It is "past time" to use science in public education ... WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ... scroll down for AMAZING data ...
SCIENCE ON MIND BODY EDUCATION IN EDUCATION
Links to Studies & Summaries of Educational Institutions Already Utilizing Mind Body
NOTE: Approximately 8% of US children aged 5-17 years take prescription medication for mental health, according to the CDC. This includes antidepressants, though the exact percentage specifically on antidepressants is not explicitly stated in the provided search results. The CDC also reports that 14.9% of children in this age group received some form of mental health treatment in the past year, including counseling and medication.
-- NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS
Approximately 5.6% of all U.S. children aged 3-17 are currently taking medication for ADHD. This translates to about 3.4 million children. Additionally, roughly 44.4% of children with current ADHD received behavioral treatment in the past year.
-- CHADD
Attention Deficit and Hyper-Activity Disorder and Tai Chi and Qigong
Research at the University of Miami School of Medicine has shown that adolescents with ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) displayed less anxiety, daydreaming behaviors, inappropriate emotions and hyperactivity, and greater improved conduct, after a five week, two day per week class. T'ai Chi meets many of the criteria for mood management techniques recommended for ADD (see the Treating Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD] section earlier in this chapter).
[Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T.M., & Thimas, E. (2001). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: benefits from Tai Chi. Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies, 5(2):120-3, 2001 Apr, 5(23 ref), 120-123.]
Tai Chi May Improve Some ADHD Symptoms
May 26, 2010 (New Orleans, Louisiana) - The practice of tai chi chuan for 6 weeks during a summer camp improved behavior control in adolescents with mental illness, according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2010 Annual Meeting.
"We found beneficial effects in controlling hyperactivity in the group as a whole, and adolescents with a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also showed improvements in cognitive skills, "said Peng Pang, MD, a resident in psychiatry at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York.
Read entire article
at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/722490
Scientific Evidence for Yoga and Mindfulness in Schools: How and Why Does It Work?
In summary, a growing number of scientific studies suggest that yoga may enhance students’ mind-body awareness, self-regulation, and physical fitness which may, in turn, promote improved behavior, mental state, health, and performance (Butzer et al., 2016; Ferreira-Vorkapic et al., 2015; Khalsa & Butzer, 2016; MLERN, 2012; Serwacki & Cook-Cottone, 2012).
School age children / ADHD. Some studies suggest Tai Chi helps children with special needs, including those with ADHD, and to deal with anxiety and moods.
[Tai Chi and Yoga have common mind-body elements] A randomized control trial of yoga versus physical education by researchers at Harvard Medical School showed that high school students who practiced yoga had a better mood overall and felt less anxiety, while the typical gym class group showed a worsening of these symptoms over the course of the 10-week study.
--- Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi. Page 274.
Read more at Harvard Health Publications
Experiences of Second-Grade Primary School Children and Their Teachers in a Mind–Body Activity Program: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
Yaiza Lopez-Sierra 1, Sara Trapero-Asenjo 2,3,*, Isabel Rodríguez-Costa 2,3, Gonzalo Granero-Heredia 4, Yolanda Pérez-Martin 2,3, Susana Nunez-Nagy 2,3Editor: Manoj Sharma
PMCID: PMC11507156 PMID: 39451509
Click here to see PubMed citation
Objectives: This study explored the experiences of second-grade children and their teachers who participated in a mind–body program to understand its impact on their development.
5. Conclusions
This study analyzed the impact of a combined program of mind–body interventions led by a physical therapist on second-grade primary school children and their teachers. The research identified specific challenges faced by the children, including difficulties with attention and concentration, heightened competitiveness, and a need for improved socialization. These observations helped tailor the program to address these particular needs.
The findings revealed significant positive outcomes from the intervention. Participants reported improvements in several key areas: self-regulation (children demonstrated enhanced ability to manage their emotions and behaviors); relaxation (the program facilitated better stress management and overall calmness); attention span (both children and teachers noted increased focus and concentration); stress reduction (participants experienced decreased anxiety and tension).
Furthermore, the program yielded benefits beyond individual well-being. It enhanced interpersonal relationships and social skills among the children, fostering a more positive classroom environment. Notably, the intervention generated feelings of joy and enjoyment, indicating its potential to make learning and personal development more engaging and fun for these students.
In summary, the study results suggest that the mind–body intervention program significantly contributed to the children’s emotional well-being and social skill development. These findings underscore the value of integrating such holistic approaches within the school setting. By addressing both cognitive and emotional aspects of child development, this type of intervention shows promise in creating a more supportive and effective learning environment. Future research and educational policies should consider the potential long-term benefits of incorporating similar programs into standard school curricula. The observed improvements in self-regulation, stress management, and social skills have broader implications for children’s overall health and well-being. Enhanced emotional regulation and stress reduction may contribute to better mental health outcomes, potentially reducing the risk of future psychological issues. Improved social skills and classroom dynamics could lead to a more positive school experience, potentially impacting academic performance and long-term educational outcomes.
Furthermore, the benefits of these interventions may extend beyond the individual child to impact family dynamics and broader social contexts. As children learn to better manage their emotions and stress, this could lead to more harmonious home environments and improved family relationships. On a societal level, early interventions that promote emotional well-being and social skills may contribute to creating more resilient and adaptable future generations, potentially reducing the burden on healthcare systems and improving overall community health.
Utilizing mind-body practices in public schools: teaching self-regulation skills and fostering resilience in our next generation
M Sprengel *, M Fritts
From International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health 2012
Portland, Oregon, USA. 15-18 May 2012
Click here to see ResearchGate citation
Conclusion
School and classroom oriented programs that incorporate mind-body practices have demonstrated positive outcomes for well-being, resilience, academic performance, test scores, individual self-perception, self-regulation of negative behaviors, anxiety, stress, Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, insomnia, anger/aggressive behaviors, and chronic pain conditions.
Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education Volume 5 Issue 1 Article 10 January 2023 Mind Body Health Interventions in Preschoolers Melissa Bray Emily Winter Aarti P. Bellara Johanna deLeyer-Tiarks Jessica Dirsmith
Click here to see Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education citation
Mind Body Health Interventions in Preschoolers Melissa Bray, Emily Winter, Aarti P. Bellara, Johanna deLeyer-Tiarks, Jessica Dirsmith, Adeline Bray, and Sai Aravala Abstract There are myriad of mind body health (MBH) interventions that are effective for the preschool population. Supports may include, yet are not limited to, journal expression, yoga, music therapy, mindfulness, video self-modeling, and muscle relaxation. These particular interventions have resulted in positive changes for preschoolers with anxiety, depression, stress, and attention, as well as various physical conditions. Benefits of these MBH inter ventions include being effective with respect to teacher time, economically feasible, and are well-received by parents, teachers, and preschoolers.
