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In partnership with Bacon Street Youth and Family Services, WMES is excited to provide mindfulness resources to support our students. Mindfulness can be defined as the capacity to remain willfully ‘in the moment’ and "present" with one’s experiences; this practice helps with moderating restraint and reaction to stressful situations, fosters a non-judgmental and accepting attitude, and encourages a warm and friendly openness and curiosity towards individual experience. Mindfulness-based interventions have been proven effective in reducing stress, increasing attention span, promoting wellbeing, regulating emotions, encouraging compassion, decreasing externalizing behaviors--and can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. The school setting is a prime environment in which to address these developmentally appropriate topics, as research shows that academic, social and emotional competence are fundamentally correlated with physical and mental health. Please explore the resources available below.
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Mindfulness Videos
Ariel Tal, a therapist at Bacon Street Youth and Family Services in Williamsburg, has graciously created a Mindfulness video series to support WMES students. Students are encouraged to view the videos, and utilize other mindfulness resources available below, to integrate mindfulness into their daily lives and activities.
Ariel is the Mindfulness Lead at Bacon Street, working to bring Mindfulness-based interventions and education to area schools. Ariel is certified in Mindfulness Essentials and Mindfulness Education. He has conducted over 150 sessions on Mindfulness at several schools in WJCC and YCSD. Following the sessions, students can integrate Mindfulness into their everyday lives. Students have utilized mindfulness strategies to temper their reactions to situations, focus and calm down before testing or athletic events, and to appreciate and better understand their environment and experiences.
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Mindfulness Activities
Check out the graphic below to help your student understand what is meant by having a "mindful body". This can be used when someone may need to take a mindful minute. This is a great activity to do before starting learning, between transitions, or just to relax before going to bed. We hope you and your students enjoy them!
