Mindfulness in the ClassroomJaimi Winters

mind·ful·nessˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/ noun1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something."their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition"2. a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Why Adults Need Mindfulness Training:

“It is easy to get swept away on a strong current of thoughts and feelings.  We lose ourselves, and we lose track of what’s

actually happening around us.  We are obsessed with something that happened in the past, or we are frantically

agitated about something that might happen in the future.  We are no longer present.  Such moments in which we lose our

way can do great harm.  They make us forgetful and unaware.  We are prone to accidents.  We can be flooded with feelings of fear and aggression.  Many people who have committed acts

of violence speak of being lost to themselves in that moment.”

Why Kids Need Mindfulness Training:

"Regardless of race, education, or socioeconomic status, an alarming number of children and adolescents are being

diagnosed with ADHD, depression, anxiety, obesity, eating disorders, and addictions, and engaging in cutting and other

self-destructive behaviors, including suicide." 

Mindfulness and the BrainThere is a lot of recent research about the neuroplasticity of the

brain and on the positive impact of mindfulness practices.  According to Dr. Kirk Strosahl and Dr. Patricia Robinson,

"research indicates that brain training involving mindfulness practices can strengthen areas of the brain responsible for

attention, emotional control, and problem solving… There is even emerging evidence that mindfulness-based brain training produces permanent structural changes in the brain.”  

What are the benefits of mindfulness in educational

settings?

For Teachers:Increases responsiveness to students' needs.Supports stress management and stress reduction.Enhances classroom climate.

For Students:Strengthens attention and concentration.Reduces anxiety before testing.Improves classroom participation.Enhances social and emotional learning.

Specifically, mindfulness training can help with: Observing:  Our typical reaction to stress is  bottom-up attention, which "originates in the core structures of the limbic system  and evolved to help us scan for immediate threats to our survival."  Mindfulness training allows us to shift to top-down attention, which "originates in the insula, a higher-order brain structure, [and] allows you to shift your attention inward so you can monitor and regulate how your body is reacting to stress," and helps to "visualize and implement solutions to stress-producing problems."   

Detachment: "If you get absorbed in a negative appraisal, like telling yourself that feeling angry isn't okay because you should be positive... the neural circuitry responsible for exerting a calming influence isn't being activated.  This leaves the limbic system in a state of constant arousal... Acceptance of emotion without the need to react...  triggers PNS [parasympathetic nervous system] activation, which in turn reduces activity of the arousal centers of the limbic system."

Self-Compassion: "Compassion-based mindfulness practice increases the density of gray matter in certain areas of the brain... involved in learning and memory processes, as well as emotional control, self-awareness, and perspective taking... It also appears that the experience of compassion for oneself and others strengthens neural circuitry responsible for regulating the activity of the amygdala, the brain center involved in producing negative emotions."

Resources UsedJupiterimages Corporation,  (2003). Young family waving from a boat. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Discovery Education,  . Close up Front View of Boy Reading Book with Pictures. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Discovery Education,  . Wide Shot of Girl Smiling. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/IRC,  (2005). Vermont, a home.. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Paul Fuqua,  (2005). Clouds, cumulus (2). [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Living, Learning, & Teaching with Mindful Awareness. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2015, from http://www.mindfulteachers.org/p/benefits-of-mindfulness.html