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Natalea-Rae Gibbons
DeBock
English 4 Honors
04 November 2015
Service Research Paper
Stress is a key factor to everyday life, whether it be physical or mental. An endless array of
factors plays into stress whether it be work, school, or social life. Any age group can be affected by stress;
a grown adult, and elder, or a young child. According to the American Psychological Association, young
adults are becoming one of the most stressed age groups (Meditation in Schools). Students often
complain about feeling an immense pressure to balance school, home, and social life. The management of
physical ailments along with mental inhibitors is paramount to achieving an overall state of wellness and
relieving stress on the mind and body. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,
Approximately 20 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 experience severe mental disorders in a given year. For
ages 8 to 15, the estimate is 13 percent (Mental Illness Facts and Numbers). The amount of youth
affected by mental illness is unrealistic; a multitude of treatments are available instead of or alongside
medication. Daily execution of yoga and meditation for a minimum of fifteen minutes could reduce stress
and aid in the improvement of physical and mental health along with countless other health benefits to the
individual (Meditation in Schools). Meditation provides a calm mentality with a sense of serenity while
yoga includes the body to provide physical healing; combined they provide students not only a way to
improve the mind but also the body. Implementing yoga and meditation in schools is beneficial to
students mentally, physically, and academically.
Physical benefits to the body can be obtained through regular practice of yoga; the art form is
estimated to have begun around 5,000 years ago. Growing in popularity, an estimated 9.5% of adults and

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3.1% of children in the United States regularly practice yoga (Most Used Mind and Body Practices).
According to Rosen a healthy way to exercise is by yoga, which can lead to improvements in strength,
flexibility, balance, equanimity, calmness, and relaxation. Yoga emphasizes fitness and regular practice
can help lower blood pressure and heart disease (Williamson). Meditation also has physical benefits to
each individual such as promoting better posture and management of the regulation of breaths which in
result encourages mindful action. Both art forms can be beneficial to students in school because together
they reduce problem behavior, test anxiety, and anger according to the NCHPAD (Yoga in the
Classroom: A New Kind of Education). According to Kaleem, scientific studies have shown that students
who practice meditation or yoga have lower stress levels and a decreased risk of high blood pressure,
along with reports of greater levels of happiness and self-confidence.
Meditation plays a role in providing relief to those with mental illness; anxiety and depression are
prime examples. A well hidden practice, 8% of adults and 1.6% of children in the United States regularly
practice meditation (Most Used Mind and Body Practices). This is done through manipulation of
posture, breathing, and conscious state; leading to attentiveness, awareness, and positive mindset.
According to Machado, A study lead by researchers at John Hopkins found that just eight weeks of
meditation training was as effective as medication in treating depression, anxiety, and pain. At Harvard,
scientists using neuro-imaging technology showed how meditation positively affected the brain activity of
the chronically stressed, a condition that the Benson-Henry Institute reports is related to more than 60
percent of all doctors visits. When an individual sits in silence for even a few minutes it gives the mind
a time to rest, reaching the inner depth of consciousness and bringing that person to a state of deep
relaxation. Meditation will not only reduce stress levels and improve brain function, but also lead to a
more restful sleep (Meditation in Schools). A good night's rest plays a large role in emotional state. Two
of the main variations of meditation practiced in schools would be Transcendental and Mindfulness.
Transcendental has a main focus on repeating a personalized mantra, which is a word or sound that has
actual meaning to the individual (Kaleem). Mindfulness focuses on bringing the individual into a

