At its core, Montessori education is about preparing the whole child for life. What does this entail in today’s world? It means empowering children with a foundation of wellness practices that can help them build resilience by boosting their physical, emotional, and mental health. In this regard, Montessori care-of-self activities in the practical life area, meant to support the development of independence and skills like coordination, also help the child understand the value and importance of self-care. As Montessori suggests: “Personal health is related (..) to the worship of life in all its natural beauty.” Well-being is a universal human aspiration, and healthy habits can be learned. Yet teaching them, like building a muscle, takes intentionality.
This means that we need to more consciously and proactively integrate wellness related concepts and activities into the learning experience. But where do we start? We can begin by exploring the synergies and connections already present between different wellness dimensions and various elements of Montessori education. Here are three areas where Montessori meets wellness.
Physical Wellness
The first aspect that generally comes to mind when thinking about well-being is the physical. Physical wellness refers to maintaining a healthy body through physical activity, proper nutrition, good sleep habits, etc. A prevalent component of a healthy lifestyle, physical activity from a wellness perspective is not only about physical education (for children) or exercising (for adults) but it is also about having opportunities throughout the day to stay active even when not engaged in actual sports or gym classes.
In a similar line, movement takes a centerstage position in Montessori both as a foundation for child development and well-being, and as a cornerstone of learning. In The Montessori Method, Montessori dedicated a whole chapter to physical education, which she referred to as “muscular education.” There she explained that we must understand muscular education in general as a series of exercises tending to aid the normal development of physiological movements, such as walking. She believed that by encouraging children to make those movements they would be able to master ordinary acts of life. Accordingly, in Montessori, movement is intentionally an integral component of the Method. The Walk on the Line lesson, for example, is meant to help the child with breathing as well as to build coordination of movement, body awareness, and balance.
Indeed, throughout her writings, we find Montessori advocating for education to incorporate movement. Why the emphasis on physical activity beyond physical education? Montessori believed movement to be a catalyst for cognitive development. The pioneering idea that led her to advocate for bringing movement to the spotlight in education was that children actually need to move to learn, because learning happens through movement. In her book The Secret of Childhood, Montessori stated that “Movement, or physical activity, is an essential factor in intellectual growth.”
In The Absorbent Mind, she wrote: “Movement helps the development of the mind, and this finds renewed expression in further movement and activity. It follows that we are dealing with a cycle, because mind and movement are parts of the same entity.” In essence, mind and body are closely connected, and movement plays a key role in this dynamic mind-body relationship.
As we often discover, Montessori was right, and way ahead of her time. Today, neuroscience confirms that physical activity impacts brain development. Science is likewise showing that exercise is good for us, in that it contributes to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Throughout life, physical activity is translated into many health benefits, like a stronger heart, bones, and muscles, as well as better posture and coordination. Beyond physical health, exercise also boosts our mental and emotional well-being, helping build confidence and positive self-esteem, as well as reducing stress and anxiety. As a form of self-care, movement, so keenly emphasized by Montessori, constitutes a pillar of wellness.
Spiritual Wellness
Let’s look now at another prevalent aspect of well-being, the spiritual. Spiritual wellness points to understanding the bigger connection to what is beyond ourselves and our experiences to discover a deeper purpose for our existence. Echoing this notion, Cosmic Education in Montessori is about the child realizing that they are part of a larger whole, the universe, where everything is interconnected. This relates directly to spiritual wellness and also contributes to a sense of connection and belonging whereby children can appreciate the valuable role they play in the universe and find opportunities for contribution. As Montessori puts it: “The consciousness of knowing how to make oneself useful, how to help mankind in many ways, fills the soul with noble confidence, almost religious dignity.”
Spiritual well-being is often said to be fostered through mindfulness, which entails being non-judgmentally aware and fully engaged in the present moment. In Montessori, we can find two elements straightforwardly linked to the concept of mindfulness. First, being attentive to what is happening here-and-now involves focus. Montessori likewise emphasized concentration as the basis for a child’s inner discipline, tranquility and happiness.
As she explains in The Absorbent Mind: “The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. It lays the whole basis for his character and social behavior.” Second, in the practice of mindfulness, the senses are generally used to help ground oneself in the present moment. Similarly, in the Montessori early years curriculum, sensorial work provides a foundation for learning. As Montessori suggested: “the senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.” They also help build concentration and awareness.
Next to sensorial work, we can find different Montessori lessons that align with mindfulness practices. Coming back to the Walk on the Line example, this activity can be conceived as a moving meditation, which happens when we reach a meditative state while doing simple movements. Likewise, the Silence Game, where children need to practice self-control to sit quietly and listen attentively, can be considered an exercise in mindfulness.
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