Social and Emotional Learning

Hello, my name is Lisa Robinson.  I’m pleased to be a guest blogger for Peace Learning Center, where my posts will highlight the relationships between the practice of mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and social and emotional learning (SEL).  However, the most important part is that I’ll present resources to help adults and children to benefit from enhancing their use of mindfulness.  Through my posts, my hope is that you will find tools and support to travel a mindful path that resonates with you. A great definition of mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is known for bringing mindfulness into the mainstream.  He said that mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” A number of important benefits have been identified with learning to regularly practice mindfulness.  On 1/02/2014, The Huffington Post featured, ‘Why 2014 Will Be the Year of Mindful Living,’ which indicated that “recent studies have linked mindfulness with emotional stability and improved sleep, increased focus and memory, enhanced creativity, and lower stress levels, among a host of other positive health outcomes.” Practicing mindfulness can translate into greater effectiveness and satisfaction.  In business, this can help professionals to demonstrate enhanced emotional intelligence that facilitates success at work.  In education, through enhanced social and emotional learning (SEL), mindfulness can help teachers to find more meaning and joy in their work, to engage students to accomplish more than they ever thought possible, and for