusive evidence at this point about the benefits or impacts of mindfulness on youth," said Lisa Flook, Ph.D., associate scientist at the Center for Healthy Minds, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We do see the promise of interventions and trainings on outcomes related to grades, wellbeing, and emotional regulation." In other words, the research looking at the benefits of mindfulness in education is pointing toward the positive.

"Mindfulness is a powerful tool that supports children in calming themselves, focusing their attention, and interacting effectively with others, all critical skills for functioning well in school and in life," said Amy Saltzman, M.D., director of the Association for Mindfulness in Education, and director of Still Quiet Place. "Incorporating mindfulness into education has been linked to improving academic and social and emotional learning. Also, mindfulness strengthens some underlying development processes-such as focus, resilience, and self-soothing-that will help kids in the long run."

This is What a Mindful Classroom Looks Like

No one sees the value of a child's impulse control and focused awareness as clearly as a teacher. Liz Slade, who's been integrating mindfulness into her classroom for the last eight years, once observed a student walk up to a tall structure of blocks being built by a few of her classmates. "I watched this little girl raise her foot to kick the blocks, take a breath and then walk away," she said. "The kids can learn to notice distraction, self-regulate, and ask themselves, 'What do I need?'"

Photo Credit: The Crim Fitness Foundation

Slade came to mindfulness on her own about 10 years ago, and after seeing the benefits in her own life, she started experimenting in the classroom with practices that used breathing and mindful listening. "As I became more knowledgeable, experimenting and seeing what was working, I was really impressed," she said. "The kids verbalized to me that they felt they had tools to use to handle stressful situations, which was very moving to me."

Recognizing the impact of her own practice and the positive effects in her classroom-and with the support of her school's principal, a critical component-Slade went on to apply for a grant for her school to bring in a formal training program called Inner Resilience, created by Linda Lantieri, who is also a founding member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). From there, the support and enthusiasm spread throughout the Mamaroneck School District among teachers, parents, and the administration, with the Inner Resilience training program now offered to teachers and support staff at all six of its schools, which serve 5,200 students. "The best way to implement mindfulness is in an integrated way with social and emotional learning," said Lantieri. "If we are going to be in schools we need to make sure we are helping kids learn better, and if mindfulness can help with that, great."

"The best way to implement mindfulness is in an integrated way with social and emotional learning," says Linda Lantieri, a founding member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Most experts feel that the best implementation of mindfulness involves a teacher having her own mindfulness practice or at least an understanding. "It is how they teach, not just what they teach, and if a teacher is mindful in a classroom, the kids learn to be mindful," said Tish Jennings, M.Ed., Ph.D., associate professor at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, who started a program called CARE (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education) for Teachers. "Teachers are really under a lot of stress and we know their stress affects our kids, so supporting them is a win-win," said Jennings. Her recent research found that teachers trained in the CARE for Teachers program felt less time urgency and were more positive and more sensitive. In addition, children were more engaged and productive.

For Rosalie Choniuk, a teacher at P.S. 94 in the Bronx, New York, learning mindfulness through the CARE for Teachers program has been life-changing. "I am a completely different person since learning mindfulness-mentally, physically and emotionally," said Choniuk. As an ENL (English as a New Language) teacher, Choniuk wears several hats in her school, often providing coverage for teachers when they need to be out of the classroom. Before developing her mindfulness practice, Choniuk grew anxious every time she was to report to a particular fifth-grade classroom, where kids were unruly and fights often broke out. "Now when I go, instead of having anxiety, I set an intention to be calm and deal with them in a positive manner," said Choniuk. "I see the changes in the kids, who are less reactive, and the changes in myself, and now I look forward to being in their class."

Create a Culture of Mindfulness in Schools

If a classroom teacher is not able to provide mindfulness lessons to their class, schools often bring instructors in from outside the school. But long-term mindfulness programs can be difficult to maintain in the classroom with this model. "With an outside person, programs can work insofar as they can train teachers to keep it up," said Trish Broderick, Ph.D., founder of the Learning to Breathe program and a research associate at the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State University. "The advantage of bringing in a program to teach mindfulness is that it can be replicated and used effectively when taught by teachers or school staff who already have a relationship with the kids."

The Mindful Schools program prefers to call its approach an adoption-where mindfulness begins at the individual teacher level-versus a rollout, or top-down decision made by leadership to implement a new program. "We don't mandate this for all the teachers; we let it grow organically," said Camille Whitney, former head of research at Mindful Schools. "We encourage any number of people to take the course voluntarily, and encourage it as a group so they can practice and build a program together."

Photo Credit: The Crim Fitness Foundation

Integrating mindfulness into a health and wellness curriculum is another alternative for implementation. "Rather than adding on, a program can be supplemented into an existing program," said Broderick, whose Learning to Breathe program is often used as part of a middle or high school's health curriculum.

Last winter, Annie Ward, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Mamaroneck Union Free School District, wandered into a high school health class during a school visit. Ward was struck to see the students sitting quietly with their eyes closed and feet on the floor, as they listened to a guided meditation the teacher was playing on a CD. "It was great to see this meditation happen with no fanfare, watching the kids settle right into it and seeing that it was clearly a ritual," said Ward.

Transform School Culture

When teaching mindfulness is accepted and embraced, it can change the tone and tenor of an entire school, or district. In 2008, the South Burlington, Vermont, school district began an effort to train teachers and students, using the Inner Resilience program for younger grades, and the Learning to Breathe program for older ones. For two years, almost 130 teachers volunteered to take the mindfulness training, and the program continued to grow and expand more deliberately to include cafeteria staff and bus drivers, totaling 170 trainees.

On top of the school-wide effort, they also invited parents to participate by offering evening mindfulness classes and lectures by local experts and visiting instructors, and in some cases, regular updates from teachers on mindfulness activities in the classroom. Training the teachers before the children and parental involvement were two components integral to the success of the South Burlington district's efforts, according to Marilyn Neagley, former director of Talk About Wellness, an initiative dedicated to funding and developing programs for youth and family wellness.

Including parents when a program is introduced is a way to expose them to what mindfulness is and is not. And then there's the questionable connection to religion, which can, in some communities, be a hot topic. "One of the most important things we learned from public meetings with parents and the community was to be sure the training is completely secular with no religiosity at all," said Neagley. The teaching is based entirely on emerging neuroscience and keeping all references to Buddhism, and words commonly used during yoga, such as namaste, out of the school vernacular is critical. In some schools, the word yoga has been replaced with "mindful movement" so there is no confusion about the ways in which mindfulness is being taught. "What we are teaching is how to pay attention and be more aware, and how to implement that awareness in our lives," said Lantieri. "What we are teaching we teach in a secular context."

One of the most important things we learned from public meetings with parents and the community was to be sure the training is completely secular with no religiosity at all," says Marilyn Neagley, former director of Talk About Wellness.

For systemic change to take place in a district-as it did in South Burlington -administration and teachers need to figure out where mindfulness can fit, how it will work, and what is needed to bring it in. And there needs to be a point person who can move it forward. "Any district I'm working with has a superintendent or assistant superintendent who is thinking five years out, not just about one classroom," said Lantieri. "That's how SEL started, with one teacher who got excited."

