How to Teach 5 Minute Mindfulness to Kids

Written in 2007 by Robyn Hussa Farrell, MFA, E-RYT, MBSR, the 5 Minute Mindfulness™ curriculum is an evidence-based school mindfulness program deployed across four phases over 17 years: clinical settings (2007-2012); school-based train-the-trainer programs (2013-2020); applied research producing peer-reviewed studies (2012-2021); and healthcare workforce delivery (2014-2026). Recommended companion to Overcoming Adversity and Suicide Prevention.

EVIDENCE BASE & DEPLOYMENT

Practice-based evidence review (Hussa Farrell, 2025): 321 SC educators across 11 cohorts (2019-2020); K-2 literacy study n=30 (Bauer et al., 2020); adolescent athlete pilot n=16 using CAMM, SAS-2, TSCI (Patrizi et al., 2019); NYC healthcare workforce cohorts (Rios et al., 2024). 5,000+ SC educators trained through USC Upstate Resilient Schools (Parker et al., 2020). Among 700 Spartanburg D7 educators: 92% increased confidence managing mental illness; 86% increased student engagement (Anderson et al., 2017).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Apply at least two mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) strategies to support their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of the clients they serve
• Describe the neurological and psychological mechanisms by which mindfulness practice supports stress reduction, emotion regulation, and self-directed neuroplasticity
• Demonstrate at least one 5 Minute Mindfulness™ technique suitable for use in a professional or clinical setting with students, patients, or clients