Category: Article

Like many of the other articles discussed, Neves-Pereira, Bilibio de Carvalho, & de Campos Aspesi (2018) begin with a brief history of mindfulness. Stemming from Buddhist traditions, mindfulness, according to the authors, began making its way to the West around the Victorian Era through Buddhism. They go on to say that although western culture relies more on science than religion as a bases of knowledge, researchers have found ways to study spiritual traditions. From there we have been able to implement this research into the fields of Psychology and Education. “From an educational perspective, mindfulness can be viewed as a reeducation of the habitual internal posture, in which one exercises actions in connection with the sensorial and perceptive functions that lead to expanded states of consciousness” (Neves-Pereira, Bilibio de Carvalho, & de Campos Aspesi, pg. 147).  With its focus on full attention and being present in the moment, mindfulness has gained popularity in the realm of human development. “Studies on how contemplative practices improve attention, emotional response, and social adjustment among children and adolescents have just been initiated.” (Neves-Pereira, Bilibio de Carvalho, & de Campos Aspesi, pg. 148).

The authors referred to Buddhism as religious and philosophical model with scientific rationales. While reading this article I realized that I did not know that Buddhism supported many science-based theories. This article illustrated how although we as a Western culture rely more heavily on science than spirituality, there has been many studies done on the topic of mindfulness to inform therapists and educators on it benefits. Although I knew that the fields of Psychology and Education take careful consideration of what practices they use, it did not occur to me that the use of mindfulness was only truly adopted into the fields after to the accumulation of research of the physiological effects. Knowing that there is research on the effects of mindfulness that show positive outcomes, informs me on how its use can benefit students in the classroom.

Neves-Pereira, M. S., Bilibio de Carvalho, M. A., & de Campos Aspesi, C. (2018). Mindfulness and Buddhism: Contributions of Buddhist Philosophical and Religious Teachings to the Fields of Psychology and Education. Gifted Education International, 34(2), 144–154. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1176403&site=ehost-live&scope=site

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

In her article, Kalpana Gupta takes the reader through the sacred and historical roots of mindfulness and how globalization has taken its ideas to the Western world. Cultures from the East have been practicing mindfulness for centuries through Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It began as a spiritual practice that was intended to guide an individual’s way of life. According to Gupta, mindfulness and meditation are “philosophically, spiritually, culturally, and religiously embedded” (Gupta, 2019). The author defines meditation as the “state of ultimate consciousness” and reminds readers that it originated as and still has a spiritual purpose in Eastern cultures. With globalization, popularity of mindfulness has spread as a technique to reduce stress and anxiety. “More recently, Western culture, specifically the United States, has been infatuated with mindfulness and meditation as a means to reduce stress, anxiety, and improve focus and attention” (Gupta, 2019).  She encourages those who use mindfulness to familiarize themselves with the history of this practice if they are to imbed it into academics.

Many insightful comments on this topic jumped out at me while reading this article. I knew that mindfulness, yoga, and mediation had a long history but did not know exactly where they started, how they started, or who started them. Gupta mentions that according to Murphy et al. (1997), scriptures from pre-Aryan civilizations are the first to mention meditation. I was also surprised to learn that different branches of Buddhism are meant to lead an individual to different forms of enlightenment. Some branches focus on a still and relaxed mind while others aim to target alertness. Through this article, I was able to gain more insight to the history behind mindfulness.

Gupta, K. (2019). The sacred to the secular: Using mindfulness and meditation as instructional methods in academia. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, (161), 21–32. doi: 10.1002/ace.20308 

This article addresses the effectiveness of mindfulness on students and teachers when a whole-school approach is used. Michele L. Kielty, Tammy D. Gilligan and A. Renee Staton state that the school personnel, students, families, and local communities experience positive outcomes when they are all involved in implementing mindfulness across the school community. The authors state that mindfulness plays a positive role in physical and mental health. Students who have learned mindfulness techniques can extend their practice beyond the classroom. “Many students were able to comment on the potential for using mindfulness-based practices in the future to deal with life, work, and family stressors.” (Whole-School Approaches to Incorporating Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Supporting the Capacity for Optimal Functioning in School Settings, pp 132).

When reading this article, it had occurred to me that I had only thought of mindfulness at the personal and classroom level, but never thought of implementing it as a practice throughout a whole school or district. I was pleasantly surprised to know that there are training programs like “Mindful Schools” that the public can attend to strengthen their practice in mindfulness. This resource helped me understand just how beneficial mindfulness can be to students when educators work together and are trained appropriately.

Kielty, M. L., Gilligan, T. D., & Staton, A. R. (2017). Whole-school approaches to incorporating mindfulness-based interventions: Supporting the capacity for optimal functioning in school settings. Childhood Education, 93(2), 128–135. doi: 10.1080/00094056.2017.1300491

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