Meditation And The Student Brain

 

                                          Those of us from a somewhat older generation, now ripe with experience, can appreciate just how difficult it was to be young. Don’t get me wrong. Playing all day was a blast, but let’s face it, peer pressure and parental nudging put an unconscious strain on most of us that can make one wonder how we actually got out of it alive.

Now just imagine growing up in today’s fast(er) paced world. Added to the list are lightening fast technological advancements that could make anyone’s head spin round-and-round. It’s no surprise that the current generation might have some trouble when it comes to focusing.

Jeanne Ball, in this recent Huffington Post, takes a look at the effect of meditation on a student’s brain. According to Ball, a March 2011 research study, published in the journal Education, found that students who practiced Transcendental Meditation had a significant increase to their English and math scores. Even more important, says Ball, is that meditation allows students the ability to connect to their creativity.

When you see a classroom of high school students sitting quietly with eyes closed, meditating together — kids of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds — it’s awe inspiring. How is it that they can be so peaceful and absorbed? It’s because during TM practice, the mind settles inward spontaneously, led by its own nature to seek greater satisfaction. In an effortless way, the technique allows the mind to access reserves of energy, creativity and calmness that reside within everyone.