Conclusion There is no doubt that psychological and educational tech niques from within the mind body health framework are beneficial to students in preschool. There are myriad strategies available that are non-intrusive and economically feasible with respect to time and money. . Early intervention is important to the academic, social, behavioral, and physical health development of this age group, argu ably more than others, especially so for those at risk. The mind body framework also lends well to cross-disciplinary collaboration and a whole child framework for service delivery. School psychologists and other mental health professionals are well-suited to implement these interventions that are transcendental in terms of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Mind–Body Physical Activity Interventions and Stress-Related Physiological Markers in Educational Settings:
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Ildiko Strehli 1, Ryan D Burns 1, Yang Bai 1, Donna H Ziegenfuss 1, Martin E Block 2, Timothy A Brusseau 1,*
PMCID: PMC7795448 PMID: 33396730
Click here to see PubMed citation
Across the reviewed studies, we found support for MBIs [Mind Body Interventions] as part of school curricula to reduce negative effects of stress and promote overall well-being with caveats to consider in choosing specific programs. The practical implications of the current review include considerations related to the incorporation of MBIs in school curricula, which would likely benefit schoolchildren.
Educational settings provide numerous opportunities for the intention to introduce structured MBPAs [Mind Body Physical Activities] to enhance physical and mental health.
Research implementing mindfulness-based interventions for the purpose of treating child and adolescent physical and mental health conditions is encouraging [70,76,77,78]. Results have revealed reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, withdrawal, craving, chronic pain, and illness [70,76,77,78,79].
Psychological outcomes in educational settings have been extensively researched in terms of applying mindfulness [59,69,80,81,82,83,84,85]. Specifically, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies conducted from grades 1 to 12 revealed the increasing resilience to stress and cognitive performance [69].
Additionally, a recent meta-analysis of 33 RCTs found significant positive effects in children and adolescents’ cognition and mental health in the outcome categories of mindfulness, executive functioning, attention, depression, anxiety/stress, and negative behaviors [65].
Further, in a recent meta-review of 10 systematic reviews and meta-analysis of psychological school-based interventions to improve well-being and prevent mental illnesses, researchers suggested that mindfulness and yoga are effective practices [59].
5. Conclusions
Stress is a societal burden; there is evidence that MBPA ameliorates stress, and relating research is growing. This review and meta-analysis are the first to demonstrate that MBPA interventions may positively impact specific physiological markers in students, especially within higher education. Young adults need to establish lifelong stress management and physical activity habits to promote well-being. Future research should include more rigorous methodology, including more studies with sufficient statistical power, study randomization, and appropriate control groups. Incorporation of MBPA within educational settings can improve the physical, mental, and emotional health of youth and young adults.
COMMENTARY NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER OF THE GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT
A consistent pattern with Mind Body research of any type is that the conclusions "state the proven benefits of Mind Body" followed by the call for larger more rigorous studies (ie more expensive studies). THE PROBLEM; the NIH spends less that 1/2 of 1% of NIH funding to research Mind Body and alternative health practices, while research shows that Mind Body can address to potential 70% of illnesses caused by stress (70% of illness caused by stress according to a 20 year Kaiser Permenented study, and up to 90% of illness best treated or prevented by Mind Body practices; Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, according to analysis by Dr. Herber Benson of Harvard)
School-Based Mind–Body Interventions: A Research Review
- Published: 01 January 2021
- Volume 5, pages 262–278, (2022)
Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative
Across the reviewed studies, we found support for MBIs [Mind Body Interventions] as part of school curricula to reduce negative effects of stress and promote overall well-being with caveats to consider in choosing specific programs. The practical implications of the current review include considerations related to the incorporation of MBIs in school curricula, which would likely benefit schoolchildren.
Conclusions
Notwithstanding the heterogeneity in terms of procedures, age range, and sample size, the studies reviewed seem to suggest some beneficial effects of school-based yoga and mindfulness programs. Although additional research is needed, especially regarding the long-term effects of mind–body interventions in school settings, if schools incorporated these practices in their curricula, students would likely benefit from them.
Impact of a University-Wide Interdisciplinary Mind-Body Skills Program on Student Mental and Emotional Well-Being
Glob Adv Health Med. 2020 Nov 23;9:2164956120973983. doi: 10.1177/2164956120973983
Brenna K Novak 1, Anna Gebhardt 1,2, Harini Pallerla 3, Susan Blocksom McDonald 3, Aviad Haramati 4, Sian Cotton 1,3,✉
PMCID: PMC7686595 PMID: 33282546
Click here to see PubMed citation
Discussion
The impact of the 9-week mind-body skills program is clear, as there were overwhelmingly positive improvements in mental and emotional well-being in students who participated in the program. While these positive outcomes confirm previous results of mind-body skills programs in medical students,26–28 this study is one of few to document such effects in students from a broad range of disciplines, especially law, music, and design. Indeed, given the alarming rise in physician burnout, it is understandable that considerable attention has been focused on improving the well-being of medical students and others in the health professions.43 However, students in several other high-pressure professions, such as law, music, and design, are also at risk for chronic stress and burnout, and universities must act proactively to address these issues for the well-being of their students (and faculty). Our findings provide a good rationale for implementing mind-body skills programs for all students across disciplines.
Strong Mind, Strong Body: The Promise of Mind-Body Interventions to Address Growing Mental Health Needs Among Youth
Lana Ruvolo Grasser 1,*, Hilary Marusak
PMCID: PMC10557954 NIHMSID: NIHMS1886729 PMID: 37810896
Mental Health Sci
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Mental Health Sci. 2023 Mar 22;1(2):58–66. doi: 10.1002/mhs2.16
Click here to see PubMed citation
Conclusion
The proposed framework and exciting initial findings described herein provide support for the notion that mind-body therapies have benefits for mental health, and that these effects may be mediated by changes in key neurobiological pathways that mediate stress, pain, and psychopathology. As a result, we call for funders, journals, and legislators to support rigorous and reproducible mind-body research and offer a framework for conducting such research through integration of the Expressive Therapies Continuum and RDoC principles. The public health potential of such is enormous, to help those who are struggling and to prevent emergence of psychiatric illness, especially in developing youth. The integration of mind-body practices across ecological systems could not only have acute, positive benefits—like addressing the current mental health pandemic—but also transformative long-term effects, improving overall health and reducing healthcare costs.
Exploring the Mind-Body Connection: Yoga, Mindfulness, and Mental Well-Being in Adolescent Physical Education
by Alicia Cerdá 1,Salvador Boned-Gómez 2 andSalvador Baena-Morales 1,3,*
1Department of General Didactics and Specific Didactics, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain2Department of Physical Education, Comillas Pontifical University, 07013 Palma, Spain3Department of Education, Valencian International University (VIU), 460002 Valencia, Spain*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111104Submission received: 30 August 2023 / Revised: 17 October 2023 / Accepted: 26 October 2023 / Published: 2 November 2023
Click here to see MDPI citation
When viewed in a broader perspective, various existing pieces of information support the effectiveness of yoga and mindfulness in improving mental health and mitigating psychological issues. These practices are believed to foster a better understanding of self, enhance emotional regulation, reduce stress, and generally improve psychological well-being. They facilitate the development of a calm and focused mind, which is invaluable in the turbulent period of adolescence.
