NFP App For Mindful Meditation
9 October 2012 at 10:13 am
A new Australian Not for Profit has developed a website and App to help increase resilience in young people by using meditation.
With cases of mental illness, depression and stress-related illness on the rise, the Not for Profit called Smiling Mind has created a free-of-charge Mindfulness Meditation website and App developed specifically for young people.
Consisting of four age-specific programs; 7-11 years, 12-15 years, 16-22 years; and adults, each program takes the listener through a guided session using relaxation and breathing techniques.
“By lowering stress and increasing resilience in young people Mindfulness Meditation helps lower the incidence of anxiety, depression and other physical and mental illnesses in later life,” according to Co-founders Jane Martino and James Tutton.
“Smiling Mind is modern meditation for young people – it aims to dispel the myths around meditation by creating an accessible online program that is easy for young people to use and feel comfortable with,” they said.
The co-founders created the innovative program in conjunction with local and overseas psychologists specialising in youth orientated pre-emptive mental health programs.
“Smiling Mind’s Project Partner, the Inspire Foundation also played an integral role by supporting program development and testing. Inspire is the Not for Profit organisation behind ReachOut.com, Australia's leading online mental health service for young people.
“Young people face increasing everyday life pressures – from their mobile phones, social media, hectic after-school schedules and exam pressures. What they need are tools to help them cope,” Martino said.
Dr Craig Hassed, senior lecturer at the Monash University Department of General Practice says he has been a leading advocate of mindfulness research and techniques since 1991.
“Mindfulness Meditation can be applied to most situations but it can be particularly useful for school students in helping them deal with anxiety relating to study and exams. It’s a practice that can help students focus and deal with emotional issues, thus improving their mental state,” Dr Hassed said.
Smiling Mind says its long-term vision of being on the Australian Curriculum by 2020 is already underway, with a pilot program currently in place within 20 schools nationwide.
Visit www.smilingmind.com.au or visit the App store.
