“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
— Albert EinsteinMindfulness at its most basic concept is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. It is associated heavily with breathing techniques and meditation and, until recently, was not a particularly Western concept.
Throughout history the practice of mindfulness is synonymous with religion, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism; though there are links to all major religions. In modern society however mindfulness has been associated with scientific studies, forms of medical treatment, and as a tool to improve general living.
Studies show that mindfulness can help with a myriad of things, including: stress, managing pain, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, controlling substance abuse problems, and overcoming/managing personality disorders. While some may find this somewhat questionable, the backing of scientific and clinical studies would suggest that it can in fact be a real asset to medicine.
But what else can this apparently miraculous practice bring to the table? Studies suggest that mindfulness can boost many different characteristics, depending on how you approach it.
All of these have been noted as common traits that mindfulness exercises can improve.
With a steady increase in popularity, mindfulness is obviously making a lasting impression in today's tech-fuelled society. But what practical applications could mindfulness education have in our classrooms? Are there positive benefits that could be reaped from the odd workshop here and there? Or could these benefits lead to mindfulness being on the Curriculum - fitting comfortably perhaps in subjects like PHSE (Personal, Health and Social Education)?
Interestingly a recent UK Government drive, with Nicky Morgan as Secretary of State for Education at the helm, was to promote 'Character Education'. This promotion saw character traits being actively taught to young learners under the premise it will make them more resilient in the real world. These traits included:
Notice some similarities? Amazingly, those characteristics identified as being a essential to the futures of coming generations closely resemble those that studies suggest mindfulness can help deliver. Advocates for mindfulness will surely argue a touch of serendipity to this.
Evidence is beginning to stack to one side of this question. With the UK Government wishing to provide young learners with certain traits, and mindfulness a seemingly perfect way to deliver these traits, it would be obvious to say that there is a place for mindfulness in schools.
Getting into the practise of mindfulness is actually quite easy. It does require some discipline and can take a while to master, but by following 5 basic principles it can easily integrate into your day-to-day living. Through learning these 5 steps it becomes clearer just how you could adapt mindfulness to be used in learning.
As a final note, there are loads of amazing books, apps and online sources for mindfulness. Don't be afraid to try it and don't make the excuse of having no time. Meditation, for example, can just be 5 minutes a day. Instead of hitting the snooze button in the morning try sitting up in bed and giving the meditation a go! This could be the key to unlocking more happiness and reducing stress in our hectic lives.
autocomplete="on"
method="POST"
novalidate
onsubmit="return (function (form) {
Y.use('squarespace-form-submit', 'node', function usingFormSubmit(Y) {
(new Y.Squarespace.FormSubmit(form)).submit({
formId: '5799c80d725e2582f35052a3',
collectionId: '',
objectName: 'post-57988e27ff7c50e562abc2c7'
});
});
return false;
})(this);">
We would love to hear your views on mindfulness and whether it could benefit young learners. Comment below.