The Mindfulness in Education Movement

 Five days a week at approximately 9:30 am a group of 12 young children sit in a semi-circle on a blue carpet in their classroom. They have just reviewed the days of the week and the weather. They then sit criss-cross applesauce, with their tiny fingers in the "Zoot" position and silently wait fo to begin some extraordinary work . This eager crowd of 4, 5 and 6 year old children are praciticing Mindfulness.

Each child has a pair of black blinders (the kind you'd get on an over night airline flight) which are placed over their eyes. The journey in their minds is about to begin. Over the past few months they have been practicing creative visualization, focusing , attention to detail, active and passive listening, breathing, control of intense emotions, such as fear and anger , communiction and learning to identify and differentiate the "voices in their heads".   These children attended an alternative private school where  these unique activities were included as part of their Morning Mindfulness Program. In the Mindfulness Program , the children would learn Yoga breathing exercises and the Art of Being Present. The morning mindfulness would then carry over into the day's activities and reach far out into having the children really be "present" to who they are being.  

Incorporating Mindfulness in the Classroom also has very real physical benefits. Scientists have learned that the areas in the brain associated with learning, memory ,emotions as well as the immune system are affected , when children  and adults, consistently have a routine mindfulness practice built into the structure of their day.In the Mindfulness Class, the children focus on being in the moment. Children learn to clear their minds of distractions and worries . This allows them to be more present at the tasks they are working on and it brings another dimension to learning. 

Mindfulness is not a new concept. It has been around since the ancients.  However, for over a decade, it's been a thriving and growing part of education because it works. 

For more information on Mindfulness in Education check out:

http://www.mindfuleducation.org/whatismindfulness.html and

www,beyondthecrescentmoon.com