A mind–body intervention for stress reduction as an adjunct to an information session on stress management in university students
Mauro Cozzolino, Laura Girelli, Deborah R. Vivo, Pierpaolo Limone, Giovanna CeliaFirst published: 07 May 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1651Citations: 22The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1002/brb3.1651
Funding information
The project has been funded by University of Foggia, address: Via A. Gramsci 89/91, Foggia (FG), Italy; VAT number: 03016180717; Department of Humanities, Literature, Cultural Heritage, Education Sciences (Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici. Lettere, Beni Culturali, Scienze della Formazione), e-mail address: dipartimento.studiumanistici@unifg.it
Click here to see WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY citation.
The use of the brain wave modulation offers some advantages over a single information session on stress management. Research shows that mind–body techniques, such as bioenergy, biofeedback, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and yoga, are effective in lowering the students’ levels of stress (Chaló, Pereira, Batista, & Sancho, 2017; Finkelstein-Fox et al., 2018; Regehr, Glancy, & Pitts, 2013; Running & Hildreth, 2017; Saoji et al., 2017),
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol., 06 June 2016
Sec. Human Developmental Psychology
Volume 7 - 2016 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00805
Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation for Primary School Children: Effects on Attention and Psychological Well-Being
Samantha Furlan3
- 1Department of Human Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- 2Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- 3Degree Course in Education Science, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- 4PERCRO Perceptual Robotics Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
Click here to see FRONTIERS IN PSYCOLOGY citation.
Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly being used as methods to promote psychological well-being of clinical and non-clinical adult populations. Much less is known, however, on the feasibility of these forms of mental training on healthy primary school students. Here, we tested the effects of a mindfulness-meditation training on a group of 16 healthy children within 7–8 years of age from an Italian primary school. An active control condition focused on emotion awareness was employed on a group of 15 age-matched healthy children from the same school. Both programs were delivered by the same instructors three times per week, for 8 total weeks. The same main teacher of the two classes did not participate in the trainings but she completed questionnaires aimed at giving comprehensive pre-post training evaluations of behavior, social, emotion, and attention regulation skills in the children. A children’s self-report measure of mood and depressive symptoms was also used. From the teacher’s reports we found a specific positive effect of the mindfulness-meditation training in reducing attention problems and also positive effects of both trainings in reducing children’s internalizing problems. However, subjectively, no child in either group reported less depressive symptoms after the trainings. The findings were interpreted as suggestive of a positive effect of mindfulness-meditation on several children’s psychological well-being dimensions and were also discussed in light of the discrepancy between teacher and children’s reports. More generally, the results were held to speak in favor of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for healthy primary school children.
Conclusion
The current longitudinal study showed how the introduction of mindfulness-meditation practices in educational settings can be useful to improve children’s cognitive, emotional, and social abilities. This awareness practice could be regularly used during the school year and, combined with other SEL programs, could become a powerful preventive tool and a mean to improve the academic development of students even in the 1st years of school.
Mindfulness-based interventions for youth in the criminal justice system: a review of the research-based literature
Rachel Murray 1, Rebecca Amann 1, Katey Thom 1,✉
- Author information
- Article notes
- Copyright and License information
PMCID: PMC6818317 PMID: 31984055
-- NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Conclusion
This literature review shows that mindfulness-based interventions result in beneficial outcomes for youth in the criminal justice system. The relevant evidence of mindfulness interventions for incarcerated youth was synthesized and four significant themes were identified: decreased stress, increased self-regulation, improved anger management and acceptability of the interventions on the part of the youth. Despite limitations in terms of sample size and generalisability to different demographics, the results of these studies are positive and support the implementation of further mindfulness interventions in youth incarceration facilities.
Science on "mind body education" value in public education
Increase Students' IQs - WHAT RATIONAL EDUCATOR WOULD NOT WANT THIS & THE BELOW FOR STUDENTS
Not only does meditation improve our behavior, making us more humane, and also enhance our creativity, but it also can make us more intelligent. As evidenced by two studies: Personality and Individual Differences and Perceptual and Motor Skills, cited in Meditation 24-7 in their article “What are the benefits of meditation?” The studies involved university students who regularly practiced meditation who saw significant increase in intelligence over a two-year period, compared to control subjects. Imagine a world filled with more intelligent people!
Boost your IQ
Siegfried Othmer, former president of the neurofeedback division of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, conducted neurofeedback research on this topic. The results showed that participants who meditated showed an average gain in IQ of 23 percent. One of the reasons is that deep meditation slows down brain activity. With slower brainwaves, the brain increases its ability to reorganize itself. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/elearning/meditation-boost-your-memory-and-iq/
Siegfried Othmer, former president of the neurofeedback division of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, conducted neurofeedback research on participants using brainwave training (a specific form of meditation). Those who meditated showed an average gain in IQ of 23 percent. -- Atlas Test Prep.com http://atlastestprep.com/?p=6391
Personality and Individual Differences, 12:1105-1116, 1991, cited on Meditation 24-7 https://www.meditation24-7.com/wildserenity/meditation/page39/page39.html
* This, and the below science, are provided courtesy of "NEW 2nd EDITION; The Gospel of Science: Mind Blowing New Science on Ancient Truths to Heal Our Stress, Lives, and Planet" [A secular book of science, the "Gospel" in the title is from Greek origin, meaning "good news," ie "the good news of science."]
Increase Students' Creative Thinking Skills
A Meditation 24/7 article “What are the benefits of meditation?” cited research showing meditation can enable us to become more creative thinkers as well, as shown by a study published in the Journal of Creative Behavior, and Dissertation Abstracts International. Using the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking to measure figural and verbal creativity in a control group and in a group that subsequently learned meditation, the researchers found that 5 months later when tested the meditation group scored significantly higher on figural originality and flexibility and on verbal fluency. Imagine, in a world exploding in possibility with technological advances happening at blinding speed—what a new generation of youth with increased creativity, flexibility, and enhanced communication skills could create—is very literally beyond anything we could imagine.
