Mindfulness: Getting in Touch With Our Thinking and Feeling
In our busy world, our minds and bodies can get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle, and may have a hard time slowing down. It is also easy to get stuck thinking about things in the past or the future, while forgetting to focus on the here and now. The benefits of mindfulness for children and adults are plentiful, including decreased stress and increased resilience. Mindfulness is bringing our attention to our thoughts and feelings. In our guidance classes this year, students have been learning about mindfulness by practicing a quiet moment and deep breathing techniques. These techniques can help us cope with difficult situations. I am utilizing a program called, Mind Yeti, which is a research-based tool that teaches children how to calm down, focus their attention, and connect better to themselves and to others. For more information about mindfulness, check out www.mindful.org.
