Peta Stapleton’s Post

Teaching children emotional regulation makes for healthy humans. Just as important as other school subjects let’s support emotionally aware children who know how to recognise and manage their emotions into adulthood.

A very interesting paper on 'Evidence for the Impact of Mindfulness on Children and Young People' by the Universities of Exeter and Southampton. 👦 I've taught yoga, breathing and mindfulness to children for 15 yrs and seen the incredible impact it can have on them. 👧 I still have 'kids' contact me years later telling me they're still using the exercises I taught them, at university. 🧘♀️ Kids need meditation and yoga more than ever. In a time of social media, instant gratification, and over stimulation, with the lack of emotional and cognitive development to handle it, they are not cultivating the strength and control over their minds and emotions, to handle it well. 🧘♂️ If adults are struggling with all of this, imagine how children are coping? I've certified Kids Yoga Teachers all around the world, and believe more yoga teachers should be specializing in this field. https://lnkd.in/gBhJ2ax

A very interesting paper on 'Evidence for the Impact of Mindfulness on Children and Young People' by the Universities of Exeter and Southampton. 👦 I've taught yoga, breathing and mindfulness to children for 15 yrs and seen the incredible impact it can have on them. 👧 I still have 'kids' contact me years later telling me they're still using the exercises I taught them, at university. 🧘♀️ Kids need meditation and yoga more than ever. In a time of social media, instant gratification, and over stimulation, with the lack of emotional and cognitive development to handle it, they are not cultivating the strength and control over their minds and emotions, to handle it well. 🧘♂️ If adults are struggling with all of this, imagine how children are coping? I've certified Kids Yoga Teachers all around the world, and believe more yoga teachers should be specializing in this field. https://lnkd.in/dGP4yykP

Recently, someone asked me how to support their child who was suffering from anxiety and recurring meltdowns. Mindfulness can rewire the brain: Stress affects kids deeply. Mindfulness training helps reduce it. Lots of founders and professionals have kids. As parents we want the best for them. Kids watch us, and like us they experience emotions and need tools and skills to work with them. This is not rocket science. It is brain science, and it works. Middle-school children participated in an eight-week study during their school day. They were split into two groups: ↳ Mindfulness training ↳ Coding training (control group) The study measured: → Self-perceived stress → Right amygdala activation during emotional stimuli Before the intervention, higher stress levels linked to higher right amygdala activation when viewing fearful faces. After the intervention, children in the mindfulness group reported: → Lower stress levels → Reduced right amygdala activation to fearful faces This wasn't seen in the control group. Mindfulness training also increased functional connectivity between the right amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during fearful face viewing. Changes in stress and brain function occurred even outside meditation. This shows mindfulness training's broad benefits. Key takeaways: 1. Mindfulness training reduces stress in children. 2. It leads to functional brain changes. 3. Can be integrated into school curriculums. 4. Reduces amygdala responses to negative stimuli. Mindfulness isn't just for adults. It can transform young minds too. https://lnkd.in/dXna4wcX

We often think of social media as a distraction, but it can also be a great resource! MIEA teacher Kelli Raker shared this with her students at Duke University: “One tip I give students who are trying to build their meditation practice is to follow more meditation and mindfulness focused accounts on social media. If you're going to spend time online anyway, try to influence your feed/algorithm.” Having passive reminders to be mindful is a great way to build a lasting practice. What are some positive or mindful instagram accounts you follow? We’ll post some of our favorites in the comments - let’s crowdsource some positivity into our feeds! #Mindfulness #MindfulUse #PositiveSocialMedia #MentalWellness

   FIVE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION FOR STUDENTS 1. Increased Focus Although it is not understood why, studies have shown that meditation increases the ability to focus for longer sustained periods. This benefits students in many ways, including being able to pay attention in class longer, thus improving the chances of material retention. In addition, students who meditate have a higher success rate in taking quizzes and exams. 2. Improved Memory A study in the Harvard Gazette reports that after an 8-week meditation study in which participants meditated for 27 minutes each day, MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Images) showed an increase in grey matter in the hippocampus region of the brain responsible for learning and memory. An enhanced memory allows students to retain more information, which of course, lends itself to better test scores. A good memory means an increased ability to juggle many different ideas and thoughts at once. 3. Reduced Anxiety and Stress According to an article from the National Institute of Mental Health, stress can cause digestive issues, headaches, insomnia, depression, and anger, among other symptoms. Under chronic stress, people may suffer from more viral infections like the flu. Tragedies, traumatic events, and even minor failures can cause an onset of stress that seems never-ending. This is especially true in teenagers and college or yeshiva students, who go through emotional rollercoasters due to hormonal changes. 4. Reduced Fatigue A Wake Forest University School of Medicine study showed that brief meditation sessions (within 4 days) reduced fatigue and increased attention. Meditation can help reduce the fatigue felt by the significant life event of going away to school and being bombarded with incredible workloads. 5. Immunity Boost Unfortunately, with the lifestyles that many students have, illness is difficult to avoid. Exercise, a healthy diet, and a regular sleeping schedule are all important to sustain a healthy way of life. Additionally, research from the National Library of Health shows that even a short-term meditation training program can provide significant measurable changes in participants' immune systems.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞... ✅ 28% higher grades in reading, math, and science ✅ 15% increase in average GPA ✅ 60% decrease in behavioural issues I recently dove into a 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐒𝐄𝐋), and their impact on student outcomes. And I was fascinated by some of the findings. Mindfulness interventions – like body scans, breath work, and guided meditation at least 3 times a week – among 1-5th graders in different schools had helped them achieve the outcomes I mentioned 👆🏼! Reading this obviously sent me down a research rabbit hole. There are studies that show that mindfulness practices such as Vipassna can change brain structures 🧠 by “𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠” 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 (𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐱) & 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐱). 🙌🏼 Here are some more interesting findings: 🧘♀️ In a study of 4-5th graders, students reported a “𝟐𝟒% 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 (𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐨-𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)” after mindfulness was integrated in their school. 🧘♂️ An MIT study showed reduction in stress, loneliness, & fear in kids who used a mindfulness app for a month. It made me look at the energisers we've always had in our classes at BrightCHAMPS in a whole new light. We're now looking at ensuring mindfulness exercises are integrated across all classes for all grades and programs. 🤩 There are plenty of easy ways to integrate mindfulness in learning. The one I can recommend from personal experience is ✨ 𝐛𝐨𝐱 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟒, 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒, 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒.✨ My son uses it whenever he is overwhelmed by something he’s struggling with in school and before exams. I use it when I’m feeling the same at work. We both use it everyday when we’re butting heads over AI, or history, or any of the million things we regularly have opposing views on! 😉 The point I’m making is: Mindfulness is not a woke trend. It can truly help prepare our kids for emotional, psychological, and academic complexities. And teach them essential skills like emotional self-regulation, empathy, and appreciation for diverse perspectives early on. 💪🏼 And nowhere are these more necessary than in a rapidly changing modern workplace, where leadership is defined by ✅ radical open-mindedness and ✅ empathy. It is evident that mindful children become mindful leaders – one breath at a time. 🤩 #BrightCHAMPS #kids #learning #empathy #meditation #leaders #children

