Katie Couric recently conducted a powerful interview with JG Laurochette, founder of Mindful Life Project. Laurochette was teaching 3rd grade in Richmond, CA and was significantly impacted by the violence and extreme oppression that his students were experiencing. He says that he internalized the students’ oppression, which led to a deep depression.
In order to cope with the depression, Laurochette began practicing mindfulness and yoga. These practices had such a profoundly positive impact on his life that he began teaching them to his students.
In 2012, Laurochette founded the nonprofit, Mindful Life Project. This project empowers children through mindfulness, yoga, and the arts so that they can have wise responses to their life challenges. Laurochette says that he’s had an incredibly positive response from teachers. Teachers at the schools who have been teaching for many years say that they haven’t seen anything have the same impact as when Laurochette and his staff come into the classroom to teach. The teachers report that the kids are able to sit still and remain on task when Mindful Life folks come into the classroom.
In addition to teaching the kids mindfulness and yoga practices, JustMe, staff member at Mindful Life, teaches the kids Mindful hiphop. They take the kids’ favorite rap songs and transform the lyrics into mindful lyrics.
The interview with Couric features Maleeke, a young boy whose brother was killed in 2012. His mother reports that following the death of his brother, Maleeke was having difficulty managing his grief and was struggling with anger outbursts. His grades suffered. Maleeke states that Mindful Life Project helped him to “pay attention to the present moment, grab my anger and put it back inside of me and keep it there for a while.” Maleeke’s school principal reports that he is now the highest academic student in his class this year!
Laurochette calls mindfulness “the quiet revolution.” I just love that!
You can see Katie Couric’s interview with Laurochette, JustMe and Maleeke here.