After journaling time was over, Liz Slade's kindergarteners gathered again on the rug to do some imagination breaths. Going around the circle, each child paired a breath with a made-up hand movement and named it-a snowflake breath, a jellyfish breath, a clamshell breath-and the rest of the class mimicked the movement. After a while, when the kids got antsy, Slade asked them to get up and jump around. There were wiggles and tumbles and twists and then she said, "Now make a mindful statue." The children froze in place, and all you could hear was the sound of their breath.

Tips and Practices for Teachers and Parents

By Susan Kaiser Greenland

When children and teens practice appreciation painful thoughts and emotions sometimes show up. As parents we often want to ease our children's pain, but children can easily misinterpret guidance to be thankful as an indication that we're minimizing their challenges, even when that's not the case. So how should we help when painful emotions do come up? We should encourage kids to view how they feel through a wide lens, not to gloss over their feelings or push them aside. When kids acknowledge their hurt feelings and remember the good things in their lives, they embody an open mind. There's a practice I like to do called Three Good Things that gives children a chance to practice this holistic mind-set when they're upset and they need it the most.

Appreciation Practice: Three Good Things

When faced with a disappointment, we acknowledge our feelings, and then we think of three good things in our lives, too.

Leading the game:

1. Ask your child: "Do you ever feel disappointed by something or someone?"
Listen to children's stories.

2. Ask: "How did that make you feel? "
Acknowledge children's feelings and, if appropriate, talk about them.

3. Say something like: "I bet even when you're feeling disappointed there are good things happening in your life too. Let's name three good things together."

Tips for naming three good things:

1. Remind children that the point of this game isn't to pretend they're not upset when they feel upset. It's to remember that they can feel two things at once: they can feel grateful for good things while feeling sad, hurt, or disappointed by challenges.

2. If children or teens have trouble thinking of three good things on their own, brainstorm and help them discover some.

3. When kids understand that this game is not about sweeping their feelings under the rug, the phrase "three good things" can become a playful and humorous response to the minor gripes that show up in family life. For instance, if a young child spills a glass of apple juice and looks like he's going to cry, you can respond with something like, "Ahhh, that can be frustrating. Can you name Three Good Things while we wipe the counter?"

4. Parents can encourage kids to remind them to name Three Good Things when they're stuck on a trivial disappointment or minor annoyance, too.

5. To develop a habit of thankfulness, play Three Good Things around the dinner table, before bedtime, and at other times when the family is together (and no one is upset).

The more families carve out time to practice appreciation when life is good, the easier it is for parents and children to be thankful for the good things in life when times are hard.

At first, appreciation and thankfulness may feel like a mere intellectual exercise. Yet the more families carve out time to practice appreciation when life is good, the easier it is for parents and children to be thankful for the good things in life when times are hard. When that shift happens, appreciation becomes an integral part of a family's worldview and is no longer just an intellectual exercise.
This article was excerpted from Mindful Games © 2016 by Susan Kaiser Greenland. Illustrations © 2016 by Lindsay DuPont. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.

A Guide To Bringing Mindfulness into Your School

What can you do to bring mindfulness into your child's school? What are the best strategies, practices, and resources to implement a mindfulness program? Implementing a school-wide mindfulness program can take several years, so create a well-thought-out plan that includes presenting programming to parents and faculty. Be patient-making changes in schools can be a lengthy process. Here are a few things to consider:

Why teach mindfulness?
1) Kids are stressed.

1 in 8 children in the United States suffers from Anxiety Disorders. (National Institutes of Health)

1 in 5 children suffers from a mental health or learning disorder, and 80% of chronic mental disorders begin in childhood. (Child Mind Institute)

2) Teachers are stressed.

According to research, most teachers experience job stress at least two to four times a day, with more than 75% of teachers' health problems attributed to stress. (National Education Association)

The Benefits of mindfulness

Studies show that the benefits of mindfulness may include:

Increased focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion

Improved academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being

Decreased levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior

How to bring mindfulness into schools

Start with teachers. Teachers are the vehicle for integrating change into a school's culture. Is there a teacher who already has a mindfulness practice, and is willing to champion the effort to bring mindfulness into your child's school? If not, are there teachers willing to learn more about the benefits of mindfulness for themselves, as well as their students?

Know the science. The research on teaching mindfulness to children is only in its beginning stages, yet there are studies that show its impact on both the body and the brain. Scientific evidence is an important component for bringing administrators and faculty to embrace your plan.
A few key studies:

A 2016 study in Frontiers in Psychology measured emotional well-being of 7- to 9-year-olds and found that a school-based mindfulness program improves higher-order thinking, and helps students become more engaged, positive learners.

A randomized controlled study in the Journal of School Psychology on more than 100 6th grade students found those who completed classroom-based, teacher-implemented mindfulness meditation were significantly less likely to develop suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm than the control groups.

A study of 4th and 5th graders published in Developmental Psychology found that students who received mindfulness training improved their cognitive ability and stress physiology, reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, and optimism, showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, and were more popular.

Engage faculty, administrators, and parents. Including parents and school staff-and ideally support staff, such as aides, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers-will provide the basis for the most effective implementation of a school-based mindfulness program. If there is hesitation or resistance to mindfulness, take the time to offer the facts, benefits, and science, and emphasize the importance of teaching mindfulness in school in an entirely secular way.

Look for developmentally appropriate practices. Mindfulness in schools comes in different shapes and sizes-just like the kids-so research the programs that fit specifically with the ages in your school. There are some designed for the youngest ages, which differ in style and content from those designed for older grades.

Which mindfulness program is right for your teachers?

There are a variety of programs you can consider recommending to teachers and administrators, or for your own training. Some are online, some use recordings, and some may require in-person training. Here are a few to consider:

4. Cheryl Brause
Mindfulness Instructor
Daniel Warren School * Rye Neck, New York

On a recent visit to the Daniel Warren School, where she's a visiting mindfulness instructor, Cheryl Brause entered a second-grade classroom, sat down, and made eye contact with the children who settled on the floor in front of her. "Instead of feeling the need to tell them what to do, I could simply acknowledge them one by one, silently welcoming them into our time together, and this let them know that I am here to listen and to be present with them as we explore mindfulness together," said Brause. As her own practice and knowledge deepened through a yearlong mindful educator certification that she completed this summer, Brause recognizes the changes in her experience. "I'm much less distracted while teaching, thinking less about what I need to accomplish, and more present and focused on the kids, allowing the lesson to flow from there."

Brause came to mindfulness as a means to slow down and be more present in her own life. It began with a yoga practice, and after trying a variety of types of meditation, it was an MBSR class that exposed her to mindfulness. "I realized how quickly mindfulness resonated with me and made a real difference in my everyday life," said Brause. "It made me realize how distracted I had been and how little time I spent being fully present."

10 Mindful Books for Adults

1. Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom, by Patricia A. Jennings.

2. Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom, by Meena Srinivasan.

3. The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate, Susan Kaiser Greenland.

4. Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance, by Patricia C. Broderick.

