updated February 2, 2020
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| Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash |
by Catharine Hannay
I've discovered a pretty wide range of perspectives on issues like what should and shouldn't be included in a mindfulness class and how much training teachers should have.
However, there appears to be consensus among experienced mindfulness teachers on the following points:
I've discovered a pretty wide range of perspectives on issues like what should and shouldn't be included in a mindfulness class and how much training teachers should have.
However, there appears to be consensus among experienced mindfulness teachers on the following points:
- It's essential to practice what you teach.
- The presence and authenticity of the instructor are far more important than finding the right 'mindfulness script' for a particular student population.
- Given the level of hype and misinformation about mindfulness, it's not unusual to get some pushback from students or their parents.
- They may be skeptical about whether it really works or worried it might conflict with their religious beliefs. Be prepared to calmly discuss these types of concerns.
- It's important to show compassion and flexibility with resistant youth.
- We don't always know the trauma histories of our students or what might be stressful or triggering for them. They might have good reasons for not wanting to close their eyes, discuss personal information, or engage in some other part of the lesson.
Tips for Teaching Adolescents
The following articles have good suggestions for introducing mindfulness to adolescents and engaging those who might be reluctant to participate.
- Eight Principles of Teaching Mindfulness Meditation to Adolescents by Dr. Sam Himelstein of the Center for Adolescent Studies
- Eight Tips for Teaching Mindfulness in High School by Patrick Cook-Deegan at Greater Good
- How to Support Your Teen's Meditation Practice by Gina Biegel at Tricycle.org
- Mindfulness Can Make You Popular: How to Get Your Teen to Meditate, by Donna Torney at Mindful Hub.
- Mindfulness in High School: A teacher shares how she implements daily mindful moments and their positive impact on classroom culture, by Mary Davenport at Edutopia.
- What's Going On Inside the Teen Brain by Barry Boyce at Mindful.org
- The Teen Brain: How Schools Can Help Students Manage Emotions and Make Better Decisions by Sarah D. Sparks at Education Week.
- Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get "Buy-In" by Sarah Ruddell Beach at Left Brain Buddha. (There are some great resources on this site that are entirely appropriate for secular contexts. However, if you teach at a public school, be very cautious about any mention at all of the Buddha, as it could raise red flags for certain students or their parents. See Can Christians Practice Mindfulness? That's the Wrong Question.)
The Benefits of Mindfulness for Teens
As I mentioned in a post on Three Challenging Questions about the Benefits of Mindfulness,
One issue with the research is trying to compare results when there are there are so many different understandings of what is being measured and how. Are we talking about a brain scan of a Buddhist monk with decades of different types of meditation experiences, or are we talking about a survey of teens enrolled in a mindfulness program at their school?
Shanti Generation has Research Links specifically about the benefits of yoga and mindfulness for youth.
Peace in Schools has a moving series of videos with teens from different backgrounds explaining in their own words how they've benefited from their Mindful Studies classes.
Do keep in mind that this is in the context of an established program with culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed instructors. Peace in Schools director Caverly Morgan discusses their approach in an interview on Teaching For-Credit Mindfulness Classes.
If you'd like to know how your own students are benefiting from mindfulness, you might want to try this research-based self-assessment:
Do keep in mind that this is in the context of an established program with culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed instructors. Peace in Schools director Caverly Morgan discusses their approach in an interview on Teaching For-Credit Mindfulness Classes.
If you'd like to know how your own students are benefiting from mindfulness, you might want to try this research-based self-assessment:
- The Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure, developed by Dr. Ruth Baer
Yoga for Teens
In 5 Things to Remember When Teaching Yoga to Teens Kate Reil writes that: "The practice of yoga offers adolescents a discipline for discovering who they truly are... If you have experience teaching yoga to adults and are interested in learning how to teach teens, I would encourage you to let go of what you think you know. Yoga for teens is quite a different experience."
In an interview on Calming Young Minds, psychotherapist Sherri Snyder-Roche discusses how yoga can be integrated with mindfulness, art, and other approaches to help youth recover from anxiety and self-criticism.
My Goal in Heart, Mind, and Body: How Yoga and Mindfulness Can Support Life Goals is a lesson plan by Abby Wills of Shanti Generation to
1) help students set positive, conscious goals for their lives; and
2) help them discover how their yoga and mindfulness practice can support them through the inevitable obstacles life will present.
- How is Teen Yoga Different from Adult Yoga, by Abby Wills at Shanti Generation
Integrating Mindfulness with Academic Content
Ira Rabois, author of Compassionate Critical Thinking, shares the strategies he used while teaching English, Philosophy, Drama, History, and Psychology:
- Mindful Listening: Only If You Listen Can You Hear: teaching students how to participate respectfully in a discussion or a debate.
- Using Mindful Questioning to Enhance Academic Learning
- Using Mindfulness and Empathic Imagination in Teaching Myths
The following posts have discussion questions that might be appropriate for your students:
- Mindful or Mindless? analyzing characters in books and movies
- THINK Before You Speak 1 and THINK Before You Speak 2 are worksheets with brief examples of skillful and unskillful speech
- Mindfulness and Happiness and The Power of Forgiveness are collections of quotations with suggested discussion topics.
- There are also suggested discussion topics on the song playlists All About the Breath and Be Here Now.
Trauma-Informed Teaching
Fortunately this has been changing in recent years, but when I got my MA in teaching there wasn't the slightest mention of trauma. After listening to heart-breaking stories from my students and colleagues over the years, I believe that being trauma-informed is one of the most important qualifications for teaching any subject.
The following articles are a good place to start:
- Eight Principles of Trauma-Informed Yoga and Mindfulness Teaching by Robyn Hussa Farrell, E-RYT
- Teaching Yoga and Mindfulness to Students Affected by Trauma and Violence (interview with Danielle Ancin of the Niroga Institute)
- Training Compassionate Educators to Respond to Childhood Trauma by Dr. Jennifer Parker of the Child Protection Training Center
- A Very Brief Introduction to How Trauma Affects the Brain by Dr. Sam Himelstein of the Center for Adolescent Studies
For more detailed information on the nature and effects of trauma, Dr. Himelstein has an online course on 'Trauma-Informed Care for Professionals Working with Youth.' (It's my policy not to review or endorse courses... but I would like to mention that I took this course last year and found it quite useful.)
Dr. Himelstein also has a book on Trauma-Informed Mindfulness with Teens: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals.
Additional Resources
You might be interested in my series of guest posts at the Center for Adolescent Studies blog, including:
And there are many more resources and activities for teaching mindfulness at http://www.mindfulteachers.org/p/mindfulness-resources.html.
About the Author
- Teaching Meditation to Teens Who Have the Giggles ('Still Chillen' Game) by Dr. Sam Himelstein at the Center for Adolescent Studies blog
- Dr. Dzung Vo has a List of Mindfulness Resources at MindfulnessforTeens.com, including apps, books, recordings, retreats, and websites.
- Dr. Vo also has a series of Guided Meditations for Teens
- I think these are equally appropriate for adults; in fact, when I use guided meditations in my own personal practice I tend to choose the ones from this site.
You might be interested in my series of guest posts at the Center for Adolescent Studies blog, including:
- 4 Ways to Help Teens Cope with Strong Emotions
- How Our Own ACEs Impact Trauma Work with Youth
- An INCRAmental Approach to Building Rapport with Youth
And there are many more resources and activities for teaching mindfulness at http://www.mindfulteachers.org/p/mindfulness-resources.html.
About the Author
Catharine Hannay is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance.
