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inner
explorer
Institute

POWER OF MINDFULNESS
TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness in Education?

Mindfulness is attention to the present moment that is open, curious, and non-reactive. It involves intentionally directing awareness to the sensations, thoughts, and emotions occurring in the here and now, without allowing them to dictate reactions or judgments. This practice fosters a deep connection with the present experience, allowing individuals to fully engage with their surroundings and internal states.

IN EDUCATION

Practicing mindfulness daily in the elementary and secondary years helps students connect with their innate skills and aptitudes of self-awareness, emotional regulation, resilience, creativity, and compassion. This transformative strategy provides a simple, low-cost upstream approach to preventing chronic stress and promoting health and well-being for all children. 

In educational settings, mindfulness practices may include:
 

  1. Mindful Breathing: Teaching students to focus on their breath as a way to anchor their attention to the present moment, fostering relaxation and concentration.
     

  2. Body Scan: Guiding students through a systematic awareness of sensations in different parts of their body, promoting relaxation and self-awareness.
     

  3. Mindful Movement: Incorporating gentle movement practices such as yoga or tai chi to help students connect mind and body and reduce stress.
     

  4. Mindful Listening and Communication: Encouraging students to listen attentively and speak consciously, fostering empathy, understanding, and effective communication skills.
     

  5. Mindful Eating: Encouraging students to eat slowly and attentively, paying attention to the sensory experience of eating, and fostering a healthy relationship with food.
     

  6. Mindful Reflection: Providing opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences, thoughts, and emotions in a non-judgmental way, promoting self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

Our Mission

The Inner Explorer Institute is dedicated to fostering the well-being and personal development of students, teachers, and school communities. We advocate for evidence-based mindful awareness practice in every school, every day.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is a world-renowned method with over 11,000 research studies proving its effectiveness in mitigating stress and improving overall well-being. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a transformative program designed to guide individuals in cultivating mindfulness and resilience. MBSR has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety, contributing to an overall sense of well-being.

Mindfulness-Based
Stress Reduction

Stress Reduction

Mindfulness fosters emotional resilience, helping students manage stressors and maintain positive mental health.

Improved Academics

Mindfulness leads to reduced stress and enhances students' ability to concentrate.

Decreased bullying

Mindfulness increases prosocial behavior, self-regulation, and empathy, and decreases aggression and impulsivity.

Educator Relationship 

Significant improvements in self-reported stress, self-regulation, school-specific self-efficacy, and interpersonal problems.

Mindfulness in Preschool-12

Mindfulness in Preschool-12 fosters focused, resilient learners, creating a positive school environment and supporting overall well-being.

A Daily Mindfulness Practice Promotes Health and Well-Being in Schools

Preventative action would be practicing mindfulness every day…just like we brush our teeth every day.  

Creating a positive and supportive school environment impacts the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of students and educators. 

 

  • Incorporating just 5-10 minutes of daily mindfulness into the school day is a simple and effective upstream prevention strategy that school communities can implement. 

  • Using a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), Universal Access at the Tier 1 level means that all students can experience the benefits of mindfulness during the school day. 

 

The documented benefits to educators include less stress and burnout, decreased secondary trauma, and an improved school climate that creates a kinder and more compassionate environment that benefits everyone! 

Decreased Secondary
Trauma

Improved School
Climate

Less Burnout

Improved Physical
Health

What We’re Striving to Achieve

  • Build public awareness about the benefits of mindfulness in education

  • Translate research into community action

  • Identify additional research needs for implementing mindfulness in schools

  • Educate policymakers and community leaders on the societal value of mindfulness 

  • Support school districts with dependable funding sources

  • Provide evidence-based content and best practices to schools

  • Longitudinal studies on student outcomes (academic achievement and attendance, physical and mental health)

  • Methods of delivery and frequency, including trauma-informed protocols

  • Effect of educator training on student practice

  • Impact of mindfulness on school climate

  • Cost-benefits of mindfulness as a preventative measure

Ongoing Exploration 

We rely on the collective research out there as we look to invest in practice (type, frequency, length), methods of delivery, and impact using a daily mindfulness program. Research areas may include:

Let's Talk

SEEKING WHAT'S NEXT.

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