benefits of mindfulness and meditation for kids

Jim Wiltens, who teaches fabulous leadership classes for elementary and middle school students is one of my favorite resources for students. As he says,”extraordinary people are ordinary people with extraordinary habits”. Jim teaches leadership in a tangible way to students; giving them tips and tricks they can implement immediately. Meditation and mindfulness are high on his list.

With some time off of school next week, I thought it was a good time to revisit mindfulness and meditation, which Jim emphasizes and is a master of. In his intermediate leadership class, he teaches students (and requires them to practice) meditation. It’s tangible for anyone, 1 minute exercises to slow your breathing down…and you build up from there.

Here is an edutopia article on mindfulness & breathing that gets into more detail on the benefits and practice of this exercise for adolescents. Studies show that teens who meditate can reshape their brain (pre-frontal cortex) for better focus, less reactivity and a greater sense of calm.  I am encouraging our students to practice some one minute exercises this week. I also love the headspace app.