What Are the Benefits of Meditation? -- Interesting Trends in Research; Journal of Creative Behavior, 13: 169-190, 1979, and Dissertations Abstracts International, 38: 3372-3373, 1978 https://www.meditation24-7.com/wildserenity/meditation/page39/page39.html
Increase Students' Brain Size of Learning/Memory, Compassion, Self-Awareness-Shrink Stress/Fear Part
Sue McGreevey reported on in a Harvard Gazette article from January 2011 titled “Eight Weeks to a Better Brain,” research at Massachusetts General Hospital finding the density of gray matter increased in regions associated with learning and memory (hippocampus), compassion, and self-awareness, and shrinkage in the amygdala part of the brain governing fear and stress, resulting in lower stress levels. A study cited in a 2015 Forbes article revealed that meditation ‘shrank the fear, stress, anxiety part of the brain.
McGreevey, Sue; Eight Weeks to a Better Brain, Harvard Gazette, January 21, 2011 http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/
7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change The Brain, by Alice G. Walton, Senior Contributor Healthcare, Forbes, Feb 9, 2015, https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/?sh=56a52bfd1465
Meditation increases the size of gray matter. In a study published December 2010, on ScienceDirect.com, titled “Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density” by Britta K.Hölzel, James Carmody, Mark Vangel, Christina Congleton, Sita M.Yerramsetti, Tim Gard, and Sara W. Lazara, density in gray matter increased in the mindfulness group over the control group, in various areas of the brain including those associated with learning, memory and emotional regulation.
Hölzel ,Britta K.; Carmody, James; Vangel, Mark, Congleton, Christina; Yerramsetti, Sita M.; Gard, Tim; and Lazara, Sara W.; Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density, Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, Vol. 191, Issue 1, 30 January, 2011, pages 36 to 43, published on ScienceDirect, 10 November, 2010 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092549271000288X?via%3Dihub
Increase Students' Open Mindedness by Increasing Brain's "computing/processing" Neurons
A Harvard Health Publishing’s article “Mindfulness meditation practice changes the brain,” cited research showing meditators’ computing or processing neurons had higher concentrations, and they were able to regulate their emotions, taking in information while being less judgmental. Their brains had increased concentration of neurons associated with introspection, empathy, and the ability to acknowledge the viewpoints of others—in other words becoming more open-minded. Imagine for a moment, meditation being integrated into public education worldwide, and in 12 years having a new generation of more “open-minded” people.
In the journals: Mindfulness meditation practice changes the brain, Harvard Health Publications, http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2011/April/mindfulness-meditation-practice-changes-the-brain
Reduce Students' Depression -- Mind Body, a Natural Treatment for Depression
Some schools worldwide are beginning to teach mindfulness meditation to students. A March 15, 2013 article in ScienceDaily, “Mindfulness at school reduces (likelihood of) depression-related symptoms in adolescents” by KU Leuven, found benefits students got from meditation were still enjoyed even 6 months after the study.
Leuven, KU; Mindfulness at school reduces (likelihood of) depression-related symptoms in adolescents; ScienceDaily; March 15, 2013 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315095916.htm
In February 2014 an article by Timothy Eden, was published by HuffingtonPost, titled “Meditation: Are Scientists Missing the Point?” This article cited a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) report on a meta-analysis showing that meditation is as effective as medication in treating people dealing with depression and anxiety disorders. It went on to cite evidence that meditation offers multitudinous physical health benefits, pointing out that meditation is recommended by the American Heart Association for preventing stroke and heart disease.
Eden, Timothy (contributor), Meditation: Are Scientists Missing the Point?, HuffingtonPost, February 28, 2014 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-eden/meditation-are-scientists_b_4874377.html
IMPROVE PHYSICAL, MENTAL HEALTH, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADOLESCENTS ...
Study protocol for You.Mind!: boosting first-line mental health care for YOUngsters suffering from chronic conditions with mindfulness: a randomised staggered within-subjects design
-- BMJ; To cite: Kock M, Van Hoecke E, Raes F, et al. Study protocol for You.Mind!: boosting first-line mental health care for YOUngsters suffering from chronic conditions with mindfulness: a randomised staggered within-subjects design. BMJ Open 2021;11:e042648. doi:10.1136/ ABSTRACT
Introduction Adolescents with chronic conditions often experience high levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and reduced quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been found to improve emotional distress in clinical and non-clinical populations and are a promising technique to support adolescents with chronic conditions in managing their symptoms and ultimately enhance their quality of life.
Mindfulness-based interventions for adolescent health
aDivision of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine and bAdolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA Correspondence to Jessica Lin, MD, Adolescent Medicine Fellow, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Tel: +1 617 355 7181; e-mail: Jessica.Lin2@childrens.harvard.edu
Curr Opin Pediatr 2019, 31:469–475 DOI:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000760
Summary
Although research in adolescents remains limited, mindfulness holds promise in the treatment of a range of health conditions in adolescents.
CONCLUSION
The application of mindfulness has been growing rapidly in the context of modern medical practice. Along with findings from studies in adults, the early research on the effectiveness of mindfulness in adolescents suggests that mindfulness can provide health benefits for a variety of adolescent health concerns. Structured 8-week mindfulness programs adapted for adolescents using principles from adultMBIs likeMBSR orMBCT are feasible and can improve physical health, mental health, and quality of life [52]. MBIs delivered through telehealth or Internet/app-based platforms represent promising alternatives to in-person MBIs.
Reduce Student's Absenteeism/Illness (Colds/Flu) Dramatically
Harvard Health Publishing’s Caroline Schatz article mentioned above, also reported meditation’s ability to bolster immune function and to end binge eating in practitioners. Other studies found mindful meditation reduced common colds by half, and Qigong (chi kung), a Chinese form of meditation, profoundly reduced respiratory infections in athletes. An October 2014 article published on power20method.com, “Meditation & Exercise May Reduce Colds & Flu,” cited a University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine study involving a meditating group, an exercising group, and a control group. They found that the group practicing exercise did miss half as many days from work as the non-exercising control group—however, the group practicing meditation only missed half as many days as the exercising group did.
Meditation & Exercise May Reduce Colds & Flu, Power 20, October 7, 2014 https://power20method.com/meditation-exercise-may-reduce-colds-flu/
Students Reducing Healthcare Costs
"60 to 90% of health issues are best prevented or treated by Mind Body (Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong)."
-- Dr. Herbert Benson, Harvard. Author of "The Relaxation Response"
A 20 year Kaiser Permenente study found that 70% of illnesses sending people to their doctors were caused by stress. Dr. David Sobel at Kaiser reported that number could go as high as 85%.
Our nation (USA) spends nearly $3.5 trillion each year, according to a February 2018 Reuters’ article by Yasmeen Abutaleb “U.S. Healthcare Spending to Climb 5.3% in 2018” . The Reuter’s article went on to explain that by 2026 current trends show health spending will reach $5.7 trillion, if things do not change—and they can so easily change by simply educating every school child in mind-body meditation.
