How Mindfulness Supports Students, Teacher & Parents
I am lifelong learner and lover of all things self-improvement. Many years of study, a personal yoga practice, and a tendency for curiosity led me down this path of seeking more. The more I wondered, questioned and wrestled with my own struggles, I realized that the common thread for one’s happiness, wellness, and success all shared one common mind-state. That mind-state was a sense of well-being. I realized that without a sense of mental and emotional well-being we can’t really feel complete. Research shows that emotional or physical health issues are often the result of a stress. This theme became louder and louder the more I found myself on my yoga mat, my meditation cushion, my travels, or studies. For me, one of the keys to my own personal well-being was dependent on developing a solid connection between my body and mind. The more I worked on fostering this connection, my over all sense of well-being improved.
Mindfulness meditation is a wonderful tool that cultivates this connection between the mind and body. The more I practiced and the more I infused it into my teaching practice the more alive I felt. My students also benefited. They appeared more at ease, kinder, more creative, and more confident. Mindfulness practices were quickly part of our daily interactions, transitions, & common language. It influenced curricular lessons, inquiry projects, student feedback, student engagement and ultimately empowered myself and my students simultaneously. It was a tool that supported myself as personally and professionally. It was the first professional development intervention that supported my students and myself. It is professional learning that fosters well-being for everyone in the school environment.
Once I realized the power of this tool, it became clear that I needed to learn more and offer it anywhere and everywhere I could. Thus, began my formal studies and my ultimate decision to leave my classroom to offer mindfulness education programs in schools, and workplaces everywhere.