Addressing trauma and empowering students through school-based mindfulness practices

ABSTRACT

This article defines mindfulness and trauma, and explores the benefits of a mindfulness practice in classroom settings to empower students socially, emotionally, and physically. More specifically, this article explores the implementation and benefits of a mindfulness practice in academic settings, especially to address trauma, highlighting the benefits of Transformative Life Skills (or TLS) as a formal mindfulness practice to institute in educational institutions. Finally, this article addresses possible challenges with implementing mindfulness strategies in schools and the need for increased research illustrating the impact of mindfulness practices on student populations who have faced trauma.

KEYWORDS:

• Trauma
• adolescence
• TLS
• mindfulness
• mindfulness practice
• MBSR

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Angela Kraemer-Holland

Angela Kraemer-Holland taught high school English and Spanish across the city of Chicago. She is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, holds a doctorate in Curriculum Studies, and currently teaches undergraduate education courses and supervises emerging teachers across the Chicagoland area. Her research interests focus on teacher education and socialization, neoliberalism in education, and urban education policy.