Inner Explorer

🚨At the 2024 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference, there is a wide selection of sessions exploring the how to support the strengths, interests, and needs of young learners, including our panel with our partners at Bright Horizons & Reflection Sciences, Inc.! 🎟️We are excited to see you, November 6-9 in Anaheim, CA for the largest early childhood education conference in the world!

🎙️ Meet Our Voices! 📣 Today we'd like to introduce Travis, who narrates practices in our High School program. When he's not practicing mindfulness, you can find him riding one of his BMX SE Big Ripper bikes, listening to classic rap music, cooking a southern meal for his family, or exploring a new city. 💚 We're proud to feature a diverse lineup of narrators who inspire our students to stay curious and open-minded.

🎃Don’t let your schedule get spooked- keep taking those mindful moments! Between the candy, celebrations and costumes, remember to breathe, recharge, and stay present. Stress can haunt us too, but a regular mindfulness practice is the first step to keeping the monsters at bay👻: https://buff.ly/4bCzt50

1️⃣FIRST STEP FIRST: giving our early learners the tools they need to thrive. 🌅Bright Horizons, the leader in early childhood education, has incorporated daily mindfulness practice in its classrooms using our curated mindfulness platform that supports kids’ mental health and well-being in schools and centers. 👩🏫“Our teachers use the Inner Explorer program to teach mindfulness and healthy coping behaviors,” says Claire Goss, senior manager, Parenting Education and Resources at Bright Horizons. “It’s part of our routine at Bright Horizons, and we have seen immediate results.” 🎟️If you're able to attend the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in California next week, join our panel presentation to learn more about this transformative partnership and it's impact on our early learners.

🚨We're excited to hear how daily Inner Explorer practices have made a big difference as the first step in this kindergarten classroom! Ms. Smith at Kemp Elementary in Clayton County Public Schools shared how her students were a bit resistant to the idea—some were fidgety or unsure about slowing down. But with patience and fun, age-appropriate exercises like simple breathing techniques and movement, she slowly helped them ease into it. 👏Over time, the results show students become more focused, calm, and able to handle their emotions better. They even encourage each other to regulate themselves with tools from their daily practices!

📣 Introducing Emma, one of the Voices for our Elementary series. 💚Our programs are enriched with a diverse group of narrators, inspiring students & educators to embrace curiosity and open-mindedness. 🧭Emma is a student at UC Berkeley and she loves rock music! Her favorites are The Strokes, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles. Her favorite book is All About Love by bell hooks. She loves to eat sushi mindfully, and is constantly inspired by her incredible friends and family, along with being outdoors, art, and playing music.

🚨Mindful eating promotes better digestion, helps regulate appetite, enhances our enjoyment of food, & supports healthy weight management. TRY IT: 👁️Pretend we've never seen this item before and we're trying to decide if it is edible! Notice what we see with our eyes as we look at our mystery object as it rests in our hand or on a napkin, in a cup, etc. What color, shape, size, any other visible details do we notice? 🖐️Then lightly touching the object between two fingers, what texture do we notice? Is it rough or smooth? Moist or dry? Sticky or not? 👃Now, noticing any smell. Maybe we can notice sweet or sour, earthy or musty? 👂Finally, take a bite-but don't chew yet! What sensations do we notice in the mouth? Does this item make any noises we never noticed before? Do we feel an urge to chew and swallow? 👄And as a last step, tasting the food by biting down on the object just once. Notice any change in flavor or texture, chewing and swallowing slowly.

👣First step first: We'd love to see you at the #SELExchange hosted by CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) in Chicago! 🎟️https://buff.ly/4gXfeRV 💚Mindfulness is more than just a tool–it’s an essential first step and accelerator for effective social-emotional learning. In this engaging panel discussion, administrators from Los Angeles Unified School District and Southfield Public Schools will share how daily mindfulness practices are embedded into their SEL frameworks to cultivate Core Competencies for students and educators. Learn how this evidence-based approach drives resilience, achievement, and well-being across diverse school communities. 🧭Session Title: The Power of Mindfulness-Based SEL (MBSEL): Learning from the Inside-Out Date: November 14 Time: 10:45-11:15am Location: E350

👏THIS.👏WHOLE.👏ARTICLE.👏 "In a rapidly changing world filled with technological advances, climate crises, and social upheaval, the need for emotional resilience, empathy, and collaboration is more pressing than ever. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and mindfulness have emerged as essential tools for cultivating these skills."

📣 Introducing Malik, one of the Voices for our Elementary series. 💚Our programs are enriched with a diverse group of narrators, inspiring students & educators to embrace curiosity and open-mindedness. 🧭Malik, aged 20, is a blend of Black and Guatemalan heritage, hailing from Oakland, California. Since 5th grade, he has practiced mindfulness, appreciating its universal and practical applications. Alongside pursuing his teaching degree, Malik enjoys listening to Lupe Fiasco, delving into Paulo Coelho's works, and playing basketball.