5. A Still Quiet Place: A Mindfulness Program for Teaching Children and Adolescents to Ease Stress and Difficult Emotions, by Amy Saltzman, MD

6. Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience, by Christopher Willard, Psy D

7. The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress by Gina M. Biegel

8. Mindfulness for the Next Generation: Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives by Holly Rogers, MD, and Margaret Maytan, MD

9. Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens Hardcover by Christopher Willard PsyD and Amy Saltzman MD

10. Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain Hardcover , by Daniel J.Siegel, MD

8 Mindful Books for Children & Teens

1. Visiting Feelings, by Lauren Rubenstein

2. Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee Maclean

3. Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents), by Eline Snel.

4. Take the Time: Mindfulness for Kids, by Maud Roegiers

5. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud

6. Lemonade Hurricane, by Licia Morelli and Jennifer Morris

7. What does it mean to be Present? By Rana DiOrio and Eliza Wheeler

8. Anh's Anger, by Gail Silver

Read More

So much of communication is actually not about what we say. It's about how we come across, the tone of our voice, our body language, and all of that is an expression of our internal state. So this is one of the reasons why mindfulness is such an essential and... Read More

If you're trying to bring this into a school, or into an organization, you find the person most likely who's going to be open to it, and you start there. Maybe, you just start in that one classroom. Find a Mindfulness Ally I have a friend, she's a nutritionist and... Read More

Join the Mindful Educators Community: A free resource for teachers, students and communities

A free resource offering the best practices for bringing mindfulness into the classroom from 25 of today's leading mindfulness experts and educators. Read More

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Best Practices for Bringing Mindfulness into Schools Creating a safe place for our kids to learn might begin with creating some space for them to breathe.

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Sesame Street Monster Meditations with Headspace!

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation. Join the millions experiencing better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety.

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This is a resource app for you to share with your child to help teach skills such as problem solving, self-control, planning, and task persistence.

Laugh and learn as you help a Sesame Street monster friend calm down and solve everyday challenges. This bilingual (English and Spanish), research-based app helps your child learn Sesame's "Breathe, Think, Do" strategy for problem-solving. Tap and touch to help the monster friend take deep breaths, think of plans, and try them out! Your child will enjoy silly animations and playful interactions as she is exposed to important emotional vocabulary, a calm breathing technique, personalized encouragements, and more!

Features:
* Explore five interactive activities with a unique, everyday challenge
* Tap, pop bubbles, and more to help the monster breathe, think, and do to solve problems and feel better
* Personalize encouraging phrases that your child will hear as they help the monster think of a plan
* "Breathe with the Monster" activity to help children practice taking deep breaths to calm down
* Robust Parent Section with great resources for navigating everyday challenges with your young child

Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame is intended for parents and caregivers to use with their young children (ages 2-5).

This app is part of Sesame Street's Little Children, Big Challenges initiative, which aims to provide tools to help children build skills for resilience, and overcome everyday challenges and more stressful situations and transitions. You can access other Sesame Street resilience materials online at sesamestreet.org/challenges

About Us:
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children's media with the landmark Sesame Street. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org

More levels

I love this app for my son but I wish there were more "levels" so he would want to keep playing to unlock more scenarios 🤷‍♀️ once he unlocked the few there he was done with it 🤦‍♀️ but he was calm while playing.

Great for school psychologists and educators

As a practicing school psychologist I use this with all of my elementary school students. During our sessions we focus on de-escalation techniques, mindful practices, cognitive distortions and realities, solution-oriented approaches, and conflict resolution. This app teaches ALL of that in a child-friendly and engaging format. I have recommended this app to many of my colleagues and recommend it to any educator or parent wishing to enhance the aforementioned skills.

Nice when it works and isn't crashing

Having a problem with crashing on my iOS device. When it works it's a nice tool for teaching my newly 3yr old, deep breathing, self awareness, problem solving, problems, and managing himself. I wish 1. It didn't crash so dang much and 2. There were more examples of the monster getting upset and finding a solution, and 3. Less ask a gown up for help...example: monster building a bock tower that falls. His options are, wider base, two separate towers, ask an adult. The monster could as a friend .

The developer, Sesame Street, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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‎This is a resource app for you to share with your child to help teach skills such as problem solving, self-control, planning, and task persistence. Laugh and learn as you help a Sesame Street monster friend calm down and solve everyday challenges. This bilingual (English and Spanish), research-base...

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Mindfulness is the state of active, open attention to the present. It is achieved by purposefully focusing your attention to the unfolding of your experience in the present moment, with a gentle and open mind. It means becoming aware of what is happening in the here-and-now, both internally, and in the external world around you. It allows you to observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them to be "good" or "bad." When you're mindful, you are living fully in the present moment, instead of letting life pass you by.

The Mindfulness Toolkit was designed to introduce you to the concept of mindfulness, share the most current information regarding its benefits and applications and provide you with practical tools for beginning to incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life. As you begin to explore the ideas and tools within the Mindfulness Toolkit, know that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to begin practicing greater mindfulness. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles always begins with a single step.

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Mindfulness is the state of active, open attention to the present. It is achieved by purposefully focusing your attention to the unfolding of your experience in the present moment, with a gentle and open mind. It means becoming aware of what is happening in the here-and-now, both internally, and in the external world around you.

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Sitting Still Like a Frog Activity Book Audio

Read by Della Omafray

The audio downloads that accompany Sitting Still Like a Frog Activity Book include yoga exercises, a game that teaches your child how to just listen, and a meditation on the bird of happiness.

To play the audio exercises in your web browser, click the links below. You can also go to SoundCloud directly and download all the tracks to your device or computer.

This exercise strengthens your heart and helps create balance in your body.

Moving like a butterfly strengthens your back and makes your hips supple.

This exercise opens your heart and strengthens your belly muscles.
Track 4: The Little Bowls
Patting your body with your hands will make you feel refreshed.
Track 5: Sound Landscape
Now you are going to hear all kinds of sounds. Can you try to listen to them as though you were hearing them for the first time, without "judging" them and without necessarily trying to recognize them?
Track 6: The Bird of Happiness
To end the book, you can listen to this final meditation, and then draw what you saw while flying with the bird of happiness.

These audio files accompany the book Sitting Still Like a Frog Activity Book, copyright © 2019 by Shambhala Publications, Inc., translated from Calme et attentif comme une grenouille, Ton guide de sérénité. © Éditions des Arènes, Paris, 2017; © Audio script: Eline Snel.

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Read by Della Omafray The audio downloads that accompany Sitting Still Like a Frog Activity Book include yoga exercises, a game that teaches your child how to just listen, and a meditation on the bird of happiness. To play the audio exercises in your web browser, click the links below.

