Mindfulness at Bali Island School

By Rachael L. Gerbic, PhD K12 Counselor - counselor@baliis.net

What is mindfulness and why is everyone talking about it? You’ve seen it on magazine covers, heard it in your exercise classes and on news shows, and even read about it in parenting books, but what exactly is mindfulness and how do you do it? According to Jon KabatZinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, mindfulness is, “The awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, in Purser, 2015).

“The awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”

(Kabat-Zinn, in Purser, 2015).

At Bali Island School (BIS) we teach mindfulness to all students in Pre-K through grade 12. We know that helping students find that calm, centered space where they can really pay attention to what’s happening around them and within themselves will help them learn.

Students whose self-regulatory systems are “hijacked” by strong emotions like stress, frustration, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed, cannot stay focused and learn. They are unable to be present with what is happening and are often in fight, flight, or freeze mode--our reptilian brain’s ways of coping with threats. In these modes, we are unable to take in new information.

Students of all ages at BIS learn a variety of skills and techniques to be able to self regulate, to access that calm, composed center, so that they can make wise, thoughtful decisions, rather than knee-jerk reactions. Accessing this tiny window of space between action and reaction is what gives them the freedom to choose a different response. This is helpful for young children playing with friends on the jungle gym at recess, middle school students feeling anxious before a presentation, and high school students walking into a high-stakes exam.

Students learn to focus on one thing at a time-- sounds, thoughts, emotions, body sensations, breath. They learn to bring their focus into the present moment and pay close attention to their experience internally and externally. It is our aim that students gain as much awareness of their own human experience as they do about the academic subjects they study. With these elements combined, our aim is to develop wise, self-aware, compassionate citizens of the world.