TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Mindfulness Meditation and Techniques: Implications for
School Counselors and Mental Health Professionals
A Definition of Mindfulness
Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way:
on purpose,
in the present moment,
and nonjudgmentally.
-
Aspects of Mindfulness
 Present Moment
 Attention
 Awareness
 Nonjudgmental
 Acceptance
 Observe
 Intention
 Experience
JON KABAT-ZINN
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Stepping Out of Automatic Pilot
 Automatic responses
 Using mindfulness to step out of automatic pilot
 Breaking automatic responses
Formal Mindfulness Practices
 Mindfulness meditation practices focused on various aspects of the present
moment
 Time is often set aside during the day for such practices
Informal Mindfulness Practices
 Becoming aware of one’s experience in the present moment during daily activities
Therapies that Incorporate Mindfulness Practices
 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction - Center for Mindfulness Medicine, Health
Care, and Society; University of Massachusetts Medical School; Kabat-Zinn,
1990
 Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Linehan, 1993
 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999
 Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) – Segal, Williams, & Teasdale
2002
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Mindfulness Practices with Children
 Beginner’s Mind - openness, receptiveness, and readiness to learn
 Adaptations of the above therapies
 Considerations for using mindfulness techniques with other counseling modalities
 Your mindfulness practice
 Working with teachers and parents
Indications for Use of Mindfulness with Students
 Stress
 Anxiety
 Impulsive Behavior
 Anger
 Interpersonal difficulties
 Inattention
Mindfulness of the Breath
 May help a person let go of past and future experiences
 Always there and available for focus
 Temporary distraction - requires some effort to maintain focus
 Attention to the simple may be more effective than analysis of the complex
 Seeing thoughts as thoughts (not facts) promotes decentering and may prevent
thoughts from escalating into reactive behaviors
Adapted from Segal, Williams, & Teasdale (2002, pp. 162-163)
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Taking three mindful breaths
Children should sit in a comfortable position, becoming aware of their posture, either sitting on a
cushion on the floor or in a chair. They may choose to close their eyes or have “soft eyes,”
looking downward with an unfocused gaze.
You may introduce mindful breathing with the following words or an adaptation of such words:
I invite you to bring your attention to the breath. You can focus on the breath as it enters and
leaves you nose, noticing how the air feels cool coming in and slightly warmer leaving your
nose. Or you may chose to focus on the breath at your belly, feeling it rise with the in-breath and
fall with the out-breath. Stay focused, as best you can, on your breath without trying to control it
in any way. Notice the air as it enters and as it leaves, entering and leaving. If your mind
wanders, that’s okay. Simply bring your attention back to the in-breath and the out-breath.
Breathing in and breathing out. Your mind will naturally wander off and get lost in thoughts.
That’s okay. It’s just what minds do. Your job is to gently bring your attention back to the
breath each time you notice that your mind has wandered. You may tell yourself “great job” for
noticing and then continue to focus on your breath.
Adapted from Semple and Lee (2008, p. 76)
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
The Three-Minute Breathing Space
Initially this exercise should be three minutes. With continued practice, you may increase the
time up to ten minutes.
1. AWARENESS
Bring yourself into the present moment by deliberately sitting up straight and becoming aware of
how your body feels touching the floor, cushion, or chair. If you feel comfortable, close your
eyes. Then ask:
“What am I experiencing right now? What are my thoughts? What are my feelings? What are
the sensations in my body?”
Observe (watch) your experience, even if you do not like what you are feeling or thinking.
2. GATHERING
Then, gently bring your full attention to breathing, to each in-breath and to each out-breath.
Noticing your belly rising on the in-breath and falling on the out-breath.
Your breath can be an anchor to bring you into the present and help you tune in to a state of
awareness and stillness.
3. EXPANDING
Expand your attention beyond your breathing to become aware of your entire body, your posture,
and facial expression. You may choose to expand your awareness to the room you are in and
others in the room.
The breathing space helps you to become aware of your present moment experience and helps
you step out of automatic pilot.
The key skill in using mindfulness is to maintain awareness in the moment. Nothing else.
Adapted from Segal, Williams, &Teasdale (2002, p. 184)
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Still Quiet Place
The below language is meant for children ages 3 to 7. When using this technique with older
children, you can put more emphasis on sensations in the body and less emphasis on the Still
Quiet Place as a location. Encourage children to visit their Still Quiet Place when upset. Dr.
Saltzman states that children ages 5 to 9 may remember to use this technique when upset and
some may be able to use the practice to allow them to respond to a difficult situation. Dr.
Saltzman recommends that for a formal mindfulness practice, children can practice about one
minute per their age in years.
I would like to share one of my favorite places with you. I call it Still Quiet Place. It’s
not a place you travel to in a car, or a train, or a plane. It’s a place inside you that you can visit
just by closing your eyes. Let’s find it now.
Close your eyes and take slow deep breaths. See if you can feel a kind of warm, happy
smile in your body. Do you feel it? This is your Still Quiet Place. Take some more deep
breaths and really snuggle in.
The best thing about your Still Quiet Place is that it’s always inside you. You can visit it
whenever you like. It is nice to visit your still quiet place and feel the love that is there. It is
especially helpful to visit your Still Quiet Place if you are angry, or sad, or afraid. The Still
Quiet Place is a good place to talk with those feelings and to make friends with them. When you
rest in your Still Quiet Place and talk to your feelings, you may find that your feelings are not as
big and as powerful as they seem. Remember, you can come here whenever you want and stay
as long as you like.