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Sesame Street: Common and Colbie Caillat Sing "Belly Breathe" with Elmo

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Resources on This Page:

Tips for downloading: PDF files can be viewed on a wide variety of platforms -- both as a browser plug-in or a stand-alone application -- with Adobe's free Acrobat Reader program. Click here to download the latest version of Adobe Reader.
Click on any link below to view or download that file.
Documents to Help You Get Started

Quiet Time Primer
Introduction to implementing Quiet Time in the classroom

Bell Schedule
Bell schedule at Visitacion Valley Middle School

Code of Conduct
Visitacion Valley Middle School code of conduct for students

Parent Letter
Parent letter outlining the Quiet Time program at Visitacion Valley Middle School

Parent Permission Form
Permission form for students to be trained in Transcendental Meditation* as part of the Quiet Time program

Additional Resources on the Web
School Meditation Programs

Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education (CWAE) --The nonprofit organization responsible for implementing the Quiet Time program at Visitacion Valley Middle School; specializes in high-impact, whole-school transformation through meditation-based stress-reduction and readiness-to-learn programs

MindUP -- An educational initiative of The Hawn Foundation, is a mindful-awareness program developed in consultation with University of British Columbia professor Kimberly Schonert-Reichl

Inner Kids -- A mindful-awareness practices training program researched by UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center

Learning to BREATHE -- A mindfulness-based curriculum for adolescents, developed by Patricia Broderick, a research associate at the Penn State University Prevention Research Center and former director of the Stress Reduction Center at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

David Lynch Foundation -- A nonprofit that funds the implementation of stress-reducing techniques including Transcendental Meditation for at-risk populations

Mindful Schools -- A program using mindfulness to teach kids how to manage emotion, handle stress and resolve conflict

The Lineage Project -- A program using awareness-based practices such as yoga and meditation to teach mindfulness to at-risk and incarcerated teenagers

The Impact Foundation -- A program that trains K-12 teachers in mindfulness through its SMARTinEDUCATION eight-week program

Guidelines to Lead Meditation Resources for Learning Meditation * Transcendental Meditation® and TM® are registered or common law trademarks and are used under sublicense.

What do you think about this Schools That Work story? We'd love to hear from you!
Tweet your answer to @edutopia, comment below, or email us.

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Resources & Downloads for Meditation in Schools

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Tips for downloading: PDF files can be viewed on a wide variety of platforms -- both as a browser plug-in or a stand-alone application -- with Adobe's free Acrobat Reader program. Click here to download the latest version of Adobe Reader. Click on any link below to view or download that file.

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In our busy everyday work lives as teachers, it is easy to fall into habits of rushing and reactivity. Here you can find tools to help you to slow down and pay attention to what is happening around you and inside of you, along with resources to help your students do the same.

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Insight Timer - #1 Free Meditation App for Sleep, Relax & More

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The best meditation app with the world’s largest FREE library of more than 190k guided meditations, 17k teachers & the world’s most loved meditation Timer.

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by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org

Here are a variety of useful activities and resources for practicing and teaching:

mindfulness and meditation,

kindness and compassion,

generosity and gratitude,

social responsibility, and

social-emotional skills.

I've gotten a lot of requests to use the activities in various contexts, and I've found some of this content copied onto other sites without permission. Please link to these resources; please do not copy them to your own site.

If you're looking for different types of mindfulness activities and complementary practices:

If you're looking for particular types of teaching resources for mindfulness and values-based teaching:

If you're interested in best practices in teaching mindfulness:

If you're looking for a variety of different perspectives on mindfulness:

If you found these resources useful, you might also be interested in theSelf-Care Resources for educators and other helping professionals.

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Resources for Practicing and Teaching Mindfulness - Mindful Teachers

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by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org Here are a variety of useful activities and resources for practicing and teaching: mindfulness and meditation, kindness and compassion, generosity and gratitude, social responsibility, and social-emotional skills. I've gotten a lot of requests to use the activities in various contexts, and I've found some of this content copied onto other sites without permission.

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Co-Founder and CEO of Stop, Breathe & Think
Julie is a former EVP for Demand Media, where she led the web properties and content studio divisions of over 120 people, 100M monthly unique visitors and $70M in revenue. She was part of the leading team driving the growth of the company through its IPO and beyond. She previously worked as a marketing executive at Yahoo!, where she managed multi-million dollar campaigns, talent and OEM partnerships for Yahoo! Music and drove the international expansion for Yahoo! Search Marketing. She started her career at L'Oreal as a brand manager.

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Co-Founder and CEO of Stop, Breathe & Think Julie is a former EVP for Demand Media, where she led the web properties and content studio divisions of over 120 people, 100M monthly unique visitors and $70M in revenue. She was part of the leading team driving the growth of the company through its IPO and beyond.

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An evidence-based approach to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children in the classroom, school and home environments. Choose the implementation option to suit your school.

For a limited time, Australian primary schools can apply for a funded place and receive the Primary School Program at no direct cost to the school.

Smiling Mind is Australia's leading digital-led, prevention focussed mental health not-for-profit. Smiling Mind has been helping minds thrive for over 10 years and are the innovators behind Australia's most trusted mental wellbeing app. Our evidence-based tools support people to learn the skills to maintain their mental health in fun and interactive ways.

If you'd like to support our work, you can make a donation. Every contribution, however large or small makes a difference and we're so grateful for your support.

The Australian Mental Wellbeing Index provides a snapshot insight into the everyday mental wellbeing of Australia. It explores the factors that contribute to mental wellbeing and aims to generate a national conversation about how Australians can take a proactive approach to support mental wellbeing.

We've recently released the second annual report exploring the data collected across 2022-2023. The latest report shows young Australians aged 18-24, are experiencing poorer mental wellbeing than older age groups and poorer levels of focus and concentration may be a key driver of this.

A daily mindfulness and meditation guide at your fingertips

#1 Apple Health & Wellbeing App 2018 - Australia

Trusted by over 7.8M people

100% evidence based

FREE Programs for children and adults

We suggest 10 minutes a day

What are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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Smiling Mind is a non-for-profit web and app-based meditation program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into your life.

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Kids of all ages can reap the benefits of meditation and mindfulness using technology. Meditating even only a few minutes a day has proven to reduce stress, boost immunity, aid memory and concentration, decrease depression and anxiety, and even make you more compassionate. And while there are apps that are more targeted to mental health needs, meditation can be a great entry point. Don't know where to start? Check out some of our favorite meditation apps for kids. These tools guide kids through the process and help them relax and ground themselves. And for more great apps for restless kids, try our list of Apps to Help Kids Stay Focused.

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Kids of all ages can reap the benefits of meditation and mindfulness using technology. Meditating even only a few minutes a day has proven to reduce stress, boost immunity, aid memory and concentration, decrease depression and anxiety, and even make you more compassionate.

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The goal of mindfulness is to train your mind to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgement or criticism. In this, you can cut out habitual, negative thought patterns and prevent downward spirals of negativity. You further carve a...

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In November, it's common on social media to show our gratitude each day of the month with hashtags such as #30daysofthanks or #thankful. I love this practice and think it's a great idea to get our children involved, not on social media per se, but in harnessing the attitude of gratitude that will last beyond November. With the idea of building positive habits in mind, I've put together 30 days of journal prompts and acts of kindness to try with your kids.

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Day One:

Journal Prompt - Which holiday is your favorite and why are you grateful for this holiday?

Act of Kindness - Think of a gift you've received recently. Write a thank you note to the giver and either hand-deliver or mail it.

