Dear Readers: It has been a pleasure to share the practice of meditation with so many young people, teachers, and parents over the years. Currently, I am no longer actively teaching mindfulness to children in schools. However, I am keeping this site up as a resource for those who may benefit from the information provided.
If you are interested in learning awareness meditation practices in Seattle, I do continue to teach meditation at the Seattle Shambhala Center where we have open sitting as well as a variety of courses for adults and kids. I invite you to visit!
Teaching Mindfulness to Children
My name is Janine Bloomfield. I am a mindfulness educator based in Mercer Island, Washington.
I use curriculum from Mindful Schools, MindUp, and other sources to teach mindfulness tools to elementary school aged students. Check out What is Mindfulness for a quick overview of the techniques I use and some background on what it is all about. Mindful Breathing Practice has step-by-step instructions that you and your child can use to learn one of the most basic yet powerful techniques of mindfulness. Check out the Resources page for interesting books and websites with more information. I also post short pieces on science, news stories, classroom anecdotes, mindfulness activities and more on my blog.
Benefits
Benefits in the classroom and to individual students can be seen in:
- Increased Attention Span: creating more focus and higher academic achievement.
- Improved Impulse Control: making classroom management easier, increasing teaching time.
- Reduced Stress: leading to happier and more effective kids and teachers.
- More Kindness and Compassion: building community and leading to a healthier school environment.
- Increased Resiliency: more awareness and control over their own emotions allows kids to recover more quickly from problems that arise.
Lessons
During the lessons students practice:
- Simple breath awareness techniques that help with self-calming and concentration.
- Becoming more aware and appreciative of their surroundings through sensory exploration (sight, hearing, movement, touch).
- Developing and maintaining a curious and engaged attitude toward experiences and activities.
- Guided visualizations to build compassion and kindness towards themself and others.
Instruction uses science-based, secular, practical, and experience-driven techniques.
Classroom Program
The classroom program consists of a series of 8 or 16 classes, each 15 – 20 minutes long, given in the classroom typically over an 8 week period. Teachers are present to learn the technique with the students. However, the schedule is flexible and can accommodate missed sessions due to assemblies, field trips, and other circumstances.
For more information or to find out how to bring mindfulness education to your community, please contact me at info@mindexplorekids.org