Benefits of Meditation for Students: Incorporating the ancient practice of meditation into everyday routines pays great dividends. For students, too many academic and personal stressors can be overwhelming at times. But this is where mindfulness-based interventions come into play.
How can mindfulness education improve a student’s life? And what do studies suggest about meditation for students in this era of stressful schooling? Let’s dig deeper into the benefits of and discover for ourselves.
Table of Contents
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a mental exercise to declutter the mind. For ages, this practice has been associated with one’s spiritual enlightenment. It is also a trusted solution to improve one’s mental and physical health.
Historically, this practice is associated with many religions, like Roman Catholicism, Hinduism (Indian Yoga), Buddhism, etc.
Over a while, the healing effect of meditation (meditation importance) has touched upon many areas of life, including medical interventions. Globally, many practitioners use meditative techniques and the body of research to manage certain medical conditions like hypertension, migraine, physiatrist disorders, etc.
In this age of handheld devices and immense stress, meditation has much to offer. Especially for students, meditation benefits students and helps in improving many cognitive functions. Hence, meditation and students is a topic of great importance.
Let’s understand the benefits of meditation for students in an online learning environment.
Advantages of Meditation for Students
Eliminating Stress: Benefits of Meditation for Students
Most of us know what is meditation.
But do you know that this timeless practice brings down our brain’s maladaptive emotional responses?
Yes, mindfulness training brings some changes in our brain areas that are responsible for regulation skills, and stress impulsion (Expert opinion). Hence, stakeholders introduce meditation for students as a stress reduction technique.
<32% of the students showed signs of moderate to severe depression in a screening done for 15,000 city school students. 30% reported anxiety. But only 5% sought professional help.>
Managing Health: Benefits of Meditation for Students
Meditation techniques change our brain and biology in many positive ways (research-supported fact). One of which is improving the stress response in our body. These benefits of meditation for students are a trusted solution to enjoy better physical health.
Improved Self-Awareness: Benefits of Meditation for Students
Self-awareness is the first and the most crucial step in learning how to react to situations. This advantage of meditation for students helps students to comprehend and manage these negative and positive emotions.
Plus, students develop character strength to reject negative feelings.
Cultivates Inner Joy: Benefits of Meditation for Students
One of the benefits of meditation for students is that it calms down their thought processes. And this is where inner joy follows. This state of happiness can be achieved and even sustained with a regular practice of meditation. Isn’t this one of the best meditation benefits for students?
Navigating the Inner Compass
Think back to the last time you felt carefree and light!
Not easy right?
It’s the same story with most of us.
Meditation ignites an inner flame of joy by navigating our inner compass. This gives us an enlightenment that we alone are the source of our happiness. With this, we have a true reason to feel joyful despite the emotional spectrums of relationships, work, academics, and other stressors.
A much-needed advantage that reiterates meditation’s importance!
Why Should Students Meditate Regularly?
Better IQ
New theories prove that cognitive skills like mindfulness (including meditation for students) have the power to make changes in the mind and IQ. Meditative techniques improve the brain’s pathways that process information. This practice makes students more clear-headed and improves their IQ.
Do you know that there is always a scope to improve your child’s IQ?
Know all about this important topic here.
Increases Brain Size
Another research-backed fact-
Building a habit of meditating can also increase one’s brain size. This means that this timeless practice alters one’s brain’s physical structure, thereby positively affecting one’s attention levels and processing sensory inputs.
Isn’t this another win-win?
Compassion and Empathy
Being clear-headed gives students the ability to gain new perspectives about people, situations, and life in general. The innumerable benefits of meditation for students also cultivate qualities like compassion and empathy in them.
Mindfulness also fights judgment and teaches them to respond instead of simply reacting to situations.
Can Fight Addictions
Meditation for students offers another impeccable advantage. This practice cultivates cognitive control capacity in the brain. This way, students addicted to substance use, tobacco, alcohol, etc. can develop positive habit responses in their minds to overcome bad habits or addiction.
Some quick findings:
- 10% of students indulged in drugs
- 4% used tobacco
- 3.8% consumed alcohol
- 2.8% were addicted to opium, heroin, etc.
Resolves Focus Issues
The last mention on this list of the benefits of meditation for students is the uphill battle for many students, FOCUS!
Learning to meditate also teaches students how to concentrate. These advantages of meditation for students are a trusted solution for those wandering minds in the classroom.
How to Help Students Meditate?
Once you explain meditation’s importance to students introduce simple breathing exercises for relaxation, move on to more complex types like muscle tense and release or teach students to practice visualization to declutter their minds.
By far we discovered how meditation promises some unprecedented advantages.
Before we wrap up, let’s take you through some tips.
Tips to Incorporate Meditation with Schooling
- Introduce meditation for students through prayers, chanting, music, etc.
- Add variations with breathing exercises (like stillness breathing, lion’s breath, diaphragmatic breathing, etc.)
- Be creative to utilize the advantages of meditation for students with reinforcement strategies, appreciate students with superhero names, and make student leaders for meditation groups.
- Create visual and audio clues to start meditation rounds.
Conclusion
In the endless race to scores, the hustle-bustle of everyday life, and the fear of traumatic situations, many times PEACE IS ALL A STUDENT NEEDS!
And this is where meditation for students comes into the picture. Introduce a couple of breathing exercises, download meditation apps, and teach your kids the ART OF DISCONNECTING BY CONNECTING WITH ONESELF!