In Dallas Schools, Kids Are Learning To Be Mindful As They Meditate

“I’ve been learning how to stay focused and calm and take deep breaths when I’m mad.”

By Stella M. ChávezDecember 14, 2016 9:30 am, ,

From KERA News

Keeping young kids focused in school can be tough. That’s why the Dallas Independent School District and Dallas Yoga Center are working together to create a mindfulness meditation program for students and teachers.

It’s just before 9 a.m. and dozens of elementary kids are sitting on the gym floor, their legs crossed and eyes focused on Daniel Sunshine.

“Why is it important when you’re taking a test?” he asks the students.

“Because you calm your mind,” says one boy.

“Because you calm your mind,” Sunshine repeats. “And how does that help you?”

“Because you can, like, focus and pass your test,” the kid answers.

Sunshine is a mindfulness instructor at the Dallas Yoga Center. He’s is showing students at Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center how to meditate. He’s there with his brother, David, who founded the yoga center.

This is the pair’s third visit to the school – one of four Dallas elementary schools implementing this technique.

After getting the kids to think about why they should calm their mind, he tells them to sit up straight and close their eyes.

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