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This paper reports on a small qualitative study of a small number of American community college students who had unusual experiences of mindfulness meditation. It argues that the potential harmful affects of mindfulness may be overlooked, not well understood and more commonly experienced than is currently realized especially for individuals with a history of trauma, addictions, mental health difficulties or self-harm. School and higher education teachers who incorporate mindfulness meditations in their classes may not recognize signs of trauma or mental health difficulties and may not know how to support their students should any difficulties arise. Given the high rates of mental health difficulties and stress disorders in young people, duty of care responsibilities for teachers and students’ basic right to be safe this study finds there may be a need to ‘safeguard’ mindfulness meditation for student and teacher wellbeing. Safeguarding recommendations include building teacher capacity, understanding student vulnerability and learning about alternative less intense mindfulness activities so as to better tailor mindfulness for individual needs.
This article reports on face-to-face and online qualitative research conducted with 25 teachers from 8 schools in Australia that explored their experience of mindfulness and reflection in relation to a self-identified relational dilemma with a student, colleague, or parent who was causing them concern at work. The aim of this study was to find out whether teachers’ practice of mindfulness led to increased insight into their dilemma through helping them to be more self-aware and conscious both of their behavior and of their own innate inner wisdom. In the majority of cases, by the end of the 6-week project, the dilemma was no longer experienced as a dilemma or the teachers’ relationship with it had changed. There is a need to conduct more research with a longer time frame to explore the potential of mindfulness and reflection to contribute to sustained personal, professional, and institutional renewal and transformation in education.
This article reports on face-to-face and online qualitative research conducted with 25 teachers from 8 schools in Australia that explored their experience of mindfulness and reflection in relation to a self-identified relational dilemma with a student, colleague, or parent who was causing them concern at work. The aim of this study was to find out whether teachers’ practice of mindfulness led to increased insight into their dilemma through helping them to be more self-aware and conscious both of their behavior and of their own innate inner wisdom. In the majority of cases, by the end of the 6-week project, the dilemma was no longer experienced as a dilemma or the teachers’ relationship with it had changed. There is a need to conduct more research with a longer time frame to explore the potential of mindfulness and reflection to contribute to sustained personal, professional, and institutional renewal and transformation in education.
The article offers the author's insights regarding the relational mindfulness inquiry project which provides educators an open and honest conversations with student or colleagues. The author says that participants undergo session involving information sharing on mindfulness, and mindfulness meditation practice. She mentions that the inquiry project shows that relational mindfulness practice can help educators in maintaining open and calm receptivity in the classroom and school environments.
The article offers the author's insights regarding the relational mindfulness inquiry project which provides educators an open and honest conversations with student or colleagues. The author says that participants undergo session involving information sharing on mindfulness, and mindfulness meditation practice. She mentions that the inquiry project shows that relational mindfulness practice can help educators in maintaining open and calm receptivity in the classroom and school environments.