Mindfulness is now being used more in schools to help children manage stress and better control their emotions. It also aids in improving focus, attention, and memory. In some schools, teaching mindfulness has led to a dramatic drop in detention rates, even bringing them down to zero.
Robert W. Coleman Elementary School in Baltimore has replaced detention with meditation and is seeing amazing results. Ali Smith, founder of the Holistic Life Foundation, discussed the program on the talk show The Doctors.
A clip from CBS This Morning also highlights how mindfulness is being integrated into the school. Over 300 students take part in a 15-minute “mindful moment” twice a day, focusing on their breathing. This initiative is particularly notable because it’s happening in a neighborhood affected by violence and drug-dealing. Ali and his brother Ahmed, who are from the area, wanted to inspire social change.
By the time the second video was released, the program had expanded to 14 schools, reaching about 4,000 children.