Saltzman & Goldin (2008, p. 142)
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Wake Up Your Senses Meditation
Feel all your attention gently falling from the top of your head down to your neck, lightly falling
like a snowflake or a leaf falling from a tree. Feel your attention move down through your
shoulders…your arms…your hands…your chest and belly…your hips and thighs…your knees
and ankles… into your feet and all the way down to your toes. Let your mind rest in your body,
noticing all the feelings inside- tingling, shivers, warmth, coolness, relaxation, tightness, or
nothing at all. Notice how the sensations and feelings change when you bring attention to them.
See if you can feel the stillness in your body as you sit, not moving, and noticing changing
sensations throughout your body.
You can then take the children through an exploration of the different senses. Noticing how they
feel with touch- perhaps noting how the legs and feet feel the pressure from the floor and/or
chair. Becoming aware of sounds, sights, or smells. You may also follow with an eating
exercise to explore taste.
Adapted from Goodman (2005, p. 217)
The Raisin Exercise- An exercise of mindful eating
First ask the children to become aware of their bodies and assume mindful postures. Pass out a
few raisins to each child.
Take one of the objects and hold it in your hand. Look at it very carefully, as if you are going to
describe it to a Martian who has never seen one before. As best you can, be aware of thoughts or
images that may sneak in as you look at this object. Simply note that they are just thoughts and
return your attention to this object. Notice the colors of the object. What does the surface look
like? Is it bumpy or smooth? Explore the object with your eyes and fingers. Is it dry or moist?
Notice how the light shines on the object. Bring the object to your nose. Does it have any
smells? Explore with your eyes, your fingers, and your nose. Is your attention on this object in
your hand? Then, whenever you’re ready, place the object in your mouth. Explore the object
with your tongue. Don’t bite it. Does it taste or feel different in different parts of your mouth?
Do you notice your mouth watering? As best you can, keep your attention on the object and also
watch your thoughts. Are the thoughts looking forward to swallowing the object and eating
another or are they attending to the sensations of the one that is in your mouth? Gently bite the
object. Taste the flavor. Slowly chew the object while noting every sensation. As you swallow
the object, first note the intention to swallow it. Then feel it slide down your throat and into your
tummy. Can you feel that your body is now exactly one raisin heavier than it was a few minutes
ago?
Adapted from Semple and Lee (2008, pp. 78-79)
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Mindfulness Techniques Focused on Thoughts
Soldiers in the Parade
I am going to ask you to do an exercise to show how quickly thoughts can pull us away from the
present moment experience when we believe them. Let whatever thoughts come up and allow
them to flow, one thought after another. You will know when you have followed a thought when
the parade has stopped or you are down in the parade. Imagine that little people, soldiers, are
marching out of your ear down in front of you in a parade. You are on the sidewalk watching the
parade go by. Each soldier is carrying a sign and each thought you have is on a sign. The
thoughts may be words or images. Some thoughts may be big and bold, while others are small.
If you realize that you have followed a thought, then go back to the exercise, watching the
soldiers again.
Adapted from Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson (1999, p. 159)
Variations for Watching Thoughts
 Imagine you are sitting in a movie theater watching your thoughts scroll down the
movie screen
 Imagine yourself watching clouds pass by in the sky. See your thoughts on each
cloud that goes by. Some may be dark and heavy, while others are light and
bright.
Standing Behind the Waterfall
Sometimes feelings and thoughts are intense and too difficult to focus on. Instead of getting
caught up in thoughts or reacting to the negative feelings, picture yourself standing behind a
waterfall of negative thoughts and feelings. Allowing them to be there without reacting to them.
Seeing those thoughts and feelings as part of your whole self, but not defining who you are or
what you should do.
Adapted from Segal, Williams, & Teasdale (2002, PP. 250-251)
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
Informal Mindfulness Practices
Children should be instructed to practice informal mindfulness exercises in addition to formal
practices. This simply means that children should bring full attention to the present moment
during a daily activity. Encourage them to notice physical sensations involved, different senses
involved- touch, taste, sights, sounds, smell, and related thoughts and feelings. The following
are some examples.










Brushing teeth
Washing hair or body
Applying lotion
Listening to a song
Noticing sounds or sights on the ride to or from school
Eating a snack
Doing a chore
Talking to family or friend
Playing a game with family or friend
Taking a walk
TRACEY POLIZZI, PH.D.
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
Stony Point, NY
(845) 271-4209
traceypolizzi@gmail.com
References
Christensen, K., Riddoch, G. N., & Eggers Huber, J. (2009). Dialectical behavior therapy skills,
101 mindfulness exercises and other fun activities for children and adolescents. Indiana:
AuthorHouse.
Goodman, T.A. (2005). Working with children: Beginner’s mind. In C. K. Germer, R. D.
Segal, & P. R. Fulton (Eds.), Mindfulness and psychotherapy (pp.197-219). New York:
Guilford.
Greco, L. A. & Hayes, S. C. (Eds.) . (2008). Acceptance and mindfulness
treatments for children and adolescents (pp. 63-87). California: New Harbinger
Publications, Inc.
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An
experiential approach to behavior change. New York: Guilford.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face
stress, pain, and illness. New York: Dell Publishing.
Linehan, M. M. (1993a). Cognitive behavioral therapy of borderline personality disorder. New
York: Guilford.
Linehan, M. M. (1993b). Skills training manual for treating borderline personality disorder.
New York: Guilford.
Saltzman, A. & Goldin, P. (2008). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for school-age children.
In L. A. Greco & S. C. Hayes (Eds.), Acceptance and mindfulness treatments for children
and adolescents (pp. 139-161). California: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. New York: Guilford.
Semple, R. J. & Lee, J. (2008). Treating anxiety with mindfulness: Mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy for children. In L. A. Greco & S. C. Hayes (Eds.), Acceptance and mindfulness
treatments for children and adolescents (pp. 63-87). California: New Harbinger
Publications, Inc.