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conscious state, teaching how to live in the moment. Yoga benefits the mind by implementing meditation
at the beginning and end of each session, giving the yogi time to rest the body and mind; releasing the
stress and worries of the day or days passed. As stated in the article by Kaleem individuals have reported
greater feelings of happiness, self-confidence, calmness, and contentedness along with the reduction of
stress, worry, and anxiety.
Implementing mandatory regulated yoga and meditation in schools would benefit students
academically. Students are entitled to learn ways to manage physical and mental illness along with stress,
and providing them with a way is not only the responsibility of the parents but the school as well.
Meditation causes the production of alpha waves; calming the body, dropping the pulse, and dropping the
levels of the stress hormone cortisol (Kaleem). The use of yoga and meditation in the classroom can lead
to an increase in attention span, concentration, and a more efficient use of class time (Williamson).
Kaleem talked to children at the Brooklyn Urban Garden School who have required meditation for 15
minutes at the beginning and end of class; one student stated Its resting your mind, but I also think about
school, when i meditate my grades go higher. Many schools are reporting better grades, fewer
suspensions, higher attendance, and better mental health reports among children. Teachers practicing
alongside students is beneficial to both parties and results in a bonding experience for better
understanding of the younger thought process. Regular daily implementation means the mind is more
focused: improving students self-control, attentiveness, respect for classmates, enhanced the school
climate along with improving the mood, health, and stress levels in teachers (Machado).
Although yoga and meditation in schools has only benefited students, many parents disagree to
making this a part of the curriculum. Parents believe that due to the Hindu, Islam, and Buddhist
backgrounds of the practice that religion is too involved and that it does not belong in public schools
(Williamson). Administrators at an Ohio elementary school discontinued the schools mindfulness
program after parents reported feeling uncomfortable with the roots in Eastern religion, many felt the
program indoctrinated students with Hindu beliefs (Machado). Parents have a present fear that it could

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lead young children to explore religious beliefs; this should be a positive thought because the child is
showing interest in other cultures and religions, it needs to be considered a stimulation of learning.
According to Machado, yoga is secular and a tool everyone can benefit from. The fact that a parent can be
so simple minded as to not let their child benefit due to a personal fear is absurd.
A popular program requiring meditation in middle schools would be Headstand; with a mission to
empower students to combat toxic stress through yoga, mindfulness, and character education (Machado).
Mindfulness is a type of meditation used to relieve stress and improve mental performance. Stress can
disrupt the developing brain which impedes academic learning; resulting in long term physical and mental
health problems. Katherine Priore Ghanam is the founder of headstand and believes that students need a
way to cope with stress; though this program a tool is being provided to children who need it most
(Machado). Headstand attempts to stay true to yoga and meditation by framing each class around positive
traits like compassion and gratitude. Headstand will only employ yoga instructors who have three years of
previous teaching experience; insuring students have the best education in the practice. Students start and
end the day with fifteen to forty-five minutes of quiet meditation. 98% of students reported that after
taking Headstand classes they felt less stressed and ready to learn (Machado). The classes
implemented in schools help students feel a sense of relief, if only for a moment, and a power to take on
the day ahead with a calm and positive mindset.
Students will benefit mentally, physically, and academically through regular implementation of
yoga and meditation in the school system. In the past seven years the practice of yoga and meditation in
schools has taken a toll; it appears in eighteen schools across the country (Kaleem). By teaching young
children how to input yoga and meditation throughout daily life it is creating a positive habit that can be
carried on throughout the duration of life (Why Meditation Should Be Implemented in Schools). The
benefits overpass the negative thoughts on any mindfulness program; having a program available to
students, whether it be mandatory or not, should be a consideration of every school. A healthy mind and
body is crucial to the development of children, and having the ability to ease the mind in any situation is a

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crucial skill every individual should possess; a human is entitled to peace, happiness, enlightenment,
fulfillment, and a calm mind.

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Works Cited
Kaleem, Jaweed. "Reading, Writing, Required Silence: How Meditation Is Changing Schools And
Students." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
Machado, Amanda. "Should Schools Teach Kids to Meditate?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 27
Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
Meditation in Schools. Meditation in Schools. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
"Mental Illness Facts and Numbers." NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness. 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 10
Nov. 2015.
"Most Used Mind and Body Practices | NCCIH." NCCIH. 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Rosen, Jane. "Yoga in Schools Isn." Thrive: The Kripalu Blog. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
"Why Meditation Should Be Implemented In Schools." Www.boldsky.com. 21 June 2015. Web. 26 Oct.
2015.
Williamson, Lisa Ann. "Yoga in Public Schools." Yoga in Public Schools. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
"Yoga in the Classroom: A New Kind of Education : NCHPAD - Building Inclusive Communities."
National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD). Web. 27 Oct. 2015.