Abutaleb, Yasmeen; U.S. Healthcare Spending to Climb 5.3% in 2018, agency; Reuters Health News, Feb. 14, 2018 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-spending-idUSKCN1FY2ZD
A February 2003 article in the New York Times by Daniel Goleman titled “Finding Happiness: Cajole Your Brain to Lean to the Left,” cited research by Dr. Richard Davidson, the director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, using functional M.R.I. and advanced EEG analysis, which found that the most active brain circuitry during emotional distress—depression, anger, and anxiety—were the amygdala and right frontal cortex areas.
Stressed-out workers who served as test subjects were taught how to practice mindfulness meditation. Researchers saw their brain activity shift more to the left frontal cortex, which Dr. Davidson believed inhibited the anxiety messages from the amygdala that power unsettling emotions. These workers experienced boosted immune system function in the form of higher levels of flu antibodies in their blood following a flu shot, as compared to workers who did not meditate. Also, Dr. Davidson cited other research showing that those who learned meditation, who did contract the flu, experienced less severe flu symptoms. Europe PMC published an abstract from Psychosomatic Medicine, 49: 493-507, reporting a study on insurance statistics for over 2,000 people practicing meditation over a 5-year period, which showed these meditators had less than half the hospitalization than did the other groups with comparable age, gender, profession, and insurance terms. Meditators had less incidents of illness in 17 major categories, including 87% less hospitalization for heart disease and 55% less for cancer. In a Meditation 24/7 article (see footnote link), are a list of even more benefits.
Goleman, Daniel; BEHAVIOR; Finding Happiness: Cajole Your Brain to Lean to the Left; The New York Times, February 4, 2003 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/health/behavior-finding-happiness-cajole-your-brain-to-lean-to-the-left.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Psychosomatic Medicine, 49: 493-507
Meditation 24-7, What are the benefits of meditation? http://www.meditation24-7.com/wildserenity/meditation/page39/page39.html
Boosting Students' (Global) Immunity - HELPER T CELLS
Research on meditation shows human consciousness may be a highly evolved pharmacy or nanotechnology that can powerfully impact our cellular biology. In March 2007, an article by Miranda Hitti on WebMD cited a UCLA study on Tai Chi titled “Tai Chi May Boost Immune System,” finding that a Tai Chi group boosted their immune system’s response to nearly twice that of a control group.
Hitti, Miranda; Tai Chi May Boost Immune System, WebMD, March 29, 2007 https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/news/20070329/tai-chi-may-boost-immune-system
Boosting Students' Health Now and in the Future
The Mayo Clinic’s website, in an article titled “Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress” by the Mayo Clinic Staff, cited research showing that meditation can wipe away daily stress. This is hugely important because stress wreaks havoc by saturating the body with stress hormones. On the Dr. Oz Show’s website, Dr. Natasha Turner, naturopathic physician and author of The Supercharged Hormone Diet, explained on DoctorOz.com, that when we experience constant increases in stress hormone levels it hurts our health—causing us to eat more and crave more, become depressed more, lose bone density and muscle mass, and essentially become older than we are.
Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress, Mayo Clinic Staff https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858
Turner, Dr. Natasha; Reset Your Hormones to Beat Belly Fat, Dr. Oz Show website, 11/09/2012, http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/reset-your-hormones-beat-belly-fat?page=2
Optimize Students' DNA Health Now and in the Future -- Slow Students' Future Aging/Inflammation
I mentioned meditation can actually have a healing effect on our DNA. Research has shown that meditation fundamentally changes our physical body’s basic building block–the genes within our DNA structure. Dr. Herbert Benson (author of “The Relaxation Response;” “Beyond the Relaxation Response;” and “Relaxation Revolution”), a pioneer in mind-body research at Harvard, said that research indicates that meditation may turn certain genes on and off, including genes involved with controlling how the body handles free radicals, cell death, and inflammation processes. An April 2011 article by Harvard Health Publications titled “Relaxation response affects gene activity” reported on how ‘relaxation response’ [meditative] techniques can turn certain genes on or off.
Relaxation response affects gene activity, from Harvard’s Stress Management Special Health Report, Harvard Health Publications, April 2011 http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/relaxation-response-affects-gene-activity
Research reported in the International Journal of Neuroscience 16: 53-58, 1982, published on PubMed.gov, titled “The effects of the transcendental meditation and TM-Sidhi program on the aging process” by RK Wallace; M. Dillbeck; E. Jacobe; and B. Harrington; showed long-term meditators’ biological age indicators were 12 years younger than people’s normal mean biological age indicators.
Wallace, RK; Dillbeck, M.; Jacobe, E.; and Harrington, B.; The effects of the transcendental meditation and TM-Sidhi program on the aging process” by International Journal of Neuroscience, 16: 53-58, 1982, PubMed.gov https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6763007
Mind Body Exercise Outperforms Standard Exercise-P.E. of the Future-Mind Body; Tai Chi/Yoga/Chi Kung
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi, by Peter Wayne, Ph.D., in a section on ‘cognitive function, neuroplasticity, and dementia’ , reported on a large trial finding that after 1 year a Tai Chi group showed greater improvements in cognitive performance than a group assigned to a stretching toning program, and fewer of the Tai Chi group progressed to dementia. This book reported that Tai Chi reduced symptoms in those with arthritis and fibromyalgia over control groups, and helped reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and reduced ADHD symptoms in teens and children, who showed better results with Tai Chi than in a typical gym class where symptoms worsened.
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi also covers research showing that Tai Chi can improve bone density. It also reported studies showing Tai Chi improved quality of life, self-esteem, and function (including aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and flexibility) for those dealing with breast cancer while those in a control group getting supportive therapy declined in these areas.
Again and again you find something special and unique about mind-body meditative exercise like Tai Chi over standard physical exercise. There is something about that meditative mind state that Tai Chi requires. A December 12, 2018 study—published on European Review of Aging and Physical Activity at eurapa.biomedcentral.com, titled “Effects of Tai Chi Yunshou exercise on community-based stroke patients: a cluster randomized controlled trial,” done by Guanli Xie, Ting Rao, Lili Lin, Zhengkun Lin, Tianshen Xiao, Ming’ge Yang, Ying Xu, Jinmei Fan, Shufang Lin, Jinsong Wu, Xiaodong Feng, Li Li, Jing Tao, & Lidian Chen—found that the Tai Chi therapy outperformed balance rehabilitation training in several categories.
-- Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi, by Dr. Peter Wayne
Harvard Women’s Health Watch published an article on Harvard Health Publishing in August 2019, titled “Health Benefits of Tai Chi” which referred to the mindfulness meditation of Tai Chi as "medication in motion" for all the myriad health benefits it offers.
