On Saturday, August 24, 2024, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas welcomed the esteemed Professor Valerie York-Zimmerman, founder of Miami Mindfulness, who led a meditation practice centered on the experience of gratitude. The event aimed to help attendees cultivate balance and harmony in their daily lives. Attended by a dozen artists and enthusiasts, the session took place amidst the captivating paintings of MaiYap, also focused on expressing thanks, particularly to Mother Nature for her poignant balance among elements. It was a unique opportunity to connect with art and mindfulness in a beautifully immersive setting. The event marked the closing of MaiYap's exquisite solo exhibition, Gratitude: Eco-Aesthetics in Motion, curated by specialist Sophia Bonet.
Mindfulness is the innate capacity of the mind to be present and aware in a given moment, where body and mind fully synchronize with the present reality. This experience is cultivated through the practice of meditation. It reminds us that as human beings, we always have the choice to be present and conscious when we listen, speak, study, interact, act, and behave. However, it is not simple—it requires practice.
This methodology is effective for adults, youth, and even children. The difference is that, for an adult, it is a journey of self-discovery, while children require constant guidance from well-trained personnel.
Just as in national training programs for educators, the focus of MKM is to first train teachers, healthcare providers, child service workers, and child advocates. 'Until adults learn mindfulness, they cannot implement it in classrooms, medical offices, hospitals, or therapy sessions,' she says.
According to York-Zimmerman, her intention is to benefit the entire Miami child community and to do more to alleviate the suffering of abandoned, neglected, abused, adopted, traumatized, and incarcerated children, which would benefit not only them but the entire community.
The training offered by the educator is categorized according to the children’s ages: mindful movement, focused games and exercises, conscious relaxation, and the practice of kindness. 'These activities reverse the negative effects of stress and act as antidotes to cruelty, abuse, and violence,' she states.
Those who compose the triad of abuse: victim, abuser, and witness, are usually frightened and unsure of what to do. The kindness practices taught in these trainings guide children to respond calmly when they face cruelty, teaching them what to do. The results are manifested in increased attention and focus, reduced stress, enhanced impulse control, and the development of emotional regulation, empathy, compassion, and tolerance.
It has been observed that nowadays, everyone, especially children and adolescents, is overstimulated, making it difficult for them to relax. Relaxation is challenging because it is an unfamiliar sensation. It is hard for us to stay still. With practice, everything calms down, we focus on our breathing, scan the body from head to toe, and a sense of peace and harmony emerges.
Professor Valerie, the founder of Miami Mindfulness, spoke about all this and much more. She attended the Stress Reduction Center at the University of Massachusetts under the direction of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1998. She is a certified MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) teacher by the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Valerie is affiliated with the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute (MBPTI) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she is a teacher, trainer, and mentor for future instructors. She is also a member of the International Mindfulness Integrity (IMI) Network, a global network that defines the ethics and standards of mindfulness teaching, promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and integrity in mindfulness education worldwide.