by Genevieve Sherman founder of Into Awareness
Talk to any teacher and they will most likely tell you that student stress and anxiety has only increased, especially in the last 10 years. If they don't express concern over their students stress they may mention their personal stress increasing because of district demands, constantly changing curriculum and behavior problems. Why is this the case and are schools the only environments experiencing this, of course not. Stress is a systemic problem that finds its way into all our lives and manifests differently for all of us. Stress is always going to be here, its not going away, so my question is; why are we not teaching the next generation how to deal with it?
Mindfulness is a practice that teaches us self-awareness. When we're able to become more aware of our emotions and stressors we're able to accept them. In this process of acceptance we can learn to better recognize emotions and use mindful tools to manage them.
Mindfulness creates a strong foundation for all learning. At the core of mindfulness practice is self-regulation, we know that our ability to regulate emotions and behavior is critical for success personally and professionally. Through a practice of mindful attention, we learn to recognize and accept emotions as they arise. Mindfulness is a tool for students to understand the inner workings of their minds and deal with life as a whole. Education should be about helping children succeed in life, providing them with the tools to manage the many challenges they will face.
"The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole." - Krishnamurti
When children are taught reflective practices like mindfulness, they're able to observe themselves and take responsibility for their choices. We don't get to choose the emotions we feel but we do get to choose how we react to them. If we want to help children learn how to make good choices, we need to teach them how to recognize the emotions that lead to their choices.
Mindfulness practice requires an open mind and thats it. Breathing is free, and one of the best ways to calm the nervous system. Slow deep breathing is a soothing tool available to us at all times. Try it right now. Take a full breath in through your nose and then exhale slowly though your nose, take three more breaths maybe close your eyes while you do it.
How do you feel?
Mindfulness helps us become more whole. A practice of stillness helps us notice how we see ourselves and the world. Our world is only getting more complex, we need to develop ways to properly handle the stressors coming at us. Mindfulness practice empowers us to reflect, notice and take responsibility for how we respond to life. Mindfulness practice is a tool that can help us manage powerful emotions, difficult situations and challenging tasks. Why wouldn't we give the next generation the tools they need to cope in this complex world?
Contact info@intoawarenss.com to bring a mindfulness workshop to your school!