In an article published by the Huffington Post, IB student Anthony David Williams writes about how meditation helps him and his classmates handle a tight schedule and become more receptive and focused.
In a rapidly changing world, handling stress is a key skill for students both in their school setting and in their future careers. Williams experienced the benefits of a regular meditation class at Bodine High School for International Affairs in Philadelphia, US. In response to the experience, he encourages high schools around the world to offer meditation to their students as a tool to help them be more mindful and in control of their reactions to stress.
“The fact that my generation is so plugged-in yields the depreciation of their productivity and creativity by the hour,” Williams writes. “Multi-tasking and peer pressures are now, conveniently, just a login away. Meditation, forcing one to be one with oneself exclusively without the presence of technology or stress, is a much-needed paradigm shift in the everyday lives of teens. [...] if teens adopt the habit of good health practices, those very habits just may stick around for the next generation – in which case, there will be a change in the way in which we take on the world."
Amy Edelstein is teaching the meditation class at Bodine High School. She is an author, educator, public speaker and a Cornell University Scholar, and currently works with high school teenagers all around the US, teaching them mindfulness and cultural development. When asked about her experiences with Williams’ class, she said: "I found the students at Bodine unusually receptive, interested, and able to work with the mindfulness tools.“
Read the full article on the Huffington Post’s website.
