In their article, Greenwalt and Nguyen (2017) recognize that mindfulness has roots in many cultures but chose to focus their thoughts on the Buddhist traditions and how those traditions came to America. The authors defined mindfulness as “the practice of observing one’s own body, feelings, mind, and objects of the mind in the present moment, nonjudgmentally, and in relation to the living environment” (Greenwalt and Nguyen, 2017, pg. 54). The authors mention that World War II had an impact on transferring different beliefs, like Buddhism, to America, along with the Southeast Asian immigrants coming to America to escape warfare. This article touches on the interactions we have with our environment through mindfulness and relate this to John Dewey’s theory of mind. They note that Dewey would have accepted the idea of a person being present in the moment with their environment and to be aware of themselves and others. They end the article by recommending that teachers be conscious that though they are using mindfulness in the classroom to reduce stress and anxiety, the source of that stress and anxiety may be stemming from the structure of the school day.
I especially enjoyed that this article looked at the word “nonjudgmentally” in more depth. Through my research on this topic, I have come across this word many times, but did not know the constraints of this term. Turns out, the word “constraints” is an ill-advised view of the overall concept. “Nonjudgmentally” implies that when practicing mindfulness, the aim is not to control your thoughts, but to notice them just as they are. Greenwalt and Nguyen (2017) also touch on the familiar name of John Dewey. As a student of education, I have heard his name many times, and knew of his beliefs in a hands-on approach to learning, but never thought to connect his theories to mindfulness. This article clarified what mindfulness is, dove deep into its origins, and linked it to educational theories.
Greenwalt, K. A., & Nguyen, C. H. . (2017). The mindfulness practice, aesthetic experience, and creative democracy. Education & Culture, 33(2), 49–65. doi: 0.5703/educationculture.33.2.0049
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