Mindfulness for Children: Application in Educational Centers

In recent decades, the rise of The use of Mindfulness techniques has proven its effectiveness in the context of clinical psychology obtaining favorable results in the intervention of psychopathologies such as depression, anxiety or chronic pain.

In the child population, increases in the level of stress experienced in the school environment have been observed (Currie et al., 2002, Lohausy Ball, 2006; Card and Hodges, 2008) and prevalence rates of certain serious psychopathologies located around the 20% in the USA (Merikangas et al., 2010).

So much so that not only has Mindfulness continued to be used for children for this purpose, but it has also been extended to preventive purposes, being used in boys and girls as enhancer of academic performance and emotional well-being The results of recent research reveal the correlation between an increase in attention and concentration capacity and the habitual practice of Mindfulness techniques.

Derived from all this, it is known to be essential to determine to what degree (and to what extent) these scientific findings are being assumed in both the national and international educational context and, consequently, how their implementation is in school institutions in different countries.

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Mindfulness for children and educational centers

Almansa et al (2014) points out that the increase in attention deficits in the school population in recent decades is very significant.

According to FEDAH data, ADHD It affects between 2 and 5% of the child population, 50% of the clinical population in this life span For this reason, observations made by educators or family members about the increased state of nervousness, distraction and lack of concentration in children are currently very common.

The practice of Mindfulness for boys and girls in the educational field can be very useful in improving this difficulty, which is why it is very relevant to analyze the results of the research that has been dedicated to studying the relationship between both phenomena. In previous research It has been observed how Mindfulness provides benefits on a psychological level in the individual in relation to the changes in mental activity experienced after the assiduous practice of mindfulness.

To date, there appears to be a general consensus on the successful effects that the use of Mindfulness is achieving in the educational field More specifically, the benefits point to an improvement in academic performance, self-concept and interpersonal relationships, along with a reduction in aggression and violence.

The three areas where the most satisfactory results have been found correspond to improvement in physical and psychological health, enhancement of attention capacity, and promotion of a sense of personal well-being in general.

Application of Mindfulness programs in education

An interesting exposition is the one made by Mañas et al. (2014) on a selection of Mindfulness programs with a significant level of scientific rigor that supports them, which already have an important track record at a practical level in the educational field, both nationally and internationally. They are the following:

At the national level

In the Spanish context, these are the main Mindfulness programs for boys and girls in the school environment

1. TREVA Program Experiential Relaxation Techniques Applied to the Classroom (López González 2009)

It is made up of twelve content units, one of which is Mindfulness. The results show how the application of the program positively correlates with students’ relaxation competence, classroom climate, emotional competence and academic performance

2. Happy Classrooms Program (Arguis, Bolsas, Hernández and Salvador 2010)

Focuses on positive psychology content for early childhood, primary and secondary education students Full conscious attention is worked on to enhance conscious capacity, calm, reduce automatisms and enhance emotional development.

3. Educate with Co-Reason (Toro 2005)

It is a set of procedures that, despite not directly using Mindfulness techniques, The philosophy on which it is based derives from this phenomenon (breathing or body awareness).

4. PINEP – Full Emotional Intelligence Training Program (Ramos, Recondos and Enríquez 2008)

A program that has proven the effectiveness of Mindfulness as a tool to improve life satisfaction and emotional reality, empathy, attention and reduction of intrusive thoughts in preadolescents.

In the international arena

Beyond Spain, the following programs stand out.

1. INNER KIDS PROGRAM (USA, 2002)

For primary school children. It is called The New ABCs (Attention, Balance and Compassion). The objectives set are aimed at promoting awareness of internal experience (thoughts, emotions and physical sensations), external experience (people, places and things) and awareness of both experiences together, although without mixing them.

The program consists of 2 weekly sessions of 30 minutes and has a duration of 8 weeks. Seniors complete the program for 12 weeks and with 45-minute sessions. Among the methodological particularities, games and other practical-playful activities and lessons are mainly used.

Susan Kaiser, author of the book The Mindful Kids and co-founder of the Inner Kids foundation, published an article in 2010 called A mindful revolution in education where he mentions a series of aspects related to the application of Mindfulness in the classroom.

According to Kaiser, there are some requirements to meet, namely: clearly attending to internal and external experiences; knowing how to tolerate the emotional discomfort it generates and observing the core of one’s own crises, being able to respond in a compassionate and kind way to ourselves and to others, mainly. This author proposes seven principles to take into account when putting Mindfulness into practice in the classroom: motivation, perspective, simplicity, fun-game, integration, collaboration, strategy.

