Mindfulness for children: application in schools

Mindfulness can be used effectively in children and youth education.

In recent decades, the boom in the use of Mindfulness techniques has proven its effectiveness in the context of clinical psychology. the use of Mindfulness techniques has proven its efficacy in the context of clinical psychology, obtaining favorable results in the intervention ofobtaining 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 around 20% in the USA (Merikangas et al., 2010).

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

It is therefore essential to determine to what extent these scientific findings are being taken up (and to what extent) in the national and international educational context and, consequently, how they are being implemented in schools in different countries.

Mindfulness for children and schools

Almansa et al (2014) point out that the increase produced in recent decades of attentional deficits in the school population is very significant.

According to FEDAH data, adhd affects between 2 and 5% of the population. affects between 2 and 5% of the child population, 50% of the clinical population in this age group.. Therefore, observations made by educators or family members about the increased state of nervousness, distraction and lack of concentration in children are very common nowadays.

The practice of Mindfulness for children in the educational environment can be very useful in improving this difficulty, so it is very relevant to analyze the results of research that have been devoted to studying the relationship between the two phenomena. In previous research it has been observed how Mindfulness brings benefits at a psychological level in the individual in the individual in relation to the changes in mental activity experienced after the assiduous practice of mindfulness.

To date, there seems to be a general consensus on the successful effects that the use of Mindfulness is having on the individual. 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 of physical and psychological health, enhancement of attentional capacity and promotion of the feeling of personal well-being in general.

Application of Mindfulness programs in education

An interesting presentation 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 trajectory 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 children in the school setting.

1. TREVA Program Experiential Relaxation Techniques Applied to the Classroom (Lopez Gonzalez 2009)

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

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

Focuses on positive psychology contents for students in kindergarten, primary and secondary education.. It works on mindfulness to enhance conscious capacity, calmness, reduction of automatisms and enhancement of emotional development.

3. Educating with Co-Reason (Toro 2005)

This is a set of procedures that, despite not directly employing Mindfulness techniques, the philosophy on which it is based is derived from this phenomenon (breathing or body consciousness).

4. PINEP - Plenary Emotional Intelligence Training Program (Ramos, Recondos and Enriquez 2008)

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

Internationally

Beyond Spain, the following programs stand out.

1. INNER KIDS PROGRAM (U.S.A., 2002)

For elementary school children. It is called The New ABCs (Attention, Balance and Compassion). The objectives 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, but without mixing them.

The program consists of two 30-minute sessions per week and lasts 8 weeks. and has a duration of 8 weeks. The seniors follow the program for 12 weeks with 45-minute sessions. Among the methodological particularities, the program uses mainly games and other activities and practical-playful lessons.

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

According to Kaiser there are some requirements to be met, namely: to attend clearly to internal and external experiences; to know how to tolerate the emotional discomfort that generates and observe the bosom of one's own crises, to be able to respond compassionately and kindly to ourselves and to others, mainly. This author proposes seven principles to be taken into account when implementing Mindfulness in the classroomMotivation, perspective, simplicity, playfulness, integration, collaboration, strategy.

2. INNER RESILIENCE PROGRAM (USA 2004)

Intended for elementary school students, teachers, parents and administrators. This program focuses on learning social and emotional learning through contemplative practices. It includes retreats, personal development workshops, stress reduction sessions and parent workshops..

It emphasizes the theme of neuroplasticity, i.e., the changes in brain circuitry and anatomy brought about by training in attentional skills, emotional calmness, awareness, insight and caring for others.

3. LEARNING TO BREATHE (USA 2007)

Its main purpose is prevention in adolescents where the following contents are worked on social and emotional learning through the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in adolescents. It also includes components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

Its more specific objectives are aimed at: teaching Mindfulness and providing general well-being; improving emotional self-regulation; enhancing attention; acquiring stress management skills; and integrating Mindfulness into daily life.

The program lasts 6 sessions of between 30 and 45 min.. The contents that make up the program consist of working on: body awareness, understanding thoughts, understanding emotions, integrating thoughts, emotions and body sensations, reducing judgments and integrating mindful awareness into daily life.

