The UK Government has for the first time invested public funds to study the benefits of mindfulness in the classroom. By Jamie Bristow Hundreds of children in the UK will be taught mindfulness among a range of innovative techniques with the aim of promoting good mental health, through one of the largest studies of its kind in the world (in terms of participant numbers). Led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in partnership with University College London, a series of trials will see children from up to 370 schools learn mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises which aim to “to help them regulate their emotions”—alongside pupil sessions with mental health experts. The study will extend existing research into mindfulness and mental health education, comparing the effectiveness of different approaches, with the aim of establishing a robust evidence-base to help schools determine how best to promote ...