Beyond Coping in High School: An Emergent Mindfulness Practice Towards Embodied Wisdom

Abstract

Mindfulness practice is trending in schools. Within secondary education, it is oftentimes introduced as meditation for present-moment awareness of the self to support academic concerns. However, mindfulness practice in its original conception is a holistic way of cultivating human well-being towards flourishing. It is a practice that aims for awareness to the entirety of human subjective and intersubjective experiencing as it is emerging. In doing so, mindfulness evolves from a coping tool into a rich contemplative practice. This paper will make the case that mindulness as a contemplative practice facilitates the cultivation of embodied wisdom and that such a practice is inherently compatible with the needs and aims of students, particularly fitting with the Canadian province of British Columbia’s K-12 core competencies. Furthermore, the paper introduces qualitative research that the author conducted online, which showcases what an emergent mindfulness practice moving towards embodied wisdom can look like. The constructionist multi-case study demonstrates how three secondary school students intra-act with a mindfulness practice underpinned by a contemplative framework. It captures how participants and the practice evolved in tandem, and how participants have grown in self-trust by grappling with core issues. The findings illuminate the practice’s potential to nurture personal transformation and contribute to schooling and mental health domains.