Be Here Now

Nine second graders are sitting on a blue rug. They are in a classroom at P.S. 54, an elementary school in Brooklyn, New York. A teacher strikes a bell. The students take a deep breath.

They are practicing mindfulness. They are learning to focus on the present × present IMAZINS/GETTY IMAGES existing or happening now (adjective) I do not want to eat that apple, because I am not hungry at the present time. moment. “Mindfulness teaches kids to notice what is going on inside and around them,” says Mariam Gates. She writes books for kids about mindfulness. “Mindfulness is about learning to check in with how you feel.”

Fifth-grade students at P.S. 54, in Brooklyn, New York, practice mindfulness twice a week. Here, they learn a yoga pose for focus.

Students at P.S. 54 practice mindfulness twice a week. An instructor leads them through deep breathing, movement, and relaxation × relaxation STOCKPLANETS/GETTY IMAGES the act of relaxing or of releasing stress (noun) My favorite relaxation technique is closing my eyes and taking 10 deep breaths. exercises. The group also makes affirmations × affirmation JGI/JAMIE GRILL—GETTY IMAGES a positive thought or statement (noun) Sariah repeats affirmations to improve her mood. . These are positive statements, like “I am so smart” or “I am so kind.”

Naya Cosme, 9, has been learning mindfulness at P.S. 54 for two years. “It helps me calm my body,” she told TIME for Kids. “If I have a problem, I just breathe in. Then I feel better.”

Mindfulness Matters

Mindfulness isn’t only about staying calm and boosting your self-esteem × self-esteem ANTONIO_DIAZ/GETTY IMAGES a confidence and satisfaction in oneself (noun) My self-esteem is very high since I aced my math test. . It also helps kids succeed in school. That’s according to a 2015 study. How might mindfulness add up to good grades? It trains the brain to pay attention.

Kathie Arseno of the nonprofit group Green Generations helps a second grader at P.S. 54 with a mindfulness writing project.

But you don’t have to be in school to be mindful. And you don’t have to be part of a group. “You can practice mindfulness without anyone knowing,” says Gates. “You can bring your attention to this moment and change how you experience it.”

Did You Know?

You can practice mindfulness. Here is one way.

• Sit down. Close your eyes.

• Count to four as you breathe in.

• Count to four as you breathe out.

• Repeat three times.

CORRECTION: In the print version of this story, we incorrectly identified the teacher in this photo as Kathie Arnes. Her name is Kathie Arseno.