Imagine the brass singing bowl rings out and the rhythm of each deep breath fills your mind with calmness as you sit in silence. You feel your jaw unclench, your tenseness disappears and a soft warmth envelops your body. That right there is the power of meditation. Meditation lets you take a breath from daily stress, lifts you from all your worries and protects you like a shield from negative thoughts. But, have you ever experienced this in school? Has a teacher ever given you a few moments of reflection during class? The most common answer I have heard from my peers is no, which needs to change. Teachers should incorporate meditation at least once a week in their classrooms so students can focus better and learn to their highest potential.

Meditation, the practice of calming your nervous system and restarting your mind, can benefit students by improving their test scores. For instance, a study by Santa Barbara researchers followed a group of students who practiced mindfulness for two weeks. Afterwards, researchers found the students’ average comprehension test scores were 12% higher for the students who participated in mindfulness than the students who did not. If meditation can enhance students’ test scores and calm their anxiety, why isn’t it being incorporated into our classes? 

I am lucky enough to have a teacher who includes meditation once a week on “Wellness Wednesdays.” Some Wednesdays we do box breathing, others we listen to meditation audios. Having just a couple of minutes to yourself helps shift your mind into a better learning mode. I noticed that after our sessions, I feel more motivated to use my brain and focus on the class. This is such a difference from the emotions I usually feel in my other classes, demonstrating that meditation positively alters the way students think and perform. 

Meditation can also help students’ attention spans and focus. A study was conducted with a random sample of people aged eighteen to forty-five, who practiced meditation for 13 minutes daily. Researchers found that after eight weeks, the participants had become more focused and their attention span had improved. This study illustrates that even small increments of mindfulness are a key component to helping students be more on task. With better focus in school, students can get their work done faster, making class time easier for both teachers and students. 

Although meditation can be very relaxing for many students, others may find it very difficult. It is important to shed light on the students who can’t sit still or be silent. It’s hard to be present and just breathe, so meditation may be very overwhelming or have no effect on some students. It also may be hard for teachers to create time for meditation, especially when they have a packed agenda for the class. But again, the overall wellness of students is the most important thing, and with the proven benefits on performance in class, this should be a no-brainer. And for the kids who may get antsy and overwhelmed, meditation just takes time to master. Practicing mindfulness more frequently makes the experience easier, so students must give it a shot.

Going forward, the practice of meditation should be seen once a week in every class so students can ground themselves and feel less anxious. Teachers are all capable of taking at least five minutes for meditation so their students can be diligent and determined workers. With meditation, Redwood can reduce stress, anxiety and many of the high school worries that surround students every day.