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

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

It has a duration of 9 weeks and has recently been manualized to intervene with a highly anxious functioning child population (Semple and Lee 2011). (Semple and Lee 2011). In this program, parents are given explicit directions and guidance to be involved in program development. Parents were involved in the treatment.

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

5. MINDFUL SCHOOLS (USA 2007)

It is intended for elementary and high school students and is structurally is structurally applied in California in 41 schools, most of which are low-income.s, mostly with scarce resources. It consists of 15 sessions over 8 weeks and includes the following elements: mindfulness of sounds, breathing, body, emotions, generosity, appreciation, kindness and care. Content is also intended for parents (face-to-face sessions and a manual of materials).

6. MINDUP (USA 2003)

It is aimed at elementary school students and is integrated into the school curriculum. is made up of 15 lessons in which we work on: social and emotional awareness, improvement of general well-being, promotion of academic success in school.

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

7. STAF HAKESHEV "The Mindulness Language" (Israel 1993)

This pioneering initiative was intended for students between the ages of 6 and 13, parents and teachers.. The objectives of the intervention are oriented to the work of body awareness and body-mind practices to achieve: the development of cognitive and emotional skills, the enhancement of attention and awareness of 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, body sensations, postures and sound movements, emotions and visualization processes.

8. STILL QUIET PLACE (USA 2001)

It is intended for elementary and high school students, teachers and parents. This program is focused on developing Mindfulness awareness in order to learn to respond in a conscious way (instead of reacting), enhance peace and happiness..

It involves breathing, body movement, thoughts, emotions, loving kindness, walking, yoga exercises, mindfulness practice in daily life and strategies to acquire the ability to respond mindfully. It has a duration of 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 the ages of 13 and 18. It consists of an adaptation of the MBSR adapted to the adolescent population MBSR for Teens. Its main elements are related to body meditation, walking meditation, sitting meditation, sitting meditation with heartfulness, yoga, mindful stopping and mindful to work at home. It covers 8 weeks of practice and is practiced for 1.5 to 2 hours per week.

10. WELLNESS WORKS IN SCHOOLS (USA 2004)

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

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

Its central purposes are linked to the promotion of social and socioemotional learning and the well-being of teachers and students, as well as and to improve peaceful coexistence for young people and children who are victims of armed violence. It is a multicomponent program that focuses on working with teachers so that they can subsequently transmit it in the classroom. It also intervenes with families in the community.

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

Bibliographical references:

• Gallego, J., Aguilar, J. M., Cangas, A. J., Langer, A. and Mañas, I. (2014). Effect of a mindfulness program on stress, anxiety and depression in university students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 17, 1-6.

• J. Davidson, Richard; Dunne, John; Eccles, Jacquelynne S.; Engle, Adam; Greenberg, Mark; Jennings, Patricia; Jha, Amishi; Jinpa, Thupten; Lantieri, Linda; Meyer, David; Roeser, Robert W.; Vago, David (2012). "Contemplative Practices and Mental Training: Prospects for American Education." Child Development Perspectives (2): 146-153.

• Mañas, I., Franco, C., Gil, M. D., & Gil, C. (2014). Mindful education: Mindfulness in the educational setting. Mindful educators training mindful human beings. In Alianza de Civilizaciones, Políticas Migratorias y Educación (197-233). Seville: Aconcagua Libros.

• Mañas, I., Franco, C., Cangas, A. J. and Gallego, J. (2011). Increased academic performance, improved self-concept and reduced anxiety in high school students through a mindfulness training program. Encounters in Psychology, 28, 44-62.

• Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz S. and Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools—a systematic review and meta-analys. Institute for Transcultural Health Studies, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt Oder (Germany). June 2014 | Volume 5 | Article 603, Frontiers in Psychology.

• Zoogman, Goldberg S. B. , Hoyt, W. T. & Miller, L. (2014) Mindfulness Interventions with Youth: A Meta-Analysis. Mindfulness, Springer Science (New York).