Why Mindfulness in the Classroom?

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness as a practice has many definitions sharing the elements of paying attention, being present, and doing so with intention using a non-judgmental  or open mindset.

"Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and without judgment."1 

"Mindfulness is a state of awareness and a practice; it involves attending to the present moment and cultivating an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance of one’s experience. It is a secular (non-religious) practice that is backed by a growing body of compelling scientific evidence that indicates a wide range of potential benefits, from improving physical and mental health to promoting pro-social behavior."2 

"Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens."3

"Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally”4 

Mindfulness and How the Brain Works

Many studies have been done on mindfulness and the brain's neuroplasticity, giving perspective from a neuroscience viewpoint.  From this perspective, mindfulness can change the brain. Studies show that the amygdala, which is activated when encountering strong emotions, appears to be less activated following a mindfulness session, whereas both the hippocampus, which is critical to learning and memory and the prefrontal cortex, which is important for regulating emotions and decision making, are both more activated following mindfulness training. 5 6 7 

Mindfulness in the Classroom

There’s scientific evidence from many research studies that teaching mindfulness in the classroom reduces aggression, anxiety, and depression among students, and improves emotional self-regulation, compassion capacity, bias mitigation, and ability to pay attention. This benefit for students grows with them as they continue these practices. It has also been shown in these studies to positively benefit educators through stress reduction, improved classroom organization, and more emotionally supportive classrooms. Creating a culture of mindfulness in schools provides benefits both in and out of the classroom, leading to deeper learning, creating positive life impacts, and leading all involved to thrive.

Mindfulness in Practice

1. What is Mindfulness? — Smiling Mind. (n.d.). Smiling Mind. https://www.smilingmind.com.au/mindfulness

2. Transforming Education. (2020, October 31). Mindfulness Toolkit - Transforming Education. https://transformingeducation.org/resources/mindfulness-toolkit/

3. Mindfulness Definition | What Is Mindfulness? (n.d.). Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition#what-is-mindfulness

4. Staff, M. (2022, January 25). Jon Kabat-Zinn: Defining Mindfulness. Mindful. https://www.mindful.org/jon-kabat-zinn-defining-mindfulness/

5. Desbordes, G., Negi, L. T., Pace, T. W., Wallace, B. A., Raison, C. L., & Schwartz, E. L. (2012). Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00292

6. Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2010). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion, 10(1), 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018441

7. Chiesa, A. M., & Serretti, A. (2010). A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations. Psychological Medicine, 40(8), 1239–1252. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291709991747