By Ramesh Niaula
Meditation has evolved from being a spiritual pathway taken by Buddhist monks and sadhus to a part of mainstream society. It has helped drug addicts to quit their addictions, misguided individuals get their lives back and ordinary folks to take more control of their lives. The positive outcomes that mediation produces have made this practise attractive to many. Since the results from meditation are as drastic as the results show, why hasn’t it been introduced to our children in schools? Different activities such as sports, drama and music are introduced in schools to help young children explore themselves. So, isn’t it ideal to introduce meditation as an extracurricular activity to children at a young age? So, let us look at 5 reasons why meditation should be introduced at schools all over the world.
1. Starting early is always fruitful
Individuals are heavily influenced throughout their lifetime by this childhood. As meditation has been known to bring steadiness, it is a boon for the child, family, and the society as a whole if meditation is taught during childhood. It will help the child realize the benefits of meditation early on, and will be a promising tool for the child which can always be extracted when needed. Also, it can act as a martial arts training for the mind which can be used against the hazards and pressure of adulthood.
2. Helps children to concentrate and maintain emotional stability
Children as well as teenagers are more prone to lose concentration and become emotionally unstable. During the age of 5-20, they go through a lot of bodily and hormonal changes which can make them lose focus and have unsteady personalities. However this is where meditation is most useful. Meditation helps maintain calmness and controls emotions during turbulent periods.
3. Effective treatment against mental diseases
The needs and nature of children are difficult to understand, and sometimes they cannot express themselves or their problems clearly. They start behaving in a different way and if there is no guidance they might enter the dark abyss of depression and anxiety. Meditation is widely considered as an effective treatment for children and adolescents with ADHD, aggression and anxiety. If a child has learnt meditation, he/she will be able to control the disease to a degree. Also, meditation can play a big part in the mental well-being of children and soothe mental disturbances.
4.Helps with creativity
Since, childhood is the best time to build habits and learn new things, it becomes a crucial time period for children to let their creative minds run amok. The Neocortex is a part of brain which is responsible for creativity in human beings. Meditation has been known to simulate the neocortex, develop emotional intelligence and increase brain elasticity. These effects help increase creativity by letting ideas directly flow into the neocortex. This simulation of creativity will help children focus on something creative like music, arts or writing rather than clinging to electronic devices all day.
5.Helps in improving academic grades
Meditation provides stability and focus which supports children through their pursuits of knowledge. Also, Meditation makes individuals happy, relaxed and calm. All of these benefits of meditation will help children with the academics and will divert their attention towards something productive rather than turning to negative influences.
About the Author: Ramesh Niaula
I am a student/freelancer pursuing my psychology degree in India. I have been working as a trainer for “Art of Living” for three years and teach my colleagues and students about mindful meditation. I love traveling as well as enjoying the peace and quiet of nature.
http://www.sharda.ac.in/schools/school-of-medical-sciences-and-research
