Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are programs designed to improve psychological well-being, based on the practice of mindful awareness. One such MBI is the MindUP program, which is a school-based program designed for middle school students implemented by classroom teachers. MindUP has been shown to enhance indices of psychological well-being. Our team is interested in understanding how …
Continue reading “(Epi)genetic biomarkers of a school-based mindfulness program”
How can our educational system evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st century? How will we educate people to be compassionate, competent, ethical, and engaged citizens in an increasingly complex and interconnected world? The urgent challenges of a globalized and interdependent world demand a new vision of world citizenship that is not confined to …
There has always been a deep commitment at Mind & Life toward understanding what an ethical life can and should mean in today’s world. By becoming more aware of our deep interdependence and the need for mutual care, a proper foundation for ethics is possible – one that allows us to better address the global …
In mid-March, Cindy Ripoll-Martinez, a second-year student at the University of Miami, was alerted that campus would be closing for the remainder of the semester in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hastily, she moved 20 minutes away to her brother’s apartment, where she now lives by herself and attends classes virtually. While Cindy talks regularly to her …
No one quite knows where education is headed in the era of COVID-19. Students grapple with when, and if, they’ll return to school this year, while teachers struggle to master online instruction. Parents, too, stress over how to support kitchen table learning, while working from home. And it’s not just about when and how schools …
Continue reading “Could COVID-19 be the Catalyst Whole Student Education Needs?”
While attending Mind & Life’s 33rd Dialogue with the Dalai Lama in 2018, Kirk and Gael Benson were inspired. The Dialogue, now available online as the “Education of the Heart,” explored new frontiers in youth education rooted in science and contemplative wisdom, expanding beyond Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). During the Dialogue, Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, a renowned expert in …
Continue reading “Mind & Life Impact Story: Bringing Mindfulness to Utah Public Schools”
Today’s children are growing up at a time of unprecedented change and escalating challenges. How can we best equip them with the social-emotional skills and ethical dispositions needed to manage complex emotions, build positive relationships, and assume active roles within their local and global communities? A new Mind & Life Institute digital dialogue, “Education of the Heart,” offers rich …
Despite decades of school reform, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disproportionality in student academic opportunities and discipline continues to be a significant concern throughout the education system. The University of Southern California (USC), the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), and Mindful Schools (MS) are collaborating on bringing mindfulness training to K-5 teachers/staff to foster an …
Continue reading “Cultivating mindful schools to promote an equitable climate of learning”
Contemplative Art Education (CAE), established in 2012 by the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), seeks to enhance experiences with the arts using innovative models of engagement. CAE is a skill-based, experiential, constructivist education approach that involves: conversational tours, mindful practices, and art-making activities. What makes CAE unique is that it encourages viewers to …
This Varela research examined the differential effects of mindfulness and kindness meditation on teachers’ emotional abilities, compassion, and prosocial behavior. The purpose of the 8-week randomized controlled trial was to empirically probe the prosocial mechanisms of meditation, which are now actively debated in contemplative science and psychology but remain poorly understood. In addition, this research …
