The use of mindfulness‐based interventions with children

Abstract

In the last 10 years, mindfulness has become a popular approach for managing strong or distressing feelings for adults and children. Particularly for children, mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) have been touted as a modality for the treatment of conditions ranging from attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, depression, and stress. Jon Kabat‐Zinn, the widely recognized originator of medically based mindfulness, defines the concept as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non‐judgmentally” (Kabat‐Zinn, 1982). Practices such as yoga, breathwork, or meditation all incorporate mindfulness to act or react with awareness and with a lack of judgment regarding those thoughts and feelings that arise.