Mindfulness is about recognizing the moment when thinking becomes overthinking. It is easier to experience this than to explain how it works. Imagine sitting in a soft and peaceful meadow, and a train full of thoughts, feelings and needs is driving closer… Too often we enter the train, leave the peaceful meadow and get lost in thought. But with mindfulness, you practice to see the train approach and let it pass again without boarding it. The noise of the thought-filled train passes, and you can appreciate the peaceful meadow. That said, mindfulness requires a lot of practice. Occasionally you will enter the train anyway, but this time you will be able to recognize that you get carried away - you’ll recognize that you are overthinking. You will become able to leave that train again, and come back to the refuge of mindfulness: to the presence of this moment. A practice that can even be taught to kids.
What we describe as a loud train, you might know as the countless worries that never really happen or the arguing voice in your head that keeps coming up with arguments for a discussion you had in the past. You might also know it as the loud voice that keeps you from falling asleep. If you try to silence the voice, it often becomes louder. The key is to let it pass just like the train.
That sounds good, but how do you do that?
A great deal of our time and attention is absorbed by thinking or more precisely overthinking. We are planning, evaluating, analyzing constantly... The little voice in our head seems to have endless energy! However, our brain can perform more than just thinking. It can sense too. Most of our attention is absorbed by pragmatic thoughts rather than our gut feeling. This makes it hard for us to notice that the train is approaching at all. It is profoundly beneficial to spend even a fraction of our time tuning into how we feel and what we sense around us. This is something everybody can learn, even kids! The first step can be as easy as noticing your breath for a few seconds or focus how your feet feel while they are touching the ground. It sounds simple, but most adults struggle with the seemingly simple task to sense more and think less.
So, how can we expect kids to master something at school that we adults struggle with every day? We expect kids and adolescents to sit quiet, pay attention, and be kind to each other but has any class ever focused on teaching these exact skills? Let’s change that!
Why mindfulness should be taught at school
School can be challenging. The pressure to acquire more knowledge in a limited timeframe puts a lot of pressure on young minds. At the same time, many kids experience bullying or face other challenges that come along with a changing body and new emotions. All in all, there is little time and attention left for kids to look after themselves. This could have quite some problematic results for them in the long run, as we see three major problems rise among this age group: Fear, Stress, and Depression.
Scientific literature agrees that our mental health and well-being are profoundly shaped by the way we deal with our attention. Attention is like a muscle that can be trained, and mindfulness does precisely that! It trains our attention, helps to focus on our senses and deal with feelings such as fear and stress. Countless firms such as Google, Apple, IBM, and eBay have recognized the value of mindfulness training and even offer certified courses to their employees. The sooner we start practicing, the better! So why not practice it at schools?
Several studies have shown that mindfulness does not only feel good - it is actually proven to improve your mental health in the long run! Here are some of the major benefits of mindfulness:
it lowers stress
it makes discomfort and pain more bearable
it reduces depression and similar symptoms
it increases self-knowledge and self-acceptance
Sounds like everything a proper school should teach, right?
In short, mindfulness helps kids to process their emotions and deal with stress which improves the overall happiness in the classroom. Being more aware of our own feelings also helps us understand others’ feelings. Bullying then becomes less likely, as empathy increases among the students. In addition, personal problems that cause bullying are solved before they lead to any harm. Not to forget that teaching mindfulness is also beneficial for the teachers. Teaching mindfulness is a beautiful practice itself. So, it is a win-win for all involved! Now imagine the kids go home from school and teach their parents!
It is always great to see the impact mindfulness has with your own eyes. Check out some of these two short documentaries below to see the stories of mindfulness training at school. We promise you’ll enjoy watching them!
“The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will. An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence. But it is easier to define this ideal than to give practical directions for bringing it about.”
-William James, 1890
It is already happening!
It is a no-brainer that, with the spiraling depression in young people, mindfulness should be taught at school. Of course, it could be so beneficial to shape young minds! That is why multiple organizations and schools have already started implementing mindfulness at schools. In the UK, Richard Burnett teaches mindfulness at schools through his technique called “.b” (dot-be). Kids send each other text messages during the day, which simply state .b. The dot is a reminder for pausing the b stands for breathing and being. So, during school days, kids remind each other hit pause and relax. How beautiful!
In the Netherlands, the organization Mindfulonderwijs trains schools to become true Mindful Schools. Teachers participate in an 8-week training, and they make mindfulness a fixed part of the curriculum.For example, the primary school De Willibrord in Amsterdam was the fourth of these Mindful Schools in the Netherlands.
You can see for yourself how that went down in the video below:
We love to see initiatives to teach kids this life-changing skill. The examples show that even energetic kids can become enthusiastic about sitting still through playful teaching.
Want to reap the benefits of mindfulness yourself? Join our certified training!
The earlier we practice, the better. But it is never too late to start practicing! Do you want to acquire this valuable skill and improve life’s quality?
That’s why we offer a certified 8-week Online Mindfulness Training, a beautiful, yet extensive 8-week journey in which you learn many mindfulness techniques that will forever change the way you live your life. Starting on the 26th of February, we practice every Friday from 19:00 till 21:15. Ciska Matthes, our certified facilitator, will make it fun and memorable experience for you.
Her classical mindfulness training has been (scientifically) proven to be effective to strengthen mental resilience. This is also why various health insurance companies cover courses like these. It is nowadays applied worldwide for various issues like stress, pain, insomnia, depression, eating disorders, burn-outs or panic attacks. For more information, join our information session. on Friday the 19th of February.
Come and sit in the peaceful meadows with us as we watch the trains of thoughts pass us by.
-Written by Kevin Sedleger
