In this workshop, participants will experience several games that teach the habits and practices of full presence, and
be presented with the science underlying the practices. Each game will be first played, followed by a debrief session, and finally guided group conversation to help participants understand the strengths and potential hazards of implementing mindfulness-based game-play in their specific contexts.
Art of Here and Now: Beyond Mindful Drawing
with Kate Murphy and Karen Bluth In this session, we will present creative mindful art activities for youth ages 9-17. These activities are intended to reinforce sensory awareness, and activities are tied to the various mindfulness factors including observation, description, acting with awareness, nonjudgment, and non-reactivity. Participants will engage in the art activities, and each activity will be […]
Raising a Mindful Culture
Stefanie and Elisha will explore the science and practice of creating brain- and heart-enriched environments. Learning how to include and influence the entire system creates more opportunities for shared language, tools, connection and values to be woven throughout. This in turn creates endless possibilities for inspiration and effective integration!
Self-Regulation and Sensory Integration – The Hidden Factors Behind Mood, Behavior and Children’s Ability to Cope with the World Around Them
with Shawnee Thornton Hardy Self-regulation has been a topic of discussion at the forefront of education and is being attributed to a child’s overall emotional health and success. Self-Regulation is the ability to monitor and control our own behavior, emotions and thoughts, altering them in accordance with the demands of the situation. The growth of self-regulation […]
Mindfulness and yoga through culturally relevant pedagogy
with John P. Rettger, Ph.D., E-RYT-200, YACEP & Kristina C. Mendez, MS, RYT-200 This breakout session will dive into how to bring mindfulness and yoga to diverse youth in a culturally relevant way that will facilitate student connectedness with the practices and each other. Through experiential exercises, participants will learn how to use simple breathing, […]
“El Regalo del Elefante”: Compassionate Mindfulness through storytelling for Spanish speakers, using props inspired by Montessori Materials
with Amira Valle, Martha Ríos-López, and Daniela Chávez-Valle “El Regalo del Elefante, Mindfulness para Niños” is a mindfulness curriculum developed in Spanish, presented in the form of a bedtime story. This book introduces various developmentally appropriate mindful awareness practices, compassion exercises and social-emotional skills using a narrative about two children and a young elephant that […]
Meeting the Challenges of Atypical Learners within the Domain of Mindfulness
with Robert Black Are the minds of atypical learners different than the minds of neurotypical learners where mindfulness practice is concerned? This question will be explored through reflecting on how a mindfulness initiative evolved over a ten-year period—from a conversation about research pointing to the potential difference mindfulness could make with kids diagnosed with ADHD […]
Making Mindfulness Stick with Kids, Teens and Families in a Mental Health or School Setting
with Christopher Willard, Ph.D. So many of us know the value of mindfulness, but how can we really make mindfulness and compassion stick with the kids we work with? If you are looking for fun, creative and effective ways to share mindfulness with young people, this workshop will take a pragmatic approach to just that. This […]
Reflecting on Mindfulness in Education Research: Past, Present, and Future
with Lisa Flook, Ph.D. Interest in applications of mindfulness for students and educators has grown rapidly over the past decade. This talk will explore the research to date and discuss findings, limitations, and potential implications for future research. Lisa Flook holds a PhD in (Clinical) Psychology from UCLA. She is a senior researcher at the […]
Mindful Instruction: Teaching the Standards with Intention
with Michelle Benedict How do I fit mindfulness instruction into an already overextended day? With standards to cover and assessments to take, asking teachers to incorporate mindfulness in their classrooms can feel like an additional task they don’t have time to complete. This interactive workshop will give you ideas for standards across all elementary disciplines […]