Mindfulness

Working with Children

 “I define mindfulness as the
practice of being fully present and
alive, body and mind united.
Mindfulness is the energy that
helps us to know what is going on
in the present moment.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness
➢ Present-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, and senses for the purpose of
better management of stressors

➢ Act of purposefully paying attention to self and self-in-relation, in the unfolding

of moment-to-moment experiences

➢ Awareness, practices, application

(Schonert-Reichl & Roeser, 2016)

Types
➢ MAPS
(Mindful Awareness Practices)

➢ MBSR
(Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction)

➢ MBCT
(Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy)

(Schonert-Reichl, Oberle, Lawlor, Abbott, Thomson, Oberlander & Diamond, 2015)

 Techniques
(Weijer-Bergsma, Langenberg, Brandsma, Oort, & Bögels, 2012).

➢ Silent body ➢ Guided meditation

➢ Listening to silence ➢ Body sensation

➢ Attentive listening ➢ Sensory awareness

➢ Breathing exercises ➢ Cloud concentration

➢ Body scan ➢ Releasing

Mindfulness techniques commonly used with adults may be adapted for use with children and adolescents with
modifications for developmental memory and attention capabilities. (Tadlock-Marlo, 2011)
 “Children seem to have a natural love of ceremonies, rituals, songs, and games… and a great

With Children
capacity for spiritual learning and growth. When spiritual practice is communicated simply and
directly to them, the children experience it as fun and helpful.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh

➢ Children have the embodiment of the Zen “beginner’s mind.”

(Willard, 2010)

➢ learn and accept personal responsibility for their lives while

externalizing events beyond their control

➢ Separate their personal identities from a situation, emotion, or event

➢ Exploration of effective coping mechanisms

➢ Integrating experiential activities that incorporate verbal fluency

and promote reasoning using games, activities, and stories
Children With Special Needs
➢ Anxiety
○ Increase locus of control, decrease physical symptoms

(Tadlock-Marlo, 2011)

➢ ADHD
○ To strengthen focus and executive functioning

(Willard, 2010)

➢ Learning Disabilities
○ Increase tolerance to anxious and depressive symptoms

➢ Developmental Disorder (ID, ASD)

○ Major decreases in physical and/or verbal aggression
○ Reduction in anxiety and depression
 “Teachers may often ask their students to “pay attention,” but they may not teach them how to do so. The

In Schools practice of mindfulness teaches students how to pay attention, and this way of paying attention enhances
both academic and social-emotional learning.”
- Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children (2011)

➢ Strengthening skills outlined in the ASCA national model

➢ Social-Emotional Learning

➢ Individual counseling

➢ Guidance lessons

➢ In the classroom
Programs
➢ Soles of the Feet

➢ MindfulTeacher
➢ Teachers implemented core breathing
techniques 3 times a day
➢ Zen Kids
○ 24 percentile increase in positive
social behaviors
➢ MindfulSchools
○ 15 percentile increase in math
achievement
○ 20 percentile increase in self- ➢ MindfulKids
reported well-being and prosociality
○ 24 percentile decrease in aggression
➢ SecondStep
(Schonert-Reichl, Et al., 2015)
Resources
➢ BOOKS

➢ APPS

➢ ONLINE

➢ INTERPERSONAL
Mind Yeti is a mindfulness app
used by over 30,000 educators
and parents across the globe.
Guided audio sessions help
children calm down, focus their
attention, and get ready for
whatever’s next.
Committee for Children
SEL
(Social-Emotional Learning)
➢ recognizing and managing
emotions
➢ having empathy for others
➢ maintaining cooperative
relationships
➢ and making responsible
decisions
Second Step Mind Yeti
➢ Research-based program ➢ help children practice
that integrates social- mindfulness skills that are a
emotional learning into subset of the social-
the classroom, which emotional skills taught in the
decreases problem Second Step
behaviors and increases
whole-school success by
promoting self-
regulation, safety, and
support.
Why Mindfulness?
The Committee for Children (CFC) formed Mind Yeti as a research-based SEL tool.
Based on literature, a team of mindfulness professionals concluded

➢ Mindfulness can work, for adults and kids.

➢ Mindfulness can help people calm down, focus, and connect.

➢ Mindfulness is associated with improved emotional awareness.

➢ Mindfulness supports social connection.

CFC is still collecting data to conceptualize the results of Mind Yeti.

Getting to Know Mind Yeti
Children Adults
➢ Moments ➢ Counselors
○ Calm Down ○ Individual
○ Focus ○ Guidance
○ Get Along
○ Reset
○ Create
➢ Teachers
○ Throughout the day
○ Go to Sleep
○ Before a test
➢ Portals
○ Breath ➢ Parents
○ Thoughts ○ During the routine
○ Feelings ○ Before bed
○ Body
○ Senses
○ Gratitude Does not have to be with Second Step!
○ Kindness
Now, it’s your turn
https://www.mindyeti.com/
Reactions?