Day Two:

Journal Prompt - Write about something good that happened to you today.

Act of Kindness - Hold the door open for someone.

Day Three:

Journal Prompt - Name 3 people in your life you are grateful for and why.

Act of Kindness - Take a gift to your teacher. Consider an apple or flowers.

Day Four:

Journal Prompt - What talent do you have that you are grateful for?

Act of Kindness - Do a chore without being asked.

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Day Five:

Journal Prompt - What is your favorite season? Why are you grateful for it?

Act of Kindness - Call your grandparent, a favorite aunt or uncle, or another family member you haven't seen in a while.

Day Six:

Journal Prompt - Find something in your house that smells really good. What is it and why are you grateful for the sense of smell?

Act of Kindness - Pick up litter on your street or at a local park.

Day Seven:

Journal Prompt - What is your favorite possession? Who gave it to you? Tell them you're grateful for it.

Act of Kindness - Leave a small treat in the mailbox for the mailman.

Day Eight:

Journal Prompt - What is one thing you love about yourself?

Act of Kindness - Write a thank you note to a coach, teacher, or someone who has been a for you.

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Day Nine:

Journal Prompt - Fill in the blank: I am thankful I learned how to _______.

Act of Kindness - Compliment a friend today. Here are 50 encouraging phrases to help.

Day Ten:

Journal Prompt - What do you like about your town? Why are you grateful to live there?

Act of Kindness - Visit the animal shelter. Take the dogs for a walk, pet the cats, or donate food to the shelter.

Gratitude activity suggestions for days eleven through twenty on page 2...

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In November, it's common to express gratitude each day of the month with hashtags like #thankful on social media. In this spirit of this modern digital tradition, I've put together 30 days of journal prompts and acts of kindness for parents to try with their kids when you're offline.

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Access free guided mindfulness sessions, and subscribe to unlock all Mind Yeti content.

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Learning to BREATHE | A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents

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Since its publication nearly a decade ago, the L2B program has transformed classrooms and has been used by educators, parents, and mental health professionals alike. This fully revised and updated second edition offers the same powerful mindfulness interventions with special emphasis on compassion a…

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Our evidence-based curriculum builds emotional resilience through mental fitness

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Mindfulness Resources for the MCPS Community

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Grade-specific topics, activities, and strategies to help establish mindfulness practice

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Grade-specific topics, activities, and strategies to help establish mindfulness practice

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Includes free resources for teachers for mindful breathing activities in English and Spanish 

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Includes free resources for teachers for mindful breathing activities in English and Spanish 

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The philosophy of Conscious Discipline emerged after years of working with children and experiencing the challenges of a broken system full of hurting children and frustrated adults. The methodology, programs and best-practices offer a different - and proven - pathway to transformation.

Free Resources for Teachers

Sign up to access FREE printables, digital resources, tools and teaching or upgrade to a Premium Membership to access Games, Make-N-Takes and more.

Sign Up and Get More

New Podcast

Listen in to Dr. Becky Bailey and special guests via her monthly podcast, Real Talk for Real Teachers.

Free Webinars

Free Webinars about Conscious Discipline implementation and relevant education industry trends.

Conscious Discipline Excels in Analysis of Top 25 Social Emotional Learning Programs

Compared to 25 other SEL programs, Conscious Discipline (CD) is one of only three programs that focuses three-quarters or more of their content on Emotional Processes (specifically Emotion Knowledge/Expression and Emotion/Behavior Regulation) and one of 13 programs that focuses more than half their program content on Interpersonal Skills. In comparing key components of SEL programs CD received high ratings in 8 of 10 categories (e.g. classroom activities beyond core lessons and integration with academic content; climate and culture supports; professional development supports).

See the Full Report

NEW: Conscious Discipline Parenting Education Curriculum Yields Positive Outcomes

In a research study by ChildTrends, Conscious Discipline's parenting education curriculum was found to improve parenting knowledge and skills, increase parents' ability to manage their own emotions and respond to children's challenging behaviors, and improve emotional management and behavior in children. Notably, parents reported using Conscious Discipline skills and strategies more consistently six to eight weeks after parenting classes than immediately after classes concluded. Parents reported feeling happier, less frustrated and more interested in connecting with their children. Both directors and parents noted a positive change in the school-home connection.
Learn More

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The philosophy of Conscious Discipline emerged after years of working with children and experiencing the challenges of a broken system full of hurting children and frustrated adults. The methodology, programs and best-practices offer a different - and proven - pathway to transformation.

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Mindfulness is defined as intentionally paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental manner. By consciously bringing our attention to the present moment…

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If ever there has been a moment for practicing mindfulness, this is it. These are stressful days for everyone, including children, and focusing on the moment makes things easier. In addition, Spanish mindfulness activities are useful language activities for both native speakers and Spanish learners.

Below I'll share a few of my favorite Spanish mindfulness activities and resources.

Why Mindfulness in Spanish?

Practicing mindfulness helps children pay attention to what is happening in the moment - the world around them and their own feelings. It makes them aware of what they are experiencing while they are experiencing it. Research has shown that mindfulness can substantially reduce stress.

In addition, the language component of mindfulness activities complements Spanish learning.

The practice of mindfulness itself is conducive to language learning because an aware, attentive mind absorbs what it hears.

Mindfulness is a practice and is meant to be done on a regular basis. This provides for repetition and structured exposure to the language in the activities.

Individual mindfulness activities are short, focused, and incorporate repetition.

Finally, mindfulness activities in Spanish create positive associations with language learning.

Mindfulness Activities and Spanish Learners

So, where do you find Spanish mindfulness activities? And how do you do them?

One approach is to look for simple mindfulness activities online and adapt them to your Spanish learners. Many activities are straightforward.

Encourage kids to take deep, slow breaths as they blow bubbles. Ask them to focus on how the bubble forms and floats away.

Point out sights and sounds on a walk together. Listen together. Notice how the sun or the wind feels on your face.

Pause what you are doing to tune into feelings and identify them. The goal is awareness; there is no judgement about good or bad feelings.

However, mindfulness is a practice. Therefore, we need to have a significant number of activities to draw on. I find that teaching mindfulness is much easier with the support of good resources.

Chicos Mindful Activity Deck

The Chicos Mindful Activity Deck is a beautiful set of 50 mindfulness activity cards published by Barefoot Books. It is by far my favorite resource for Spanish mindfulness activities for kids.

I adore these cards!

The lovely illustrations support the language in the activity.

There is enough variation to use these cards forever. The experience is different each time you use them.

These are short activities, so they are easy to make part of a daily routine.

No screens! There are mindfulness videos and apps, but in my experience, a device is always a distraction. These cards are not!

Learn more about the Chicos Mindful Activity Deck in this trailer.

Using Chicos Mindful with Spanish Learners

The cards come with a guide, but here are a few suggestions for using them with Spanish learners. The suggestions apply to other mindfulness activities as well.

Spend time teaching mindful sitting and mindful breathing as described in the guide. Many of the activities incorporate them and once learned it is excellent repetition of comprehensible input.

