Mindfulness in Schools - Why?
Mindfulness in Schools:
Mindfulness meditation is a method that can be taught to children of all ages. It equips children with 'life' skills, by developing their emotional and cognitive abilities. Enabling them to understand and work with strong emotions and challenging behaviour. In doing so fostering personal growth and flourishing. Mindfulness meditation practice cultivates positive emotions such as empathy, compassion and kindness for self and others, as well as reducing stress, it has shown to sharpen attention, focus and clarity in the mind. Resulting in an overall sense of contentment, increased autonomy, confidence and resilience.
Mindfulness - Why?
1 in 10 say they are NOT happy and 1 in 3 report feeling LOW each week (Morgan, 2006).
Over a third (35%) fear being bullied. Just under a quarter (23%) report being bullied (MORI, 2004).
In 2004, 12% of 11 – 16 years olds had a clinically diagnosable mental health issue. Conduct disorder 7% and emotional disorder 5%. 33% with conduct disorders have been excluded from school – 23% excluded more than once (National Statistics, 2004).
Due to these alarming statistics Western education has started to foster the notion that schools should not only provide a formal education but one that considers the ‘wellbeing’ of the child as a whole. However, in 2007 UNICEF reported alarmingly low rates of wellbeing, both objective (health and educational attainment) and subjective (life satisfaction and happiness), within economically advantaged countries such as the UK and USA (Huppert, 2011).
Wellbeing is said to comprises of four aspects of mental balance namely; conative, attentional, cognitive and emotional. Conative balance relies on cultivating positive mind states and actions that contribute to one’s own as well as other’s well being. Attentional balance overcomes hyperactivity, bringing about inner calmness and mental clarity. Cognitive balance is achieved through the cultivation of mindfulness practice in order for us to experience our inner and outer worlds without distortions. Finally, emotional balance fosters emotional resilience and inner contentment. Teaching children the skills of mindfulness develops all these four aspects of mental balance.
Mindfulness approaches within schools have also reported benefits such as;
Cultivates the mind to focus and become more alert.
- Enables children to make sense of strong emotions.
- Impacts positively on behaviour – bolsters confidence & self esteem.
- Develops pro social behaviour – kindness, empathy & compassion towards self and other.
- Reduced behavioural problems and enhanced brain cognitive development and function.
- Increased positive feelings such as happiness, interest, affection and contentment.
- Positive relationship with family, peers and teachers.
Mindflow offers a range of Mindfulness Medititaion Programmes for Schools.