Mindfulness Activities for Teens Mindfulness can significantly enhance the mental, physical, and emotional health of teens. Here are some techniques that address all three aspects: a) Mental Health 1. Mindful Breathing: Helps reduce anxiety and improve focus. Teens can practice deep breathing exercises, such as inhaling for four counts, holding for four, and exhaling for four. 2. Guided Meditation: Apps like Headspace or Calm offer guided meditations that can help teens relax and develop a regular mindfulness practice. 3. Journaling: Writing down thoughts and feelings can help teens process their emotions and become more aware of their inner experiences. b) Physical Health 1. Yoga and Qigong: These practices combine movement with mindfulness, helping teens manage stress and improve their physical well-being. 2. Mindful Walking: Encourages teens to focus on the sensations of walking, which can help ground them in the present moment and promote physical activity. 3. Mindful Eating: Paying attention to the taste, texture, and smell of food can help teens develop a healthier relationship with food and enjoy their meals more fully. c) Emotional Health 1. Sensory Focus: Practicing focusing on their senses can help teens become more aware of their surroundings and reduce stress. 2. Grounding Exercises: Techniques like the “5-4-3-2-1” exercise can help teens stay present and calm by identifying things they can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. 3. Creative Activities: Engaging in activities like painting, coloring, or playing a musical instrument mindfully can help teens express themselves and find joy in the present moment. These techniques can be easily integrated into daily routines and can make a significant difference in a teen’s overall well-being. Which of these techniques do you think would be most helpful?

These Are My Top 5 Performing Workshop Techniques in the Last 6 Months (...steal these tactics for your content). As a meditation teacher and changemaker trainer, I've found a few techniques that work like magic for boosting your credibility, expanding your offerings, and staying on the cutting edge of the consciousness industry. Here are the top 5 that have gotten amazing results in the last 6 months: 👉 1. Psychological Safety Check-In Start workshops with a 5-minute exercise where students share how psychologically safe they feel to open up, on a scale of 1-5. This creates a space of trust and openness from the start. 👉 2. Inner Development Goals (IDG) references, Insights and Examples The IDG framework helps give wight to the relevance of inner work. You may also give it more of a context by weaving in the latest insights from interpersonal neurobiology and attachment theory throughout the workshop. Give concrete examples of how these play out in relationships, work and self-understanding. Students love having this up-to-date context. 👉 3. Interactive Dyad Practices Have students pair up for 10-minute guided partner meditations. They take turns meditating and holding space for each other or go deeper when meditating with eye contact. This builds connection and lets them immediately practice the techniques taught. Engagement skyrockets. 👉 4. Wisdom Story Retellings Ancient wisdom stories can seem disconnected from modern life. So I aim to retell them in a fresh, relevant way using characters and storylines students today can relate to. This brings the deeper teachings alive while preserving their core insights and value. 👉 5. Tailored Organizational Applications Offer specific tips for how students can apply the techniques to improve engagement, collaboration and creativity in their organizations. They love having actions they can implement right away at work. After refining these techniques over the past 6 months, student engagement scores are higher than ever, with workshops selling out consistently. Implement even one and watch your workshops transform. Combine all 5 for maximum impact. Here's to upgrading human consciousness, one powerful workshop at a time! PS — We’re excited to help yoga teachers deepen their meditation practice. If you want to boost your credibility and expand your client base, DM me “Elevate” to learn more.

This is the way to instill mindfulness habit of mind , by a daily practice in schools. What I like about this program is that the whole school is taking the time to practice mindfulness a few minutes every day, building the habit of mind. This is a different approach to some studies that use short term intervention to teach mindfulness tools for a group of students and compare their stress level to students in a control group. Such studies often show increased stress in the intervention group, suggesting that when the students are learning a new skill that raises their self-awareness, their stress level may go higher. In this example the whole school is creating the right environment for long term mindfulness practice in a safe and relaxed manner. The student who practice mindfulness daily could then be compared to schools that are not using this practice.