The Health Benefits of Tai Chi, Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, August 20, 2019 http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-health-benefits-of-tai-chi
Reduce Students' (Society's) FUTURE Health Issues / Costs -- Diabetes, Heart Disease, COPD, Chronic
Other research on Tai Chi Meditation techniques has shown that people dealing with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, COPD, chronic pain, and other chronic health issues can benefit from Tai Chi, and that these techniques are powerful stress management tools that can actually repair damaged DNA. Find details on more Tai Chi Meditation benefits in a September 2012 article by Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D., titled “Practicing Tai Chi May Promote a Longer Life,” published by the Daily Herald.
Massey, M.D., Ph.D, Patrick B. (medical director for complementary and alternative medicine for the Alexian Brothers Health System. His website is www.alt-med.org); Practicing Tai Chi May Promote a Longer Life, Daily Herald, September 24, 2012 https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120917/entlife/709179983/
more Science on "mind body education" for public education
Increase Students' Brain Integration -- Reducing Self-Centeredness
In February 2015, Forbes published an article by Alice G. Walton (Senior Contributor, Healthcare), titled “7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change the Brain,” citing research on physical brain changes including increased volume in gray matter size, lessened activity in the self-centered activity in the brain, and heightened integration of thought among different brain regions.
Walton, Alice G. (Senior Contributor, Healthcare); 7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change the Brain, Forbes, February 9, 2015, http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/
Increase Students' Focus, Absorption & Retention of Information (Memory), GRE Reading-Comprehension
Research also showed that meditation can enhance students’ ability to absorb and retain information, to the point of being able to predict which students were more likely to pass quizzes, by knowing which students were in the meditation group in this study. A study by Michael D. Mrazek (Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara); Michael S. Franklin; Darwa Tarchin Phillips; Benjamin Baird; and Jonathon W. Schooler, titled “Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering,” published on Journals.sagepub.com in May 2013 , reported that training in mindfulness reduced distracting thoughts and the wandering mind, and also improved GRE reading-comprehension scores and the capacity of working memory.
Mrazek, Michael D.; Franklin, Michael S.; Phillips, Darwa Tarchin; Baird, Benjamin; Schooler, Jonathon W.; Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering, Sage Journals, Journal of Psychological Science, May 10, 2013 http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/03/27/0956797612459659.abstract
Increase Students' Grades / Test Scores
Another study of April 9, 2013 titled “Meditating before lecture leads to better grades,” from researchers at George Mason University and the University of Illinois, written by Tara Laskowski and published on ScienceDaily, involved college students. Some of them were instructed in meditation before listening to a lecture, while a control group did not meditate before the lecture. A quiz was given to both groups after the lecture, and those who meditated did better on the quiz than those who didn’t.
Laskowski, Tara; Meditating before lecture leads to better grades, Science Daily; April 9, 2013, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130409131811.htm
Increase Students' Ability to Actualize the Lives They Want
Meditation 24-7 reported on a study detailed in The Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6: 198-248, 1991, which studied self-actualization, the ability to realize more of one’s inner potential expressed in all areas of life. A meta-analysis of 42 independent studies revealed that meditators enjoyed much greater self-actualization in their lives over those practicing other forms of relaxation. This is a profoundly important finding.
Meditation24-7; What are the benefits of meditation? http://www.meditation24-7.com/page39/page39.html
Increase Students' Math / English Proficiency, Alertness, Happiness, Self-Esteem
Reduce Students' ADHD, Academic Stress, Drug Abuse, Anti-Social Behavior
The Mental Health Community’s web report in 2012 titled “10 Telling Studies Done on Student Meditation” offered summaries of those studies’ findings, which included dramatic improvements in math and English proficiency for meditating over non-meditating students; 50% reduction in ADHD symptoms; improved alertness and reduction in academic stress and self-doubt; reduced anti-social behavior and substance abuse; reduced absenteeism; increased happiness and self-esteem; actual changes in brain fibers in areas regulating emotions and behavior; and increased creativity and intelligence levels.
10 Telling Studies Done on Student Meditation, Mental Health Community, March 27, 2012
Mind–Body Therapy for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,
MDPI JOURNAL, Academic Editor: Hilary McClafferty Received: 30 November 2016; Accepted: 18 April 2017; Published: 25 April 2017 5.
Conclusions
Potential benefits and mechanism of action of mind–body therapies have been evidenced through research and continue to be explored. Compared to pharmacological treatment, mind–body therapies have little to no unwanted side effects. There is little cost compared to clinical therapy since the only cost is for training or sessions that are typically conducted in groups. Activities such as yoga or Tai Chi can be practiced at home or school ... Mind–body training for parents has an added benefit to children’s ADHD symptoms. Parents who practice mindfulness with parenting techniques report better outcomes in ADHD symptoms of their children [48].
Increase Students' Gamma Brain Wave Activity -- Multi-Dimensional Thinking
An October 2019 Irish Times’ article, “Mental Training Can Change Brain Activity,” pointed out that what Buddhist Meditation practitioners have been claiming for 100s of years—that meditation changes the brain structure and function—is now being validated by new science. Research cited in their article showed that “gamma wave” brain activity was enhanced in both newly trained meditators and long-term ones, but the gamma activity in the long-term meditators brains was more powerful than had ever been recorded in a healthy person.
Mental training can change brain activity, The Irish Times, October 20, 2019 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/mental-training-can-change-brain-activity-1.407317
As you’ve seen above in the Irish Times article, and in other brain research, science is learning that meditation enhances gamma wave thinking. While meditation tends to produce an “alpha state,” where the brain waves hover in the alpha wavelengths, the overall effect of meditation is that it enhances gamma wave thinking when engaged in problem solving. Gamma wave thinking involves considering ideas or concepts in different regions of the mind simultaneously, in other words promoting multidimensional thinking, creative thinking where you can see an issue from many angles at the same time.
This is the opposite of narrow linear thinking, gamma wave thinking is from where the “aha” moments come, when disparate facts suddenly gel in the dawning of insight. Narrow thinking is more prevalent when we are under stress and anxiety. We get tunnel vision.
A paper published by the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, “Changing the Brain with meditation: What’s Sleep Got to do With it?” revealed that long term meditators experienced more gamma brain waves, compared to people who did not meditate. Effective brain operation, joy, and compassion have been associated with Gamma Waves.
Earlier chapters cited research showing that meditation shrinks the fear/stress part of the brain, expands the empathy/compassion parts of the brain. Gamma wave thinking enables meditators to consider different points of view, resulting in our becoming more creative and open minded. This opens up a whole new science, a technology of learning how to foster creativity and out of the box thinking in millions of people. Later we’ll explore the science of creativity, where creativity may come from, and the models some of the greatest creative minds in human history followed which sound a great deal like the modern concept of meditation, or alpha wave thinking.
