Mindfulness It's Elementary

The American Psychological Association defines mindfulness as a moment-to-moment awareness of one's experience without judgment apa.org. In this sense, mindfulness is a state and not a trait.  The APA tracks the research that indicates mindfulness has many benefits including stress reduction, boost to working memory, less emotional reactivity, relationship satisfaction, and enhanced empathy and compassion. So how can teachers and counselors incorporate mindfulness education into an already overcrowded school day?

Joree Rose wrote a curriculum to teach mindfulness to students comprised of 12 activity-based  lessons that cover the foundations of a mindfulness practice. Each 10-15 minute lesson walks the student through how to cultivate that tool, with the activity sheets offered as a way to deepen the understanding and integration of the practice. The lessons begin with a short breathing practice that sets the tone, mood, and mindset to enter into each lesson. Then the leader guides students through each practice (example: Body Awareness). The lessons have discussion questions to lead a verbal conversation about what was just taught. Each lesson has an exercise sheet that becomes like a journal of their mindfulness journey. These activities were designed to be a fun, more interactive and personal way to connecting to the topic, in a way to integrate the tools. This curriculum will help you provide students with valuable coping skills that work on slowing down, being more intentional (doing things on purpose rather than doing them through habit) and increasing awareness and attention to what is happening in each moment. The curriculum is available here youthlight.com I plan to share this resource with my teachers that are interested in incorporating more mindfulness into their classrooms.

This author also wrote "Squirmy Learns to be Mindful".  The book could be used in conjunction with
several of the lessons (i.e., breathing, gratitude, compassion, mindfulness of thoughts, and mindfulness of emotions).  I know many school counselors will use this curriculum in small groups and they might wish to also purchase "Squirmy" from youthlight.com