Teach or activate key vocabulary using pictures before you do the activity. Use the illustrations on the cards and other pictures. For example, before doing an activity with animal movements, you could read Algarabía en la granja (one of my favorite farm animal books) and talk about the pictures. Or, if you're going outside or doing an activity related to natural world vocabulary, you could read Oso bajo el sol, a wonderful book to talk about weather.

With language learners who are new to mindfulness activities, choose a few of the most concrete activities and rotate through those. Then, go on to other cards.

Before starting, explain to kids that the purpose is to be aware, to pay attention to the moment. There is no right or wrong way to do the activity.

Speak (read) slowly. Kids need time to process language and create mental pictures. Read the instructions slowly and pause between sentences and steps.

Adapt the vocabulary to use familiar language. Use simpler language and shorter sentences to make the activity comprehensible for your learners.

Consider doing the card as a whole group interactive activity first, and talk through the steps aloud with examples. Then do it again as individual silent meditation for kids.

Free Spanish Mindfulness Activities

Barefoot Books has generously provided a PDF download of three mindfulness activities from the Chicos Mindful Activity Deck.

Yoga and Mindfulness in Spanish

Yoga is one way to practice mindfulness. Through yoga, children tune into their breath and body. Yoga also builds connections with the natural world.

I've had good luck with yoga stories, although they are not strictly mindfulness activities because kids are engaged with the narrative. However, once children are familiar yoga, the poses can be used to focus specifically on mindfulness.

Butterfly Yoga Story

I've done this butterfly yoga story with students for years. The video is by Yogic. I make it a little simpler for beginners, and support the language by displaying pictures I can point to as I tell the story.

This yoga story is also great for reinforcing weather vocabulary. I support these words with pictures: las mariposas, las flores, el sol, las nubes, la lluvia, el viento, el arco iris. If they are familiar, you can certainly skip the pictures and just tell the story as you do the poses.

Kids Yoga Stories

Kids Yoga Stories publishes picture books in English and Spanish with yoga poses woven into the stories. Although not strictly mindfulness activities (readers are engaged with the narrative), the books are a fun way to introduce Spanish learners to yoga.

Learn more about Kids Yoga Stories in this post about Yoga Stories for Every Season.

Mindfulness develops self-awareness and helps children manage stress. The Chicos Mindful Activity Deck makes activities in Spanish easy for parents and teachers. It's a wonderful way for families to add Spanish mindfulness practice to their routines at home.

I highly recommend you jump in and try practicing mindfulness with your students or family. Don't worry, there is no "right way" and every moment is a new opportunity to practice mindfulness. Rest assured that the children in your life will benefit from the calm and attention, and so will you.

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Spanish Mindfulness Activities for Kids - Spanish Playground

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If ever there has been a moment for practicing mindfulness, this is it. These are stressful days for everyone, including children, and focusing on the moment makes things easier. In addition, Spanish mindfulness activities are useful language activities for both native speakers and Spanish learners.

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Include your ESL students in mindfulness activities today

We believe in inclusivity and that diversity is what creates incredibly rich experiences for students and adults alike. To that end, we've created several meditation scripts in Spanish that teachers can use for ESL classes.

Our apps, Stop, Breathe & Think ( iOS & Android) and SB&T Kids, are designed with the idea of peace over perfection. We're here to help kids, teens, and adults develop the emotional strength and confidence to handle whatever comes their way.

Download any of these free meditation scripts to use with your students today!
Educators, have you signed up for your free lifetime subscription to our app? We want to support you as best as possible! Click here to get your free membership today. And sign up for our mailing list for more freebies and tips!

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Looking for meditation scripts in Spanish? - Stop, Breathe & Think

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Include your ESL students in mindfulness activities today We believe in inclusivity and that diversity is what creates incredibly rich experiences for students and adults alike. To that end, we've created several meditation scripts in Spanish that teachers can use for ESL classes.

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CMC is currently developing this 8-week Mindfulness for Primary Care (MTPC) program in Spanish; if you are interested in participating, sign up below to stay informed with the latest updates.

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Center for Mindfulness & Compassion - Boston

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CMC is currently developing this 8-week Mindfulness for Primary Care (MTPC) program in Spanish; if you are interested in participating, sign up below to stay informed with the latest updates.

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Lea este artículo en español
The pandemic has destabilized the lives and routines of students and teachers alike. Many students have taken on new responsibilities: caring for parents and siblings, obtaining side jobs to alleviate financial stress and taking care of additional duties around the house. Many educators have also been stretched thin with the threat of job loss, the effects of high turnover and a heaping plate of responsibilities. There is also no doubt that the challenges of distance teaching and learning have compounded the stress of their experiences.

Education in the face of COVID-19 provides additional challenges for multilingual learners. For example, masks inhibit the ability to see people's lips and reduce the volume of one's voice, which in turn reduces comprehension. Additionally, students could potentially receive less exposure to instructional and academic language (Spanish or otherwise) in a virtual learning environment. Lastly, some students may receive less exposure to the target language because of lockdown measures. It is generally more difficult to facilitate enriching interpersonal activities in a virtual instruction environment - not to mention, students are often more reluctant than usual to ask questions during a virtual session.

Given all the challenges, our precious minutes of instruction with students must be optimized to lessen the effects of this difficult period. There is one simple activity that could potentially provide some relief from extraneous stressors, while boosting value and retention of classroom instruction. The practice of mindfulness, or the cultivation of a mental state that is focused on the present moment, aspires to bring self-awareness, empathy, focus and calm to the classroom. Some mindfulness activities include intentional breathing, tightening and relaxing of muscles or intentional eating.

It may seem difficult to justify dedicating instructional time to an activity like mindfulness. We are certainly facing mounting pressure to make time in our classrooms for a variety of endeavors. However, spending time on mindfulness can increase students' learning.

As educators, we are asked to do a lot beyond teaching: meet student learning objectives tied to our evaluations, contribute meaningfully to district-level decisions, supervise extracurricular activities, provide social-emotional coaching, maintain enduring relationships with students and guardians, design rigorous curricular and classroom instruction - the list goes on. As a high school Spanish teacher, I eventually asked myself: "when am I actually teaching Spanish?" I became the archetypal victim of "teacher burnout" and wound up leaving the classroom after seven years of teaching. A steady practice in mindfulness may have added some longevity and resilience to my teaching career.

Mindfulness practices in the classroom have the potential to alleviate teacher burnout, teacher turnover and to provide longevity to teaching careers. Mindfulness can also support students' ability to engage with the learning. Studies have shown that dedicating time to this practice is beneficial and helpful in the end. For example, a brief study from the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University highlights the promising results from using mindfulness in the classroom. The study focused on a group of sixth graders who participated in mindfulness activities for eight weeks. Students were asked to focus on a rock for a minute and then talk about their experience.

The "mindfulness" group reported being less stressed than the students in the control group, whom did not engage in mindfulness activities. The students practicing mindfulness, in general, self-reported higher retention of instruction and greater empathy toward other students. Brain scans revealed that their amygdala (a core fear system in the human body) responded less intensely to negative images and pictures - indicating greater emotional resilience.

