A new documentary produced by Russell Long—titled Room to Breathe—about a middle school mindfulness program in San Francisco, premieres at the Mill Valley Film Festival this Sunday. Read More 
For those of us who teach mindfulness in educational settings, building an evidence base for our work is critical. Mindfulness programs in educational settings are growing in popularity, but if this trend is to continue, and not become a passing fad, it needs research. I am often approached by people… Read More
It’s no secret that scientists condition lab mice to act certain ways by offering them a big incentive—food. When the mice reach it, they get to eat, and are satisfied. In human terms, we’re also conditioned to act a certain way throughout our lives in order to obtain the “cheese” being… Read More
Mindfulness for youth is growing in leaps and bounds in educational, clinical and community settings throughout the world. Why is this? The simple answer—mindfulness works! There is evidence-based research supporting this (click here for articles). I recently had the honor of interviewing Rick Hanson,… Read More
As more and more people find value in the approach to life that mindfulness practice and its values offer us, will we start to see mindful Halloween costumes? Read More
After participating in the Wisdom 2.0 Youth conference, blogger Gina Biegel reflects on the power of perseverance. There are times when fear can prevent us from following our dreams and goals. Fear or other such feelings are like monsters under our beds or in our closets and might lead… Read More
Social and emotional learning (SEL) involves the development of the fundamental skills required to understand and manage oneself, and one’s relationships. Supported by research and theory in a variety of fields including education, positive and developmental psychology, cognitive behavioral theory, systems theory, and neuroscience, the SEL framework can be viewed… Read More
1. The Greek Chorus of Classroom Demands As a novice kindergarten teacher, I felt besieged by an endless stream of requests—“I can’t find my pencil”—that felt like a Greek chorus interrupting every lesson. Without tools to manage my rising frustration, I’d silently seethe behind a forced smile, leaving… Read More
Inadvertently, No Child Left Behind has resulted in teachers more stressed-out than ever. This is where practicing mindful awareness can make all the difference. The classroom is a set-up for the stress response. I’m trying to get through this lesson so my kids will do well on the standardized… Read More
What do Meryl Streep, Kyle Maclachlan, Kurt Russell, certain players from the worlds of Washington and Wall Street, and I all have in common? We all had the great honor to be together at the Metropolitan Club at New York’s Central Park late last month, celebrating Goldie Hawn’s work in trying… Read More
