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, the 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 20% in the USA (Merikangas et al., 2010).

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

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

Mindfulness for children and educational centers

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

According to FEDAH data, the ADHDaffects between 2 and 5% of the child population, 50% of the clinical population in this vital area. For this reason, observations made by educators or relatives about the increase in the state of nervousness, distraction and deconcentration in children are very common today.

The practice of Mindfulness for boys and girls in the educational field can be very useful in improving this difficulty, so It is very relevant to analyze the results of the investigations that have been dedicated to studying the relationship between the two phenomena. In previous research It has been observed how Mindfulness brings 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 seems 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, in the selfconcept and in interpersonal relationships, along with a reduction in aggressiveness and violence.

The three areas where the most satisfactory results have been found correspond to improved physical health and psychological, enhancement of the 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, the which already have an important practical trajectory in the educational field, both at the national level and at the national level. international. They are as follows:

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 student body relaxed competence, classroom climate, emotional competence, and academic performance.

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

Focuses on positive psychology content for pre-school, primary and secondary education students. Mindfulness is worked on to enhance conscious capacity, calm, decrease 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 decreased intrusive thoughts in preadolescents.

In the international arena

Beyond Spain, the following programs stand out.

1. INNER KIDS PROGRAM (USA, 2002)

For elementary school children. It's 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 the awareness of the two experiences together, although without mix them.

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

Susan Kaiser, author of the book The Mindful Kids and co-founder of the Inner Kids foundation published in 2010 an article called 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 requirements to be met, namely: clearly address internal and external experiences; knowing how to tolerate the emotional discomfort that it generates and observe her own crises, to be 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, game-fun, 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 circuitry and Brain anatomy from training in attentional skills, emotional calm, awareness, insight and care of 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 the Acceptance and commitment therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Dialectical Behavioral 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 min. The contents that make up the program consist of the work of: body awareness, understanding thoughts, understanding emotions, the integration of thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations, the reduction of judgments and the 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 (BodyScan), mindful eating practice, mindful body movements, thought and sound movements and mindful texting.

It lasts for 9 weeks and has recently been manualized to intervene with children with highly anxious functioning (Semple and Lee 2011). In this program, explicit indications and orientations are given to parents so that they become 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 to increase its effectiveness, considering the specificity of the adolescent stage 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 is structurally applied in California in 41 schoolss, mostly with scarce resources. It consists of 15 sessions over 8 weeks and is made up of the elements: mindfulness of sounds, breath, 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 it 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 in school.

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

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

This pioneering initiative it was intended for students between 6 and 13 years old, parents and teachers. The objectives of the intervention are oriented to the work of body awareness and body-mind practices to achieve consolidation: the development of cognitive skills and emotional, the enhancement of attention and awareness of the experience, and the acquisition as a habit of a good night's sleep to optimize learning cognitive.

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

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 to learn to respond consciously (instead of reacting), enhance peace and happiness.

In it, he 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 in a way aware. 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 the ages of 13 and 18. Consists in an adaptation of the 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 work 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. Goals: stress management, mental health, emotional balance, behavior, readiness to learn. It is a program of between 8-15 sessions, 45-50 minutes each. The exploration of emotions, intentions, objectives, resilience, problem-solving skills is worked on.

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

Its central purposes are linked to enhancing the socio-emotional learning and teacher and student well-being and to acquire an improvement in 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 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 yet on scientifically validated final results.

Bibliographic 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. and Gil, C. (2014). Conscious education: Mindfulness (Mindfulness) in the educational field. Conscious educators training conscious human beings. In Alliance of Civilizations, Migration Policies and Education (197-233). Seville: Aconcagua Books.

• Mañas, I., Franco, C., Cangas, A. J. and Gallego, J. (2011). Increase in academic performance, improvement of self-concept and reduction of anxiety in high school students through a training program in mindfulness (mindfulness). 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-analyzes. 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).