Kindergarteners Talk About Mindfulness in “Just Breathe” Short Film

In the four-minute film, kindergarteners discuss coping with emotions and using meditation and breathing techniques.

We’re interrupting your regular mindfulness news roster to bring you: Children talking about mindfulness. Because, really, after hearing mindfulness’ benefits trumpeted from Wall Street to ABC News to practically everywhere else, we could use a little plain language. A little straight talk—from little people.

How Mindfulness Benefits Children

In the four-minute film, kindergarteners talk about coping with emotions and using meditation and breathing techniques.

Filmmakers Julie Bayer Salzman and Josh Salzman created “Just Breathe” with their son, classmates, and family members one Saturday afternoon.

“What the kids say is based purely on their own neuro-scientific understanding of difficult emotions, and how they cope through breathing and meditation.”

“The film is entirely unscripted,” says Julie. “What the kids say is based purely on their own neuro-scientific understanding of difficult emotions, and how they cope through breathing and meditation.

“They, in turn, are teaching us all.”

Introducing mindfulness to children at a young age can help them foster awareness, attention and greater resilience, while also cultivating joy and overall well-being.

Julie was inspired to create the film after taking a six-week course with Mindful Schools, an organization that teaches mindfulness in US schools.

“Just Breathe” aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Super Soul Sunday program in the spring of 2015.

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