Over the past few weeks, a new program has quietly launched at Csodasziget Preschool Tömő utca 38. Budapest): it’s called “Csendkuckó” or “Quiet Corner.”

The program applies mindfulness techniques in a kindergarten setting, with the goal of helping children manage the emotional storms they experience. Although many people believe that these emotional storms are characteristic only of teenagers, every mom and dad knows that this is certainly not the case. Preschoolers often seek ways to express their emotions just as much, and sometimes they are just as unable to articulate the cause of their restlessness or anxiety.

The mindfulness program helps children feel better by paying attention to themselves, their emotions, and the storms and moments of calm within them.

The Kindergartens of Józsefváros develops programs with the help of Hungary’s leading experts on the given subject—this time with the assistance of Anita Mellár Mezei, who has published several important books on this topic! 

At the Csodasziget Member Kindergarten, we hold short weekly sessions: breathing exercises, during which we observe the path of the breath; we curl up on the floor and relax quietly for a short while, anchoring our swirling thoughts, listening as the tinkling of a singing bowl slowly circles the room, then fades into silence.  

And in the process, our muscles and wrinkles gently smooth out, and we release our tensions. Perhaps there is no need to explain at length why this might be significant in the midst of a bustling, constantly pulsating city like Budapest. Where the kindergarten nestled at the foot of the prefabricated apartment blocks is indeed an island of peace, but outside, sharp sounds, hustle and bustle, and heavy traffic constantly distract our attention.

Mindfulness techniques are widely used today, from the executive suites of large corporations to hospitals and some schools—and now, even at one of the kindergartens in Józsefváros!