Mindfulness in Schools: JG Larochette's Transformative Journey

How Mindfulness Transformed JG Larochette’s Life and Work

From Sports to Mindfulness: A Teacher’s Journey

JG Larochette’s first word—“ball”—hinted at his lifelong connection to movement. As a Division I baseball player turned educator, he initially found solace in physical activity. However, after eight years of teaching at Coronado Elementary School—where he worked with traumatized students in an underserved community—Larochette faced severe anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

The Turning Point: Discovering Mindfulness

When traditional therapies failed, Larochette tried mindfulness meditation. Though skeptical at first ("I’m a movement kind of person"), a session at Spirit Rock Meditation Center changed everything:

• Immediate impact: His sleep improved within weeks
• Emotional breakthrough: "I felt at home in myself for the first time"
• Lifelong realization: Sports had been his unconscious mindfulness practice

Bringing Mindfulness to the Classroom

After just 2-3 weeks of personal practice, Larochette introduced mindfulness to his third-graders:

The first session:
1. Kept it simple: 2-minute meditation
2. Focused on sounds and breathing
3. Result: All 25 students achieved rare stillness and reported feeling "like floating in clouds"

Founding the Mindful Life Project

This experience led Larochette to establish the Mindful Life Project, which now:

• Serves 22 underserved Bay Area schools
• Provides trauma-informed mindfulness programs
• Trains educators nationwide

Why Mindfulness Works for Trauma-Affected Students

Larochette observed that mindfulness helped students:

• Regulate emotions
• Process grief and trauma
• Improve focus and behavior

His key insight: "My own anxiety was mirroring in my students until I practiced presence."

Practical Advice for Educators

For teachers considering mindfulness:

• Start small (even 1-2 minutes)
• Be transparent about your own practice
• Create a no-pressure environment

"The moment I stopped trying to fix my students," Larochette reflects, "was when real healing began."