Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice that is a growing trend being utilized in schools today. By definition mindfulness means: a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present
moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings,
thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
Many school systems are using mindfulness training to help students prepare for the day, help students to identify stress and release that stress, and help students grow their ability to be more compassionate and resilient.
In thinking about this practice, there are many ways to incorporate mindfulness into our sessions and classrooms. Helping our students to visualize their strengths and weaknesses through guided meditation can assist in making progress toward their therapy and classroom goals.
For some of our students this can be a way for them to experience the world around them in ways that they may not have yet been able to achieve. We can help them experience movements, sights, sounds, smells, and many other items through this type of experience. The mind-body connection is fascinating and this is a great way to help our students be their best!
Below are some wonderful resources to explore:
This is a site with good ideas for teaching meditation and mindfulness to children: https://www.teachchildrenmeditation.com/category/special-needs/
This is a site that gives 10 steps for guided meditation in children: https://center4specialneeds.org/blogs/news/ten-steps-to-mindfulness-meditation
This is a site to share with parents of children with special needs to insure that they are taking care of themselves as well: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/eden-kozlowski/the-necessity-of-meditati_b_5984646.html
This is a link for TED Talks related to mindfulness: https://www.ted.com/topics/mindfulness
~ Movement Matters!- Whitney Carter PT, DPT
