Watch any young child and you will notice that no matter what the child is experiencing, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, the child is completely absorbed. The child isn’t worrying about the past or the future but is simply living the present moment in its entirety.
However, as we grow up in this bustling, noisy, and overstimulating world, we move further and further away from this state of mind that we naturally had when we were young and open the door to fears, worries, and confusion that are often blown out of proportion because of being projections of the past or future.
Thus, the sooner we begin connecting with the present moment, the greater the benefits will be. At be.Living, this begins in early childhood education, through mindfulness.
“Mindfulness is not just a practice. It is a lifestyle.” This is an invitation to develop a state of awareness that allows us to live each moment fully aware of our bodily sensations and feelings, as well as the external environment, all done with openness and kindness. Through various practices, including meditation, it is possible to calm the mind, connect more consciously with oneself and others, develop compassion, and face life situations with more ease and less resistance,” explains Milena Macedo, teacher and mindfulness instructor at be.living.
In addition to being a mindfulness instructor, Milena has extensive experience as an early childhood teacher. Milena says that working on mindfulness with this age group is about knowing how to use what is already experienced in the school day, such as play and sensory exploration, in order to provide purpose and a prepared environment for each practice. “For the experience to be effective, it is important to have a plan that keeps it brief, light, and fun.” For example, in the case of mindful breathing, which is often used as an anchor in meditation, the child can gradually develop this awareness by associating his or her breathing with that of an animal or element, such as a tiny bee, a butterfly, or an ocean wave. This association can be accompanied by sounds and body movements.
Milena says there are many ways to develop children’s mindfulness in early childhood. “There are exercises that explore the senses. These include looking out for elements and colors on a walk, tasting a tea or some food from the garden, smelling spices and herbs, identifying an object by touch, doing yoga poses, noticing surrounding sounds, and passing an object around with quiet music playing in the background. These exercises help them perceive shape, texture, and temperature.” These are all ways to develop mindfulness.
Milena notes that teachers, even those who have personal experience with the practice of mindfulness, often do not often know how to convey this knowledge to such young children. That is why the early childhood teachers at be.living are participating in mindfulness training with Milena.
“Training is important to provide a repertoire and to understand that it is possible to easily incorporate mindfulness practices into the curriculum of early childhood education groups.” Training is also important to understand that there is a long process before students can be exposed to formal meditation. In addition to acquiring a repertoire, it is important that they become aware of the effective benefits of this practice, especially considering the reality in which we live today in large cities, with little contact with nature, excessive use of devices, and very fast-paced lifestyles. Training creates an opportunity for the teacher to gain this awareness through experience. They receive the proposal with great openness and are surprised to find that it is much easier than they imagined to incorporate these exercises into their pedagogical practice. They are inspired to teach mindfulness to their groups and also feel inspired in their own personal practice of mindfulness. When mindfulness is part of the school culture, the impact is even more positive—for both children and adults.
