Practicing mindfulness meditation at school could help children protect themselves from the toxic effects of stress
Sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, children focus on their breathing. They practice so-called mindfulness meditation. This relaxation exercise helps combat stress and anxiety by focusing all of your attention on the present moment. A proven method, according to a study conducted in 2 schools in Baltimore (United States) and appeared in the January issue of Pediatrics.
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine researchers followed 300 students from fourth to fourth gradeth. Almost all of these children (99%) received free meals at school due to their parents’ low income level. They all lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods plagued by poverty and violence.
Half of these children participated in meditation sessions for 8 weeks while the other half received health education classes. During these meditation sessions, students were asked to focus on each part of their body or realize that their mind is continually wandering and attempted to bring it back to the present moment.
An educational tool
At the start of the study, all of the children had the same levels of stress, anxiety, and traumatic symptoms. But at the end of the 12 weeks of meditation, the children who have benefited from these sessions feel much better. They are less stressed, show fewer signs of somatization or depression, and have fewer negative feelings than other children.
“It’s very encouraging to see that mindfulness meditation can bring such benefits,” says Dr. Erica Sibinga, co-author of this work and professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The high quality teaching of this practice deserves to be considered as aprimary prevention tools mental and behavioral disorders in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. ”
Gradually enter the classroom
In the countries of North America, mindfulness meditation is gradually entering schools. In Canada, thousands of teachers contribute to the development of the MindUp program. Thanks to him, the children are healthier in class and have increased capacity for concentration and learning.
In France, too, meditation is beginning to appear in classrooms. Since 2014, Meditation in Teaching Association offers schools to train in this practice through the PEACE program (Presence, Listening, Attention and Concentration in Teaching).
In one year, 350 children and adolescents have followed this program, mainly in schools in the Toulouse region and in Corbeil-Essonnes.
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