National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, Changing the Brain with Meditation: What’s Sleep Got to do With it? https://www.nicabm.com/changing-the-brain-with-meditation-whats-sleep-got-to-do-with-it/
Reduce Students' Insomnia, Anxiety, Depression, and Future Chronic Pain, Hypertension in Society
According to an April 8, 2011 article in Harvard Health Publications, “Mindfulness meditation improves connections in the brain” by Carolyn Schatz; science is finding that mindfulness meditation helps with many physical and psychological problems: high blood pressure, chronic pain, psoriasis, sleep trouble, anxiety, and depression, to name a few. In February 2014 an article by Timothy Eden, was published by HuffingtonPost, titled “Meditation: Are Scientists Missing the Point?” This article cited a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) report on a meta-analysis showing that meditation is as effective as medication in treating people dealing with depression and anxiety disorders. It went on to cite evidence that meditation offers multitudinous physical health benefits, pointing out that meditation is recommended by the American Heart Association for preventing stroke and heart disease. Harvard Health Publishing’s Caroline Schatz article mentioned above, also reported meditation’s ability to bolster immune function and to end binge eating in practitioners.
Schatz, Caroline (former editor, Harvard Women’s Health Watch); Mindfulness meditation improves connections in the brain, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, October 29, 2015 http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-improves-connections-in-the-brain-201104082253
Eden, Timothy (contributor), Meditation: Are Scientists Missing the Point?, HuffingtonPost, February 28, 2014 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-eden/meditation-are-scientists_b_4874377.html
Creating Students Wired to "Help" One Another ...
A January 2007 Wall Street Journal article by Sharon Begley, titled “How Thinking Can Change the Brain—Dalai Lama Helps Scientists Show the Power of the Mind to Sculpt Our Gray Matter,” cited a study being done on meditation, involving Eastern monks who’d meditated their entire lives and novices who were new to meditation. The meditators’ brain activity was scanned to see if meditation affected it. What they found was stunning. Not only did the “empathy” center of the brain activate more for meditators when they saw images of people suffering, but the “action” part of the brain also was activated—revealing that meditation made people not only more likely to empathize with those in suffering, but to be moved to action to help stop the source of that pain for others.
Begley, Sharon; How Thinking Can Change the Brain, Dalai Lama Helps Scientists Show the Power of the Mind To Sculpt Our Gray Matter, Wall Street Journal, January 19, 2007 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116915058061980596.html
In a Modern World of Rapid Bone Jarring Change ... Students can Gain Skills in Healthy "Adaptability
Meditation has a multidimensional elegance to it. Research now reveals meditation can also enable us to handle the stress of such constant tectonic shifts in our core beliefs and understanding. A study published in the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health website in December of 2004, titled “Transcendental Meditation Helps Young Adults Cope With Stress,” found college students in their test group, trained in meditation, were better at coping and felt less emotional distress. Research shows change, good or bad, is stressful. But meditation helps us relax into such bone-jarring changes and surf them in healthful ways.
Transcendental Meditation Helps Young Adults Cope With Stress, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), December 14, 2009 http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/051410.htm
Raising Students with a Desire to Help the Community...Results in Having Healthier DNA Expression
In 2013, UCLA's Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and the University of North Carolina released a study, written by Mark Wheeler and published by UCLA Newsroom, titled “Be happy: Your Genes may thank you for it—But different types of happiness have different effects, UCLA study shows,” finding that our DNA responds very differently to different kinds of happiness—responding very healthfully in several ways to altruistic selfless pleasure, while responding negatively to selfish-gratification type pleasure, more inflammation and lower immune function.
Wheeler, Mark; Be happy: Your genes may thank you for it But different types of happiness have different effects, UCLA study shows; UCLA Newsroom, July 29, 2013 http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/don-t-worry-be-happy-247644
Students Can Develop a More Strongly Defined Self-Concept, Closer to Their "Ideal Concept"
In 1976 the Journal of Psychology (4: 206-218, 1976) published a study, cited on Meditation24-7.com, showing that after one month, meditators developed a more strongly defined self-concept and came to perceive their “actual self” as significantly closer to their “ideal self,” while the non-meditating control groups saw no similar changes.
Meditation 24-7 http://www.meditation24-7.com/wildserenity/meditation/page39/page39.html
more Science on "mind body education" for public education
Reducing Student Obesity Rates
Do Mindfulness Interventions Improve Obesity Rates in Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Evidence
Terrah Keck-Kester 1, Lina Huerta-Saenz 2, Ryan Spotts 1, Laura Duda 1, Nazia Raja-Khan 3, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Academic General Pediatrics, Penn State, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Penn State, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA; 3Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pa, USA Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy downloaded from https://www.dovepress.com/ on 19-Mar-2022
Conclusion
Mindfulness intervention studies in children are in their infancy, although they show promise. There have been a few studies that have shown positive results regarding stabilizing or decreasing BMI, but they are limited mostly to MBSR, Mindful Eating, and certain kinds of yoga. Other studies have shown more promise treating the psychologic and physiologic comorbidities associated with obesity, such as improvements in kinematics, decreasing rates of anxiety and depression, and improving blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Treating these comorbidities is integral to overall health and wellbeing of children with obesity. For this reason, mindfulness interventions are a reasonable addition to a holistic treatment plan of children with obesity.
Saving 100s of Billions on Future Law Enforcement, Courts, and Prisons IS Possible
A small preliminary study has shown that men who have learned these practices are successful upon parole 94% of the time. Other prison activities—such as education, religious and self-help programs—have a recidivism rate (the rate inmates return to prison for new crimes or parole violations) of 70% to 80%. One would think these numbers would deserve greater scrutiny. Perhaps a University of California sponsored study.
[Excerpt from "An End to Crime, Qi Gong in Corrections" by James K. Hecker, T'ai Chi Chih Teacher]
The U.S. spent $205 billion on law enforcement [in 2019], amounting to $123 billion spent on policing and $82 billion on corrections.
Policing and Corrections Spending, MoneyGeek.com
https://www.moneygeek.com/living/state-policing-corrections-spending/
The U.S. spends $81 billion a year on mass incarceration, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics [in 2017]. In 2017, the Prison Policy Initiative estimated the actual cost on state and federal governments and impacted families is roughly $182 billion [every year].
PBS News Hour, "The U.S. spends billions to lock people up, but very little to help them once they're released"
NEW SCIENCE SHOWS MEDITATION REDUCES TEACHER BURN OUT
New study shows Transcendental Meditation reduces teacher burnout and improves resilience -- Peer-Reviewed Publication CENTER FOR WELLNESS AND ACHIEVEMENT IN EDUCATION
Teachers who participated in a meditation-based teacher development program utilizing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique for four months, had significant improvements in emotional exhaustion (the leading factor in burnout), resilience, perceived stress, fatigue, and depression according to a new randomized controlled trial published today in Frontiers in Education.
* GTP NOTE: The essence of Public Education starts in two places; Students' Minds/Brains, and in Teachers' Inspiration/Enthusiasm. Mind Body Education for Public School Students and Public Educators goes to the very core of what creates high level Public Education. Prisons who have seen profound improvements in their populations, not only taught inmates meditation, but staff, and prison guards. If the entire environment changes in prisons, it can in schools.
