Anthony Heaps
English 101-5:30
Dr. Sonia Begert
23 November 2015
Is
teaching meditation in school a good idea?
It’s pretty hectic out there. At the moment of this
writing the news is reporting on conflicts that are currently plaguing the
world. Arguments are currently being made about our country’s involvement in
affairs that are in other parts of the world. There are concerns about threats being
made and the world appears to be very chaotic.
Moving away from the stresses of the world, there are even points of
stress and concern within our own local and individual lives. We are constantly
in the crises of having to make daily decisions that affect various aspects of
our lives. These decisions involve things such as spending, housing, career,
food, clothing, and also having to navigate through various social
expectations. Just managing our personal world can be pretty hectic.
Beginning
early in our lives and education we are taught about things that we should be doing
and how we are meant to act or be. This education is meant to help assist us in
navigating life as we grow up and eventually move into our lives as adults with
differing roles and responsibilities. We are taught mathematics in school,
which may be used later in life for managing our spending, balancing a budget,
or organization of varying projects. We are also taught how to read and write
which can help us further our education by being able to understand and have
various insights into the world through the words, thoughts and ideas of others
expressed in literature. We even have Physical Education in order to keep us
active and allow our growing bodies the chance to get its exercise.
Our school education taught many of these
subjects in an effort to allow us to become part of a growing world with its
numerous experiences. We are also taught about history in an effort to help us
form an understanding of the past and learn from it to move on to help build
the future. I recall being told by a teacher in Junior High School “We are
taught history so that we may learn from it and hope to not repeat our
mistakes.” The irony of that statement
is that history still seems to repeat itself. We are in the 21st
Century and we still have wars, arguments about racism, and religion. All of
these conflicts having been around in varying incarnations throughout history.
Being quick to anger, not being able to think clearly, or respond well to
stressing influences often contribute to the environmental factors which may
eventually lead to some of the larger conflicts that take place.
The
lack of a healthy stress response in and of itself is not a sole contributing
factor to the conditions of the larger world issues but it does make a
difference in our own individual lives. In an article interpreting the results
of a survey about stress conducted by the American Psychological Association,
Rebecca Clay states “Stress is up. Most Americans are suffering from moderate
to high stress, with 44 percent reporting that their stress levels have
increased over the past five years” (Clay) If education is the means by
which we are meant to learn and be prepared for the world, perhaps it may be a
good idea to incorporate forms of stress, anxiety, and emotional management
into our formal education. Given the amount of stimulation available to us thanks
to our growing technologies for communication and entertainment it can be easy
to be overwhelmed with not only having to make decisions for our individual
lives but being aware of everything else going on in the world.
One idea that has been that has been proposed
is the idea of teaching meditation in schools. Proponents of the idea believe
that having these tools for stress management and developing focus and control
of our emotions at an early age can help make for a better functioning
individual. There are numerous amounts of benefits associated with meditation “such
as decreased depression, improved focus, reduced stress and anxiety in general
(Giovanni).” The benefits associated with meditation not only involve mental
states of wellbeing but have even shown to have clinical health benefits as
well. In an online Time Magazine article author Laura Blue reports on a study
that says “researchers found a 48% reduction in the overall risk of heart
attack, stroke, and death from any cause among members of the meditation group
compared to those from the health education group.” It would appear that the
idea of including meditation as a part of our learning would be an asset to our
current educational curriculum. There are concerns however about the realities
of how it may actually have influence in our lives.
A
school teacher from Vancouver, Canada named Tina Olsen expressed some of the
concerns raised about teaching meditation in school in a “critique of a social
and emotional learning program called MindUP” which teaches meditation. (Wickelgren)
Olsen said:
Mindfulness
meditation such as this can be a way of bringing the mind into an altered state
of consciousness. Many people who practice meditation have encountered
unexpected negative side effects such as a sensation of being disconnected from
one’s body or from reality, among other frightening reactions. Teachers of
MindUP are exposing children to these potential dangers.
To teach a child to practice
non-judgmental awareness is to risk interfering with the child’s ability to
heed his sense of right and wrong. A child must make judgements to choose
between right and wrong actions. When he acts in accordance with his sense of
what is right, he grows in moral character, and develops greater self-control.”
(qtd. in Wickelgren How Social and
Emotional Learning Could Harm Our Kids)
In response to Olsen’s
critique Rebecca Calos the Director of Programs and Training for The Hawn
Foundation which sponsored the MindUP program she wrote:
In
her critique, Tina Olesen, a school teacher in Canada, equates MindUP’s core
practice to “Buddhist-style" meditation, and warns that students engaging
in a few minutes of deep breathing are in danger of experiencing a terrifying
“sensation of being disconnected from one’s body.” In fact, the core practice
increases mind and body awareness, and children routinely report that they feel
refreshed and calm after the exercise. Olesen claims that this practice
interferes with "a child’s innate self-regulator," when in truth, the
core practice enables children to recognize their “self-regulator” and more
readily access it even in times of stress and anxiety.
In addition to Calos’s
response it can be noted that often the arguments of issues regarding racism
and religion stem from preconceived ideas and notions about particular races or
beliefs. Teaching non-judgmental awareness could in some small ways alleviate
and possibly prevent the escalation of arguments and incidents based on
subjects of racism and religion. Through personal observation it can be said a
number of unnecessary incidents can arise from the assumption of racism or
negative religious connotation when in fact no such intentions exist within or
are intended by the communicator. The non- judgmental awareness aspect of one
form of meditation can be a beneficial contributor to our human interactions.
Further
concerns that have been raised about teaching mediation in schools has to do
with the fear of it being “religion in disguise.” (Decarr.) This concern stems
from the fact that the most effective practice of meditation being employed in
the majority of studies on its effects called mindfulness comes from ancient
Buddhist practices. The concern however is not as warranted as it might seem. The
reason this may not be a warranted concern is that the practice of meditation
does not require one to learn or be indoctrinated by the Buddhist religion or
teachings. The practice of meditation involves developing habits of deep
breathing, focusing attention and awareness. These habits are not mutually
exclusive or tied to the Buddhist religion. The very act of observation is a
component of mediation practices and yet has no ties to religion but is instead
is something that occurs naturally in the process of learning a new skill.
There
are of a number of studies and research still being completed regarding the
subject of the effects of meditation. The majority of the findings in the
various studies point towards the benefits of introducing meditation. One
particular study introduced the process of Transcendental Meditation with students
from different public schools in 4 different states, for the purpose of “Reduced Psychological Distress in Racial and
Ethnic Minority Students Practicing the Transcendental Meditation Program”
(JOIP.) They wrote, “The results of this study indicated that practice of the
Transcendental Meditation program is effective in reducing psychological
distress in racial and ethnic minority secondary school students…there were no
treatment-by-ethnicity interactions, indicating that the results were
consistent across ethnic groups.”(JOIP)
In
every moment of our education we are being prepared for the experiences we will
have in life. Our ability to cope and adapt to the world will be an essential
part of our success in our experiences. Incorporating beneficial practices such
as meditation into our education would be an valuable tool for helping us in
our interaction in the world. In effect reducing and managing our stress not
only benefits ourselves but those whom we interact with. We do this by not
unduly placing our burdens on others because we have the tools to manage
ourselves. We have the tools to find ways to bring back the peace and enjoyment
in our lives because we can more effectively manage our responses. The evidence suggests at least the idea is
worth considering.
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