Mindfulness, the Brain, and Education – The Benefits are Many!

Current research on mindfulness, brain science, and education suggests that mindfulness-wise application of neuroscience in the classroom may improve social-emotional and educational outcomes for students.  Here I will simply review current scientific information about how the human brain learns. Hopefully, this information will be applicable to educational environments where informed mindfulness is being used. Informed mindfulness may be defined as mindfulness applications carried out by teachers who are, themselves, mindfulness practitioners. The experience of mindfulness is what is most important in the classroom. It is far beyond a purely  cognitive endeavor. The same applications of brain science noted here are also valuable in the psychotherapy relationship.  This reality moves far beyond psychoeducation; it contributes to the quality of the relationship.

1. The human brain is a psychosocial organ.  Therefore, individualized learning should also include supportive group and relational learning interactions.  Helpful social learning makes learning easier and more accessible for most students students.
2. We have multiple brains.  We have two hemispheres working in very different ways, and we have three core levels of brain structure and function.  The left hemisphere works best with language, linear models, executive functions, and social learning. The right hemisphere works best with more private internal experiences, emotions, and visual-spatial relationships. Our brain also functions regarding reward centers (direct reinforcement), fear-emotional learning related to survival (including emotional and social), and, core executive functions.  Therefore, learning tasks need to include various brain-based applications (left and right hemispheres) as well as executive-prefrontal, emotional-limbic and habitual incentives.
3. Due to plasticity and early exposure to effective learning, the brain becomes more skilled at educational tasks. Therefore, early learning errors and omissions contribute to future learning problems for students.
4. The brain also includes conscious, more executive awareness (basic mindfulness) as it develops into personal consciousness about how the world works and one’s place in that world.  There are also potent unconscious and autonomic functions that have strong impacts on successful learning. Some highly important areas to consider in both conscious and unconscious functions are personal self-esteem status and vulnerability, family process variables, bias and prejudice, etc. One’s true self (internal, more personal experiences and meanings) and one’s false self (externally presented characteristics of expected social status and capacities) are both quite real. They play huge roles in learning and psychosocial adjustment.
5. The brain, the mind, the body, and the heart (soul?) are interconnected. Brain-mind-body-heart interactions are a given in life and especially in educational endeavors.  Current neuroscience research supports this reality. Teach content that relates to neuronal functioning, executive-cognitive awareness, bodily responses, and emotional responses. Teach to the whole person.  Use well-informed mindfulness applications as a way to reach the five-part processes of learning.  This is even more necessary when  students are suffering from various forms of mental and emotional struggle.
6. The brain has a really short attention span.  It loves to jump around and get into and out of various areas of attention, awareness, concentration and learning. Therefore, informed mindfulness in the classroom may be helpful ion the attainment of intention to learn, attention to what is to be learned and concentration on content of learning.  Tasks also need to be repeated and aspire to various learning styles and multi-sensory channels of human learning.
7. Fear, not-belonging, stress reactivity, unhealthy home and school environments dramatically impair one’s learning capacities.  Hungry, fearful, stressed students DO NOT LEARN WELL. Again, a special place for informed mindfulness skills in the classroom to keep it calm, safe, and supportive.
8. The brain does better on understanding more global realities than it does on the details of the same realities.  So discovery learning and mindful awareness may be helpful in improving educational outcomes. Students, especially working in cooperative groups, tend to discover the details well enough – better than the teacher telling students about all the details. Thus, experiential learning is important.  Mindful awareness is important.
9. Projection and introjection are alive and well in the American classroom. We are social! We internalize the emotional-valued inputs from others (especially praising or negative and fearful conditions), and we project outwardly our personal analysis of what others may be up to.  We do not do a good job in self-understanding, and we place our own emotional interests in social interactions.  We project out the internal emotionality of our true self in the present moment.  Once again, a good place for informed mindfulness training and skill development in the classroom.
10. Lastly, always remember that a learning brain is generally a happy brain. A learning  brain works best under conditions of caring, nurturing, safety, empathy, kindness, support, and understanding.  Thus, the best teachers – the teachers that are remembered by their students for years to come – are teacher who know how to show compassion as well as expertise.  Happy brains are motivated brains!
11. So, to experience a better day in the classroom or the therapy office adhere to the neuroscience applications noted here.  You will improve the moment and the day. You will feel GOOD about yourself.

For more information refer to Cozolino, L. (March, 2013). Nine things educators need to know about the brain. greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/…brain.  Retrieved May 11, 2016. See also Ward, T. (May, 2016). Dean Ornish on love and connection (the touchy-feely stuff). www.medscape.com/viewarticle… Retrieved May 24, 2016. See also Norden, J. (2007). Understanding the Brain. Chantily, VA: The Teaching Company.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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