Anyone can be mindful when the sky is blue and soft breezes are blowing. But just try to maintain that posture when storm clouds gather. It can be a challenge for some, an impossibility for others. Oh! The excitable person may exclaim -- and who among us never fits that description? -- Here comes a storm! What shall I do? I'll get wet, or worse. My house could float away! My whole world will become irretrievably soggy! I could drown!
I’m often asked what distinguishes mindful awareness from the strong academic, social and emotional learning programs that are already in place. Here’s my short answer.
UC Davis, California and Northeastern University both issued press releases this week announcing soon to be published research that connects meditation with health and well-being.
I visited Walden Pond just once. It was in April, 2005, the year of the first contemplation and education meeting at the Garrison Institute and my first mindfulness road trip. Sue Smalley and I were presenting at the Garrison meeting and, sharing an interest in Henry David Thoreau and MBSR, we extended our East Coast trip to attend the annual MBSR conference at the University of Massachusetts. While we were in Worcester we carved out some time to visit Walden Pond.
Reading, writing, and arithmetic will always be necessary elements of a strong, comprehensive education but, on their own, they do not equip children with many of the skills that lead to a happy, well-balanced life. The Inner Kids program starts from the premise that the ABCs of Attention, emotional Balance and Compassion are necessary elements of a well-rounded education and that the practie of mindfulness and awareness can help every child develop these and other academic, social, and emotional life-skills from an early age. But what do the words 'mindfulness' and 'awareness' mean in the context of classical contemplative training and the Inner Kids program?
