Cultivating Mindfulness in Diverse Contexts

What do schools teach?

What do you wish for your children?

What is wellbeing? “A combination of feeling good and doing well.” courage confidence wisdom resilience forgiveness compassion kindness zest leadership curiosity gratitude leadership

“All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits.” William James

“…we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Will Durant on Aristotle

EmotionsActionsEnvironmentNeurologyPhysiologyThoughts The human being as a process

Can we influence this process?

"the single most important change in our understanding of the human brain in 400 years." Neuroplasticity ~ Norman Doidge, Colombia University

Mindfulness meditation shows down- regulation of genes implicated in inflammation and these changes are in turn associated with faster cortisol recovery from a social stress. Epigenetics Kaliman, P., Alvarez-Lopez, M. J., Cosin-Tomas, M., Rosenkranz, M. A., Lutz, A., Davidson, R. J., (2014). Rapid changes in histone deacetylases and inflammatory gene expression in expert meditators. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 40,

How do we re-wire the brain? mindfulness positive relationships cultivating wholesome qualities

Mindfulness in diverse contexts Intention AttentionAttitude

Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme 16 lessons Delivered twice weekly minutes each

Intention 15 Attention Attitude Gratitude Kindness to self Kindness to others Purpose Resilience Art of happiness Art of suffering 1 2 & 3 4, 5, & 6 9 & 10 7 & 8 11 & & & 16

“Everyone in the world should get mindfulness, everyone would be happy.”

“Mindfulness is amazing…it helps you calm down.”

“Mindfulness makes me think before I act.”

“Mindfulness will make me a better person.”

“When you do it, you feel more open. It also helps with anger, sadness, irritation, and lots more stuff.”

“A mindful mind is calm, gentle and kind.”

“Mindfulness is the best way to stay calm and happy.”

“I am now more peaceful and I don’t get as frustrated or angry as I used to.”

“I was quite tense and we did mindfulness and I felt all relaxed and happy for the rest of the day.”

“When I got angry I nearly punched someone then I did mindfulness, calmed down and everything was better.”

Research Early stages There are encouraging signs: Reductions in: Aggression Hostility Anxiety Stress Behavioural problems Improvements in: Emotional regulation Attention Self-acceptance Executive function Social and emotional competencies

Research Zoogman, S., Goldberg, S. B., Hoyt, W. T., & Miller, L. (2014) Mindfulness Interventions with Youth: A meta- analysis. Mindfulness 20 studies, N = 1,914. Overall effect size: d =.227 Effect size for clinical samples d =.500 Effect size for non-clinical samples d =.197 Effect size for psychological symptoms d =.373 Effect size for other outcomes d =.207

Inner Strength Programme Ten minute weekly sessions Key factors Relationship Respect Positive emotion Consistency

Personal Practice

Where is the field headed? From mindfulness courses to mindful communities Tick box or transformation?

Toward an ecological model for wellbeing

“Happiness is not an individual matter.”

Mindfulness at the City of Glasgow College “You don’t benefit unless you’ve got the group. In here you’re with a group of people that all want the same thing and it feels like a protected space”

“the biggest thing about wake up is it’s very nonjudgmental and you feel that immediately. Without it, it would detract from the practice hugely.” Young-adult peer group in Glasgow

“If you do it with other people, you are brought together more.” 9-year old student of Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme

“…its going to sound kind of cheesy but it felt like I was safe when I was coming to these mindfulness classes.” Mindfulness with Young Offenders

“Our children learn reading, writing, math, science, and other subjects in school that can help them earn a living. But very few school programs teach young people how to live – how to deal with anger, how to reconcile conflicts, how to breathe, smile, and transform internal formations. There needs to be a revolution in education. We must encourage schools to train our students in the art of living in peace and harmony. It isn’t easy to learn to read, write, or solve math problems, but children manage to do it. Learning how to breathe, smile and transform anger can also be difficult, but I have seen many young people succeed. If we teach children properly, by the time they are around twelve, thet will know how to live harmoniously with others.” - Thich Nhat Hanh