Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness

A whole-hearted and embodied approach to teaching and learning

Wisdom does not reside in the mind alone.

Promoting social and emotional competencies through mindful practices strengthens the connection and combined wisdom found within the mind, body and heart.

The ZK approach involves helping educators and students skillfully engage in developing resilient nervous systems, safe internal (personal) and external (classroom) environments, honest communication and caring relationships.

Decades of research have uncovered the importance of addressing these essential human needs in order to build academic success as well as establish a compassionate community of learners who thrive.

Discover how SEL and Mindfulness can help your school meet the vast needs of every child and educator; raising the bar and shifting the paradigm of education.

Self-Awareness – Accurately recognizing one’s thoughts, emotions, and actions (behavior)

Mindfulness practices promote self-awareness by teaching educators and students how to:

Non-judgmentally observe their thoughts without being carried away by them.
Acknowledge their emotional state and feelings without becoming overwhelmed by them.
Understand the sensations that arise in the body with each thought and emotion.
Notice how their behavior can be influenced by their own thoughts and emotions.

Self-Management – Ability to regulate one’s thoughts, emotions and behaviors

Mindfulness practices promote self-management by providing educators and students with tools to:

Promote positive mindsets and self-talk, improve attention.
Self-regulate their nervous system in order to manage stress and demands of leading and learning.
Control impulses and behavior while satisfying their physical, emotional and sensory needs.
Release blocked energy and anxiety in the body that often results from chronic stress and trauma.

Responsible Decision Making – Making ethical choices about personal and social behavior

Mindfulness practices promote responsible decision making by teaching educators and students how to:

Enhance cognitive flexibility and creative capabilities.
Appropriately prioritize demands while accessing time management skills.
Engage organizational skills and working memory.
Attune to the wisdom of the body to assist in making choices aligned with personal beliefs and values rather than going with the crowd to please.

Relationship Skills – Forming positive relationships to be able to work in groups and deal effectively with conflict

Mindfulness practices promote relationship skills by teaching educators and students how to:

Recognize and respect the perspective of others.
Developing skills of compassion, kindness and understanding.
Respond with awareness and thought rather than react with impulsivity.
Resolve conflict through authentic, clear communication.

Social Awareness – Showing empathy and compassion

Mindfulness practices promote social awareness by teaching educators and students how to:

Develop acceptance and tolerance of others’ differences and unique qualities.
Support others’ ability to see their goodness and strengths.
Acknowledge the emotional states of others while maintaining your own.
Build cooperative and compassionate community.

Feuerborn, L.L., Gueldner, B. Mindfulness and Social-Emotional Competencies: Proposing Connections Through a Review of the Research. Mindfulness 10, 1707–1720 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01101-1