As students worldwide experience disrupted learning schedules and environments, MindUP puts key strategies from its evidence-based program in the pockets of parents and teachers with Insight Timer.

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Insight Timer, the world’s largest free meditation app for anxiety, stress and sleep, today releases free mindful learning resources in partnership with The Goldie Hawn Foundation’s program MindUP. MindUP is partnering with Insight Timer’s global platform to deliver short exercises based on its accredited curriculum to parents and teachers directly for the first time, in order to support children’s learning in fluctuating school environments during the COVID-19 crisis.


Actress, best-selling author and founder Goldie Hawn created MindUP together with researchers, scientists and educators to teach children how to regulate emotions, form positive relationships and increase overall wellbeing through positive psychology, mindful awareness, neuroscience and social-emotional learning. The free five-minute exercises made for Insight Timer teach children daily gratitude, “brain breaks” and kindness that are proven to improve focus, resiliency, optimism and empathy. The audio exercises are available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese with more languages to come this year.

On November 13 at 1pm EST, Hawn will host a live talk on Insight Timer to explain the science behind the mental fitness program, MindUP, which is accredited by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). As parents look for ways to support, and in some cases help proctor, students during an untraditional school year, MindUP’s exercises on Insight Timer teach children focus, empathy and relationship-building — which a screen often disrupts.

“We are proud to add MindUP’s learning resources to our free library to support parents and educators as they face new challenges teaching children with technology,” said Christopher Plowman, CEO, Insight Timer. “This partnership with MindUP aligns with our values for Insight Timer to always be a more conscious use of screen time.”

The World Health Organization reported in September 2020 that depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents, and earlier this year reported along with the United Nations that more children are struggling concentration and nervousness amid lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools worldwide struggle to reopen fully, millions of children will learn in makeshift classrooms at home among potential distractions or unfit environments. MindUP created content for Insight Timer to fill that gap by making components of its well-researched, multi-year training program accessible to anyone who finds themself a teacher this year.

“It is a great honor to be associated with Insight Timer, a global company that has the capacity to create uplift, calm and various approaches to emotional wellbeing,” said Goldie Hawn, founder of MindUP. “During this time of uncertainty, children are affected negatively emotionally and are facing symptoms of stress and anxiety. Our program MindUP helps address these issues by creating mental fitness and emotional stability. Thanks to Insight Timer, we are able to deliver some of our education practices to parents who are helping to homeschool and teachers who are learning to teach virtually.”

MindUP will join Insight Timer’s free library among neuroscience mindfulness exercises from Judson Brewer M.D. Ph.D, Rick Hanson Ph.D, Dan Siegel M.D. and other leading researchers.

About Insight Timer

Insight Timer is the world’s largest free meditation app for anxiety, stress and sleep. It is the only app in this space to grow from a conscious business model, attracting 18 million users through word of mouth and zero ad spend. Insight Timer offers 60,000 free, high-quality meditations from over 8,000 teachers worldwide including His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Russell Brand, Elizabeth Gilbert, Tara Brach, and Jack Kornfield. Its library is diverse and inclusive with secular, spiritual, religious and scientific meditations, music and talks in 44 different languages. Community is a core part of the experience with users able to create playlists of their favorite tracks, join live sessions with their teachers and soon meditate in real time with their friends and colleagues. Since 2014, Insight Timer has become the most used meditation app in the United States of America and has established an engaged global audience of 17 million people.

About The Goldie Hawn Foundation

Since 2003, MindUP has been helping children develop the mental fitness necessary to thrive in school and throughout their lives. MindUP is the signature program of The Goldie Hawn Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created in response to the global epidemic of childhood aggression, anxiety, depression, and suicide. Based firmly in neuroscience, MindUP gives children the knowledge and tools they need to manage stress, regulate emotions, and face the challenges of the 21st century with optimism, resilience, and compassion.

To learn more about MindUP, visit: https://mindup.org/

Contacts

Tara Kirkpatrick
tara@insight.co