ABSTRACT
Learning to breathe (L2B) is a mindfulness-based universal prevention program for adolescents designed to be integrated into typical educational settings. The program includes instruction in the practice of mindful awareness and provides opportunities for adolescents to practice skills and discuss experiences in a group setting. L2B content includes coverage of the core practices of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction including body scan, awareness of thoughts and feelings, mindful movement, and loving kindness practice, developmentally adapted for children and adolescents. L2B is designed to be implemented by a variety of school-based professionals including classroom teachers, school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Through engagement in mindfulness practices, students learn to be more attentive to present moment experiences, which include awareness of both pleasant and unpleasant emotions as they arise. Researchers have investigated the efficacy of the L2B program as a potential strategy for mitigating the risk of type II diabetes among female adolescents by reducing depressive symptoms and improving insulin resistance.