Overall, mindfulness practices seem to help foster improved language retention:

Mindfulness appears to help with increasing self-efficacy and reducing world language anxiety. A study from the University of Zabol suggests that a steady practice in mindfulness will contribute to greater language retention.

This article, published by Taylor & Francis Online, draws many theoretical comparisons between language learning and "Langerian" mindfulness. They maintain that language classrooms and "Langerian" mindfulness practice all foster favorable language-learning conditions: novelty seeking, novelty producing, engagement and flexibility.

In the blog, Cultured Simplicity, educator Cierra Smith takes time to explain that mindfulness in a language classroom helps to foster a sense of peace with your pace of learning. Mindfulness cultivates a mindset that language learning is a journey and helps to set intentions with your language learning goals.

Here is a simple mindfulness activity that you may want to try in your classroom. It is called box breathing. It is simple, quick, secular and appropriate for all ages. Here are the steps:

1. Breathe in, to a count of 4

2. Hold, for a count of 4

3. Breathe out, to a count of 4

4. Pause, for a count of 4

5. Repeat

You can ask students to do this after they complete a bell-ringer activity, before a test or as you transition between activities. Be sure to try these breathing techniques whenever you start feeling the pressures of teaching.

If you are looking for more options, this website from Aetna has some great mindfulness activities to try with kids. This article from MentalUp has some good options for teenagers as well.

Families, teachers and students need a lot of support in our current education environment. A few months back, WIDA Español wrote an article that provides some guidelines on how to optimize your instruction with distance learning - particularly with multilingual learners. We encourage you to take these considerations into account as well when you are planning your lessons.

This article is part of a series by WIDA Español titled "Instruction in Spanish/Instrucción en español." Each of the articles in this series will focus on instructional practices that support Spanish language arts and/or Spanish language development. The series presents ideas, practices and tools for educators of bi/multilingual students providing Spanish instruction.

Chris Paulus is a client services specialist and supports the WIDA Español team at WIDA. He is part of the Communications and Marketing team and helps answer customer questions. Chris taught high school Spanish for seven years in both Illinois and Wisconsin before coming to WIDA. He holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish and English education from Northern Michigan University and a master's in literacy with a focus on English as a second language from Northern Illinois University. He occasionally teaches English classes in his community.

To stay informed about WIDA Español resources, tools and services use the news sign up form to manage email preferences and select WIDA Español as an interest area.

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Instruction in Spanish: Mindfulness, a tool to alleviate stress and increase language retention

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Lea este artículo en español The pandemic has destabilized the lives and routines of students and teachers alike. Many students have taken on new responsibilities: caring for parents and siblings, obtaining side jobs to alleviate financial stress and taking care of additional duties around the house.

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¿Por qué es tan importante prestar atención?

en su libro nos recuerda lo habitual que es comer sin saborear la comida o no percibir el olor de la tierra húmeda después de la lluvia. ¿Te has dado cuenta de lo normal que es tocar a los demás sin darnos cuenta de las sensaciones que nos trasmiten? Nos hemos especializado en permanecer desconectados la mayor parte del tiempo y lo peor es que ignoramos que estamos desconectados.

Para volver a restablecer el contacto, el mindfulness nos puede ayudar mucho . Si todavía no estás muy familiarizado con este concepto y quieres descubrir , pincha y recuerda este post donde te explico con detalle qué es y qué beneficios se obtienen con esta práctica.

Los niños/as son especialistas en vivir en el momento presente. Está claro que podemos aprender mucho de ellos sobre la atención plena pero... ¿cómo les hacemos conscientes de los beneficios de esta practica? Sabemos que si no lo practican con hábito, con el tiempo, caeran poco a poco en el extrés adulto de vivir en las preocupaciones del pasado o los miedos del futuro. Pincha aquí para ver como podemos EXPLICARLES A LOS NIÑOS QUÉ ES EL MINDFULNESS

Uno de los principales beneficios de la práctica de mindfulnes con niñ@s es la mejora en la capacidad de atención y concentración . Muchos padres alertan de que los niños/as de hoy en día tienen problemas para concentrarse. ¡Algunos no consiguen comunicarse con ellos ni buscando el contacto visual! Son muchos los motivos que podríamos enumerar como los causantes del problema: las tecnologías, sobrestimulación, falta de contacto con la naturaleza... pero esto no ayuda a solucionar el problema.

¿Cómo podemos mejorar la atención y concentración de los niños/as?

¿Cómo practicar mindfulness en familia?

Para llevar a cabo estas técnicas. Bastarán con unos pocos minutos al día!! Un aspecto importante esEs necesario disponer de un ambiente tranquilo y relajado. Preferiblemente realizar las actividades en el mismo lugar y a la misma hora. cuidar el lugar donde realizar los juegos o actividades . Lo más fácil es acordar entre todos un horario y comprometerse a cumplirlo. Para empezar, dos o tres días a la semana una duración de 10 minutos sería fantástico.

10 técnicas de mindfulness para niños/as

Estas ténicas que te voy a presentar se pueden llevar a cabo con niños desde 3 años hasta 10 años. Yo las practico diariamente con 25 alumnos/as de 4 años. Si los niñ@s tienen más edad podemos aumentar el tiempo de realización pero siempre teniendo en cuenta a los niñ@s y sus necesidades. Ellos serán los mejores guías para indicarnos el tiempo adecuado.

1.- LA POSTURA DE "Mente atenta": Una de las primeras practicas por las que se puede empezar es por la postura de meditación enseñándoles a fijar su atención en la respiración. Esta será la postura de la que partirán el resto de actividades y juegos. Puedes usar canciones o meditaciones guiadas para recordar las claves de la postura.

Una propuesta: YOGAMUSIC- Saludo Inicial

Otra opción es la Meditación guiada LA RANITA (Libro Tranquilo y Atentos como una Rana, Eline Snell) Muy recomendable. En este libro con CD incluído podréis encontrar otras 10 meditaciones más orientadas a trabajar la atención en los niñ@s. El libro es buena guía para inciarte en el conocimiento del minfulness. Ofrece juegos y actividades para complementar con las audiciones. Está orientado a padres pero si eres profesor@ también encontrarás muchas utilidades.

ACTIVIDAD: Quietos y atentos como una rana. Dile a tu hij@ o alumn@s que la rana es un animalito que puede dar grandes saltos pero también puede quedarse muy quieta, observando todo lo que pasa a su alrededor pero sin reaccionar de inmediato. Respirar con mucha calma, y explícale que vais a jugar a ser como una rana. Su tripa se hincha cuando entra el aire y se deshincha cuando sale el aire.

"Vamos a sentarnos y a respirar como la rana, así, la ranita no se cansa y no se deja arrastrar por todos los planes interesantes que se le pasan por la cabeza. Durante un rato vamos a estar quietos como una rana, notando como la barriguita de abulta un poco, y después se hunde otra vez"

En este ejercicio el niñ@ aprende a ser paciente, a relajarse y mantenerse en calma, además de comprender la importancia de la respiración para este fin.

