What is Mindfulness?

The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes.

Mindfulness can be described as the practice of paying attention in the present moment, and doing it intentionally and with non-judgment.  Mindfulness meditation practices refer to the deliberate acts of regulating attention through the observation of thoughts, emotions and body states. Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain. Typical mindfulness activities include:

  • Mindful non-judgmental awareness of breath, body, feelings, emotions and/or thoughts (in sitting meditation practice or throughout the day)

  • Mindful walking meditation

  • Mindful eating

  • Mindful body scan in a sitting or lying down position

  • Listening with non-judgment

 

What Mindfulness Can Do for Children as Students

 

  • Reduced Stress: Improved ability to manage stress

  • Increased Focus: Improved ability to pay attention, focus and concentrate

  • Improved Emotion Regulation: Reduced impulsiveness, improved child behavior (rowdiness, suspensions, expulsions)

  • Increased Emotional Intelligence: Improved conflict resolution skills

  • Increased Empathy and Respect: Increased empathy and understanding of others

  • Increased Resilience: Increased capacity to overcome challenges

  • Improved Physical Well-being: Increased engagement in physical activity

  • Improved Creativity & Collaboration: Improved expression of creative arts.

Students will find it much easier to focus and actively engage in the classroom. The class will benefit as a whole from a collective calm. These skills can also be applied to maturely navigate challenging peer or family interactions. Students will be less likely to bully others, and those students who are bullied will be more resilient. Students are also less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors as they will be calmer and less reactive.

 

The Basics of Mindfulness Practice

  1. Set aside some time. You don’t need a meditation cushion or bench, or any sort of special equipment to access your mindfulness skills—but you do need to set aside some time and space.

  2. Observe the present moment as it is. The aim of mindfulness is not quieting the mind, or attempting to achieve a state of eternal calm. The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. Easier said than done, we know.

  3. Let your judgments roll by. When we notice judgments arise during our practice, we can make a mental note of them, and let them pass.

  4. Return to observing the present moment as it is. Our minds often get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.

  5. Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.

That’s the practice. It’s often been said that it’s very simple, but it’s not necessarily easy. The work is to just keep doing it. Results will accrue.