The .b Curriculum |
We have worked with the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) to adapt .b for U.S. schools and we are now teaching .b in New England, Oakland, CA, and Washington, DC. We are also partnering with MiSP to lead .b Teacher Trainings in the U.S.
What is .b?
.b stands for “Stop, Breathe and Be!” This simple act of mindfulness provides the kernel of the nine session .b mindfulness course for high schools. Written by three experienced classroom teachers and mindfulness practitioners from the U.K., Richard Burnett, Chris Cullen and Chris O’Neil, .b is carefully crafted to engage everyone, including the most cynical of student audiences. It is taught with striking visuals, film clips and activities that bring mindfulness to life without losing the precision, expertise and integrity of classic mindfulness teaching.
What are the aims of .b?
At the most simple level .b is an awareness-raising exercise to give all students a taste of mindfulness so that they know about it and can return to it later in life if they choose to do so. However, for many students the course can lead to immediate and striking results: they feel happier, calmer and more fulfilled; they can concentrate better; they have a toolkit to deal with stress and anxiety.
Who is .b for?
.b can be taught as a required class in school or to groups of students who volunteer or are specially selected, perhaps to address a problem such as stress, depression or anxiety. The course has been designed to be flexible enough to use in a range of contexts, and is now being used across a wide age range, in public and private schools, in the UK and across the world. At present the materials are most suited to high schools, but a version of .b suitable for primary schools is being prepared and trialled.
