St. Andrew's Mindfulness

Dear St. Andrew’s Parent,

During their time at St. Andrew’s, students are introduced to a number of different mindfulness practices as part of the school’s social and emotional learning focus. These are simple, research based practices that might best be described as mental exercises. This website offers the main practices we learn together, which help develop attentional control, emotional regulation, self-awareness, and positive relationships. Depending on their grade level, your child may be familiar with all or just a few of these practices.

Students report using mindfulness when they need help focusing for school or athletics, when they’re experiencing difficult emotions, when they’re preparing for sleep, or when they just want to relax and feel good. I encourage you to ask your child about mindfulness, and to practice together. Since these meditations are offered for your child’s own self-regulation, they work best when they are treated as a resource they might choose to use, rather than as a requirement imposed from the outside. Mindfulness can be counterproductive if it’s engaged as a chore or an obligation, but if it’s approached with agency and interest, then it can be a powerful tool for young people as they learn to navigate the full spectrum of their experiences.

If you’re interested in learning more, I also offer an eight-week mindfulness course for parents, free of charge, a few times a year. If you have any questions about that course, or about these mindfulness resources, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Adam Ortman

St. Andrew’s Mindfulness Director

aortman@sasaustin.org