The Inner Explorer HOME Mindfulness app For Families

Mindfulness (or mindful awareness) is the practice of paying attention to the present moment. Mindful awareness - when practiced regularly - helps children avoid distraction and unhealthy mental habits, while allowing them to improve their focus, regulate their emotions, and engage more effectively with classmates and teachers. Very few of us really pay attention to any activity as it's happening. When we do, an entirely new world opens up to us. The more we tune into the present moment, the more fully we can live our lives. We learn to slow down the chattering mind and notice our senses, thoughts and emotions without judging them as right or wrong. We become familiar with the beauty, wisdom, passion and compassion that exist in all of us.

Research has shown that in order to experience the many benefits mindfulness has to offer (including self awareness, self control, resilience, compassion, academic success and a heightened sense of wellbeing), daily practice is necessary. A 10-minute practice - simply sitting with eyes closed and focusing inward - lays the foundation for one to be mindful throughout the rest of the day. It helps to create a healthy habit of mindfulness like brushing your teeth or wearing your seatbelt. Over time, commitment to this practice becomes less challenging as it becomes an integral part of your day. When teachers commit to using the Inner Explorer^TM programs on a daily basis for 30 days, they are more likely to stay with the program on a continuing basis and report significant, positive changes for themselves and their students..

The instruction to close your eyes is given as it helps to reduce distractions and turn attention inward. However, for some children, closing their eyes creates too much discomfort. You can invite children to look down at their hands in their lap so that their eyes gaze downward. We recommend that children choose what is most comfortable for them.

As students learn to regulate their attention, emotions and behaviors, they perform better in school, experience fewer discipline problems, and develop resilience to counteract the negative effects of stress and anxiety. When teachers practice with their students, they report a 43% decrease in their stress levels that helps them reconnect with their love of teaching. We are at a critical point in education in the U.S. Declining test scores, high dropout rates and reduced global competitiveness for the past several decades underscore the severity of our educational challenges. Even with recent gains in a few academic categories, many of our children are not adequately prepared to successfully navigate the workforce of the 21st century.

Children who participate in this type of mindfulness training demonstrate improved focus, increased creativity, higher academic performance, less stress and consistent prosocial behaviors. Bolstering these self-regulation skills through mindful awareness training predicts school achievement in reading and mathematics better than IQ scores. The bottom line is that mindful students improve their grades, rate themselves as more happy/content, and improve their ability to get along with their peers, teachers and family members. Discipline issues go down while performance and a sense of community go up.

Yes, there are more than 40 years of research with thousands of scientific studies documenting improvements in physical and mental health, academic outcomes, and life outcomes as a result of practicing mindful awareness.

Beyond the evidence that exists to support mindfulness in schools, educators and administrators have to evaluate cost, ease of implementation and how the program can be sustained after the initial launch and training phase. The Inner Explorer^TM daily mindfulness programs are now being used in more than 74,392 classrooms because they effectively address these concerns. When schools make the minor investment in Inner Explorer^TM, they realize a significant return.