ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses what teachers can do to create calm, positive learning environments that work indirectly to help young people express themselves, reduce their tension and develop awareness and receptivity to provide a basis for gradually moving into mindfulness meditation as they become developmentally ready. The focus of mindfulness teaching in the primary years in particular seems to be more pedagogical and curricular, implicit rather than explicit and perceptual rather than conceptual. Mindfulness in schools can fall into a rather narrow mode in which it is often paired with social and emotional learning, as a set of skills taught to students to reduce emotional and behavioral reactivity, resolve conflict and develop compassion to get along better with others. A benefit of the mindfulness activities is that while they relate to and support mindfulness they can be integrated into the curriculum and regular timetable.
