Mindfulness in Education

Over the past decade, training in mindfulness—the intentional cultivation of moment-by-moment non-judgmental focused attention and awareness—has spread from its initial western applications in medicine to other fields, including education. Early research results on mindfulness initiatives suggest that personal training in mindfulness skills can increase teachers’ sense of well-being and teaching self-efficacy, as well as their ability to manage classroom behaviour and establish and maintain supportive relationships with students.

Defining Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been described as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” (Kabat-Zinn 2003, p.144). It is a fundamental component of human consciousness and a mental capacity that can be strengthened through a variety of training methods. Mindfulness meditation is one such method. Although mindfulness meditation has historical roots in Buddhist practice, teachers of mindfulness in the West have adapted traditional mindful awareness practices into a secular discipline for the psychological and medical benefits they provide. All of the mindfulness programs noted in this article are secular in nature.

Mindfulness is closely linked with the functions of the Pre-frontal Cortex and this is activated through the practice of mindfulness.

1) Bodily regulation – a state of coordination and balance between the control and growth of the nervous system. Too much control leads to under-arousal, sleepiness, rigidity; too much growth results in chaotic energy. When our bodies are regulated, our level of attentiveness and energy is appropriate to the setting.

2)  Insight – “self-knowledge” Our sense of ourselves, creating a structured life story by connecting present awareness, our life story, and images of the future. This is key to building meaningful social connections.

3)  Communication with others – “resonance.” This involves the coordination of input from another’s mind with the activity of our own: receiving signals from another and allowing our state of mind to be influenced by theirs. This leads to the other person’s experience of being understood. When we become more aware of ourselves, the ability to tune in to others is enhanced.

4)  Empathy – builds upon insight into ourselves, and upon harmonised communication with others. Empathy enables us to “see from the stance of another person’s mind,” imagining others’ certainty and vantage points. Our brains are designed to enable us to imagine what might be going on inside someone else’s mind and this can be cultivated.

5)  Emotional regulation – an emotional experience that is appropriately activated, so life has vigour and meaning. When emotions are overactive, we become overwhelmed and emotionally chaotic; when emotions are not active, we may experience stagnation or depression.

6)  Fear modulation – our ability to calm and soothe, and even unlearn, our own fears.

7)  Response flexibility – the capacity to pause before taking action; being able to consider a variety of possible options, and to choose among them; the flexibility to move beyond habitual response, with a sense of spaciousness of mind and possibility.

8)  Intuition – access to awareness of the wisdom of the body, particularly the complex neuronal webs around the viscera, the hollow organs including the heart and intestines. These areas constitute a separate “brain” that processes information and experience, learn, and makes decisions.

9)  Morality – taking into consideration the larger picture, imagining and acting on what is best for the larger group rather than just for ourselves – and doing this even when we are alone.

When effectively delivered mindful behaviour and mindfulness will assist with executive function. The next article will deal with Executive Function.

References
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. doi:10.1093/clipsy.bpg016.

https://jhu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/integrating-mindfulness-training-into-k-12-education-fostering-th-4