2. INNER RESILIENCE PROGRAM (USA 2004)

Intended for primary school students and teachers, parents and administrators. This program focuses on learning social and emotional learning through contemplative practices. Includes retreats, personal development workshops, stress reduction sessions and parenting workshops

In it, emphasis is placed on the topic of neuroplasticity, that is, the changes produced at the level of brain circuitry and anatomy from training in attentional skills, emotional calm, consciousness, insight and care for others.

3. LEARNING TO BREATHE (USA 2007)

Its main purpose is prevention in adolescents where content of social and emotional learning through the program Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ( MBSR) in adolescents. It also includes components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Its more specific objectives are aimed at: instructing in Mindfulness and providing general well-being; improve emotional self-regulation; enhance attention; acquire stress management skills; and integrate Mindfulness into daily life.

The program lasts 6 sessions of between 30 and 45 minutes The contents that make up the program consist of the work on: body awareness, understanding thoughts, understanding emotions, integration of thoughts, emotions and body sensations, reduction of judgments and integration of mindful awareness in the daily life.

4. MINDFULNESS IN SCHOOL PROJECTS (MiSP) (England 2008)

Focused andn the adolescent population between 14 and 18 years old This initiative is based on the MBSR-C and MBCT models and includes as main components: Mindfulness of breathing, Mindfulness of the body (BodyScan), conscious eating practice, mindful body movements, movements of thoughts and sounds and mindful texting.

It lasts 9 weeks and It has recently been manualized to intervene with children with highly anxious functioning (Semple and Lee 2011). In this program, explicit instructions and guidance are given to parents to get them involved in the development of the program. Parents were involved in the treatment.

The MBSR-T is an adaptation of MBSR for adolescents, in which aspects such as the frequency and duration of the sessions and some specific content have been modified to increase its effectiveness, considering the specificity of the stage of adolescence in terms of interpersonal challenges. and performance. (Biegel et al 2009, Biegel 2009).

5. MINDFUL SCHOOLS (USA 2007)

It is intended for primary and secondary school students and It is applied in California structurally in 41 schools s, mostly with few resources. It consists of 15 sessions over 8 weeks and is made up of the elements: mindfulness of sounds, breathing, body, emotions, generosity, appreciation, kindness and care. Content is also intended for parents (face-to-face sessions and materials manual).

6. MINDUP (USA 2003)

Its objective is the group of primary school students and is integrated into the school curriculum. It is made up of 15 lessons that work on: social and emotional awareness, improving general well-being, promoting academic success at school.

As a particularity, It is focused on the practice of conscious breathing so it requires performing exercises dedicated to this area 3 times a day.

7. STAF HAKESHEV “The Mindfulness Language” (Israel 1993)

This pioneering initiative It was designed for students between 6 and 13 years old, parents and teachers The objectives of the intervention are aimed at working on body awareness and body-mind practices to strengthen: the development of cognitive and emotional skills, the enhancement of attention and awareness of the experience, and the acquisition as a habit. of a restful rest to optimize cognitive learning.

The specific contents consist of activities related to breathing, knowledge of the physical limits of the body, bodily sensations, postures and movements, sounds, emotions and visualization processes.

8. STILL QUIET PLACE (USA 2001)

It is intended for primary and secondary school students, teachers and parents. This program is focused on developing Mindfulness awareness for learn to respond consciously (rather than react), enhance peace and happiness

It intervenes on breathing, body movement, thoughts, emotions, loving kindness, walking, yoga exercises, mindful practice in daily life and strategies to acquire the ability to respond consciously. It lasts 8 weeks, which are structured weekly with a duration between 45 and 90 minutes.

9. STRESSED TEENS (USA 2004)

It has been proposed for adolescents between 13 and 18 years old. Consists in an adaptation of MBSR adapted to the adolescent population MBSR for Teens Its main elements are related to body meditation, walking meditation, seated meditation, seated meditation with heartfulness, yoga, mindful stopping and mindful for working at home. It covers 8 weeks of practice and is practiced for 1.5 or 2 hours a week.

10. WELLNESS WORKS IN SCHOOLS (USA 2004)

It is carried out with adolescents between 13 and 18 years old. Objectives: stress management, mental health, emotional balance, behavior, willingness to learn. It is a program of between 8-15 sessions, 45-50 minutes each We work on the exploration of emotions, intentions, objectives, resilience, and problem-solving skills.

11. BREATHE – CONSCIOUSNESS FOR WELL-BEING AT SCHOOL (Colombia)

Its central purposes are linked to enhancing the social-emotional learning and teacher and student well-being and acquire an improvement in peaceful coexistence for young people and children victims of armed violence. It is a multicomponent program that focuses on working with teachers so that they can later transmit it in the classroom. It also intervenes in families in the community.

The RESPIRA program is in the pilot and evaluation phase in Bogotá and Tumaco, so there is little information even on scientifically validated final results.