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Once an obscure Buddhist practice, mindfulness is slowly becoming a buzzword today as thousands of people are getting into it.
Widely regarded as a great technique for achieving good physical and mental well-being, mindfulness is now also gaining ground as a way to help children with ADHD, anxiety, autism and depression according to an article written by Juliann Garey for the Child Mind Institute website.
Tremendous benefits of mindfulness
Garey writes that the benefits of mindfulness for children with the above conditions are tremendous. She cites the work being done by Dr. Amy Saltzman, a holistic physician and mindfulness coach based in Menlo Park, California. She has developed her own way of teaching children the concept and the benefits of mindfulness, which involves paying attention to breathing so as to focus on the here and now, with the end goal of distancing oneself from disturbing thoughts and emotions so they can be observed without immediately reacting to them.
Instead of defining the word to her young wards, many of whom are suffering from ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, anger management issues and stress, Dr. Saltzman initially invites them to feel the experience in order to find their “still quiet place.” The mindfulness coach makes them pay attention to their breath and tells them that this “still quiet place” has always been there regardless of the emotions they’re experiencing. Soon enough they experience an awareness, observe their own thoughts and feelings and begin to choose their own behaviors.
Read more about the benefits of mindfulness for children here.