Este ejercicio es genial para serenarse y centrar la atención en la respiración . Debemos taparnos las orejas con el pulgar y apoyar el resto de la mano sobre la cabeza. A continuación, cerramos los ojos e imitamos el sonido de la abeja.. Zzzzzz

3. El juego de silencio (30 a 60 segundos según la edad)

Es un juego muy sencillo para inciarse en técnicas de concentración. Los niños/as más pequeños de 2 y 3 años lo realizan sin dificultad. Nos sentamos en círculo y les preguntamos si son capaces de estar en silencio como las montañas o las flores. Les pedimos que cierren los ojos y se mantengan tranquilos y atentos hasta que se termine el tiempo. Para estos ejerecicios es necesario tener un medidor de tiempo que los niñ@s puedan comprender (reloj con alarma (si puede ser con sonidos agradables), reloj online...)

4. Observamos como detectives (30 a 60 segundos según la edad)

Este juego, al igual que el anterior, trata de desarrollar la concentración a través de la quietud y el silencio. Pero en esta ocasión, en vez de permanecer con los ojos cerrados, observaremos como detectives atendiendo a los detalles más pequeños e insignificantes de algún objeto en movimiento como:

Una lámpara que cambia de colores

Un reloj de arena o de agua

Una vela (al terminar el tiempo pueden soplar y apagarla)

Botellla de la calma. Pincha aquí para acceder a este post y decsubrir cómo realizarla.

Realmente cualquier objeto cotidiano puede servir. Lo importante es centrar nuestra atención en él. Al terminar el tiempo les podemos preguntar: ¿Qué observó tu mente atenta? ¿Qué descubriste detective..."nombre del niñ@"?

A los niñ@s les encanta cantar. Los mantras emplean los mismos canales subliminales que la música y los anuncios publicitarios, aunque con fines más saludables. Se utilizan como una herramienta para liberar la mente de pensamientos ayudando a focalizar la atención y proporcionando un estado de calma. No es necesario conocer el significado del mantra para que su sonido ejerza sus efectos sobre nosotros.

Entre otros beneficios, los mantras favorecen la concentración , ya que la mente está ocupada en repetir el texto del mantra una y otra vez. Además, los mantras siempre esconden mensajes positivos que se almacenan en nuestro subconsciente . Repite todos los días "me siento feliz, me siento bien" y algo dentro de tí estará dispuesto a cambiar la tristeza por la alegría.

Inventar o elegir entre todos (bien sea en familia o en tu aula) una frase que os haga sentir bien y que trasmita un mensaje positivo. Algo que refuerce tu estado de ánimo o te calme y te ayude con alguna sensación desagradable. Algunas ideas pueden ser:

Me siento fuerte y valiente

Quiero a mis amig@s de la escuela

Me siento feliz cuando ayudo a los demás

Pedir perdón alivia mi dolor

El planeta es mi amigo

Me quiero mucho

Añadirle a esa frase una pequeña secuencia de movimientos. Algo sencillo si los niñ@s son pequeños, puede ser unir cada dedo con el pulgar al decir cada palabra de la frase. El juego consiste en hacer una ola de mantras sentándonos en círculo (imagínate la ola que se forma en los campos de fútbol) No pierdas tu atención!! Cuando tu compañer@ diga "la frase", comenzará tu turno!! Este juego les encanta, es sencillo y muy efectivo para crear pensamientos positivos.

Si quieres conocer música que me inspira y me ayuda a conectar con mi cuerpo y traer mi mente al presente, pincha y recuerda el post de MÚSICA PARA CONOCER EL YOGA

En este ejercicio trataremos de escuchar el sonido de un instrumento hasta que deje de sonar. Mientras deben intentar estar atentos y en silencio. Cuando ya no escuchen ninguna vibración y sientan el silencio total, levantarán la mano (así dejan que otros niños/as puedan seguir escuchando atentos si todavía hay sonido)

Para esta actividad debemos utilizar instrumentos con una gran vibración como un cuenco tibetano, un armonizador o una campana. Si no tienes a mano ninguno, la energía no es la misma, pero puedes usar un vídeo de internet o descargarte un aplicación para el móvil.

Para este juego necesitamos ser un grupo como mínimo de 5 personas. La persona que dirige el juego presenta un material que debemos ir pasándonos unos a otros con mucho cuidado y atención. Podemos empezar por un objeto e ir añadiendo más objetos a la vez para trabajar una mayor atención. Podemos usar por ejemplo: Una campana que no debe sonar

Pequeños vasos de agua muy llenos

Este juego es precioso. Además de desarrollar la atención es una herramienta maravillosa para despertar la empatía y crear vínculos afectivos.

Nos sentamos por parejas uno frente al otro. Durante un tiempo tenemos que mirarnos a los ojos sin perder el contacto. Ese será nuestro foco de atención!!

En este juego desarrollas la observación y la memoria mientras trabajas la atención. Presentas 10 objetos cotidianos y das unos segundos (10 segundos) para mirarlos todos. Les pides que se tapen los ojos y quitas uno o dos objetos. Ahora tendrán que adivinar; ¿Qué falta? Puedes preguntar al que mantenga mejor la postura de Mente Atenta

Este ejercicio es igual que el anterior pero en vez de trabajar con la vista, desarrollamos el sentido del oído. Presentamos varios instrumentos u objetos que suenen. Les pedimos que cierren los ojos y que identifiquen el sonido. ¿Qué objeto ha sonado? Una variante de este juego es pedirles que, con los ojos cerrados, señalen de dónde viene el sonido.

Espero que disfrutes de todos estos juegos de mindfulness!!

Y si quieres cuéntanos, ¿Cual es tu favorito?

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10 ACTIVIDADES DE MINDFULNESS PARA NIÑ@S

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¿Por qué es tan importante prestar atención? en su libro nos recuerda lo habitual que es comer sin saborear la comida o no percibir el olor de la tierra húmeda después de la lluvia. ¿Te has dado cuenta de lo normal que es tocar a los demás sin darnos cuenta de las sensaciones que nos trasmiten?

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Mindfulness helps build self-awareness, awareness of others, and awareness of the world. It's about being fully present, paying close attention to the moment we're in. The benefits of mindfulness are numerous. Not just for us but for our kids as well. A mindfulness practice helps alleviate stress, worry, and anger, and improves focus and sleep. Here are some wonderful children's books to introduce mindfulness and meditation to kids.

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Picture Books That Introduce Mindfulness and Meditation to Kids | Brightly

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Mindfulness helps build self-awareness, awareness of others, and awareness of the world. It's about being fully present, paying close attention to the moment we're in. The benefits of mindfulness are numerous. Not just for us but for our kids as well. A mindfulness practice helps alleviate stress, worry, and anger, and improves focus and sleep.

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Books are an entertaining and relevant way to help a child understand what mindfulness is and why it is important. Through humor, whimsy, adventure, poetry, and pictures, mindfulness concepts come …

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Children’s Books About Mindfulness

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Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom - Waterford.org

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Use these 51 mindfulness activities to help children recognize and manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions—all important SEL skills.

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51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom

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Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom - Waterford.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use these 51 mindfulness activities to help children recognize and manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions—all important SEL skills.

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51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom