Using the principles of mindfulness, the activities are designed to help children develop helpful habits to manage, cope with and overcome everyday challenges. The fun, play-based activities include four main categories: sensory, breathing and visualization, compassion and perspective-taking activities. This program originated in Canada and is based on research that mindfulness based education may be useful for helping children adapt more effectively in changing and increasingly stressful environments. Learning to BREATHE at the high school level to cultivate emotion regulation, attention and performance. These programs are school-based mindfulness interventions and are in alignment with Project Aware Ohio.īuilding Everyday Resilience at the elementary level, Inner Wisdom Wellness offers the programs listed below. The three final years of high school is also a time when students are most vulnerable to the onset of mental illness, so this is a vital time to incorporate mindfulness education programs. Students should be introduced to mindfulness as early in their school years as possible in an age appropriate manner. In turn, improvements in these areas can lead to reduced stress, anxiety and depression and better academic skills, social skills and self-esteem. For this reason mindfulness leads to improved attention, memory, emotional regulation and self-awareness. Research has shown us that practicing mindfulness improves the brain areas that control “executive function” such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. These improvements are found both in adults including and in school students. Research suggests that practicing mindfulness strengthens brain areas related to attention, leading to improved emotional regulation, mental health and cognition. The benefits of learning mindfulness can benefit students throughout their education and careers with healthy coping and resiliency. Mindfulness can be taught as part of social emotional learning goals to enhance overall effectiveness. Mindfulness programming is schools is an excellent way to assist staff and students in learning new skills and manage the rising stress levels, prevent mental health issues and reengage students during these challenging times.

Mindup curriculum grade levels