Can Adding Millions of New Meditators in Public Education, Reduce Crime Beyond Schools?
This concept was supported by a famous meditation study in Washington D.C. by J.S. Hagelin, M.V. Rainforth, D.W. Orme-Johnson, K.L. Cavanaugh, C.N. Alexander, S.F. Shatkin, J.L. Davies, A.O. Hughes, and E. Ross, published at the Institute of Science, Technology & Public Policy site in 1999, and in Social Indicators Research journal. It is worth mentioning the esteemed credentials of the lead researcher on this historic project: John Hagelin, Ph.D., a renowned quantum physicist, science and public policy expert. Dr. Hagelin conducted pioneering research at CERN (the European Center for Particle Physics) and at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center—and was responsible for the development of a highly successful grand unified field theory based on the superstring—a theory that was featured in a cover story of Discover magazine.
This historic study on meditators affecting society, conducted from June to July in 1993, found that when a certain small percentage of the city’s population included trained meditators, the HRA (homicides, rapes, and assaults) crime rates decreased significantly by 23% at the highest point of infusion of meditators. What was interesting was that there was a correlation in line charts showing that as the number of meditators being brought into the city increased, the crime rates correspondingly dropped. Weather and other factors were taken into account, and the statistical odds of this happening by chance were calculated to be less than 2 in 1 billion.
Other meditation research entitled “Transcendental Meditation Program and Crime Rate Change in a Sample of Forty-Eight Cities” by M.C. Dillbeck, G. Landrith, and D.W. Orme-Johnson, cited at NCJRS (National Crime and Justice Reference Service) from the Journal of Crime and Justice 4: 25–45, 1981, stated that in cities where 1% of the population were instructed and trained in meditation programs, crime rates decreased the following year, in contrast to matched control cities, and the trend remained in the subsequent 5 years.
Hagelin, J.S.; Rainforth, M.V.; Orme-Johnson, D.W.; Cavanaugh, K. L.; Alexander, C.N.; Shatkin, S.F.; Davies, J.L; Hughes, A.O.; and Ross, E.; Effects of Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation Program on Preventing Violent Crime in Washington, DC: Results of the National Demonstration Project –June-July 1993, Institute of Science, Technology & Public Policy, 1999 http://istpp.org/crime_prevention/
Dillbeck, M C; Landrith, G; Orme-Johnson, D W; Transcendental Meditation Program and Crime Rate Change in a Sample of Forty-Eight Cities (From Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 4, P 25-45, 1981, Sloan T Letman, ed.), National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 1981, https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=85219
IDEAS ON "WHAT A PUBLIC SCHOOL MIND BODY EDUCATION" MIGHT be
Each school or school district would create their own
Mind Body Education must be "voluntary" and "age appropriate"
When GTP founders began teaching in Public Schools decades ago, they realized that when they present on Meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, Chi Kung, or Mindfulness in schools ... each student must "decide to participate" for it to be successful. So, we asked schools to offer an opt out option, like a "study hall" for students wishing to opt out. Students rarely did opt out, however it was important that each student know they are participating by their own choice--because then Mind Body Education becomes effective.
Teaching Mind Body in "Age Appropriate ways"
Mind Body Education can/should be taught beginning in Kindergarten & Pre-school ... but it must be light and playful and natural. Mindfulness practices, getting children to focus on "breathing" and "physical sensations" can be a start. Animal Chi Kung where children pretend to be creatures, snakes, tigers, etc. is a very playful way to introduce Mind Body experiences, see below videos.
Teachers and School Administrators should participate as well as students--Mind Body can reduce Teacher Burn Out, and change the entire school environment--according to data from the CENTER FOR WELLNESS AND ACHIEVEMENT IN EDUCATION.
HOW DO SCHOOLS GET STARTED?
Each school or school district would create their own
Local Mind Body Experts exist in cities worldwide ... an amazingly under-utilized resource
There are already a host of Tai Chi, Yoga, Mindfulness, Chi Kung, and Meditation organizations who have been pioneering Mind Body Education in schools. Using Google, etc. you can find them in your country--to work with them.
Also, local schools can contact local Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, and Mindfulness teachers and programs to see if they have experience teaching at "age-appropriate" levels.
Yoga Locator lists the UN's International Day of Yoga participating groups/yoga schools worldwide.
WorldTaiChiDay.org has an Events/Schools Directory where educators can search online for local Tai Chi or Chi Kung schools they can talk to/interview about a School Mind Body Program.
Educators can reach out to major Mind Body organizations (Click for videos)
Quiet Time and Transcendental Meditation at Aspire Ollin | David Lynch Foundation
Making School Mindful: The Benefits of Meditation for Children
Parents and educators around the world are recognizing the benefits of meditation for children. We speak to Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation and Sonia Sequeira, Neuroscientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, about why this is more than a trend.
Mindfulness in Schools: Mindfulness and the Brain for Children
2 Free CEs per year when stay connected with me at the Institute for Therapy that Works: https:/www.therapythatworksinstitute.com/youtube
Wisdom Healing Qigong Family Chi Camp For Parents & Grandparents ... with Kids ages 6 and up
Calm Energy Focus Qigong Calm for Kids - Calm Movements
The Calm Energy Focus Qigong set is a great way to help you Move Through the Day. Great for kids Qigong is a gentle exercise combining the mind, body and breath. In this video we go through the first 3 movements of the 9 in this set and they will help to calm and relax. Easy to follow.
SO WHAT DOES PUBLIC ED. MIND BODY EDUCATION LOOK LIKE?
Each school or school district would create their own
What does a one hour per day Mind Body Class look like?
Ultimately, each nation/school/teacher will create their own Mind Body Education approach. What is important is to impart these ancient time-tested Mind Body science-based practices (Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation, Chi Kung, and Mindfulness) so that school children can "achieve the Alpha/Theta Brain Wave states" ... which has multitudinous positive effects.
There are technologies like "MUSE" brain wave sensor that can actually show educators and students what brain wave states students are in. This could help Public Educators worldwide know if they have "effective" Mind Body Education. MUSE, and perhaps other technology can show in real time when a student's or teacher's brain is in Alpha/Theta Meditative brain wave states--and it offers Meditation Tips to help achieve that state. It can also provide reports on student brain wave performance during Meditation, so students/teachers can track their progress in achieving Meditative states during Mind Body Education.
A one hour per day Mind Body class would be like a "P.E., or Physical Education class," combined with "play/recess," and a "Health Science class" all combined.
Each class could be a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Mindfulness, and Meditation (which many Mind Body classes already are, they overlap). OR, another option would be to have each day focus on one of the BIG 5 science-based Mind Body practices. A weekly schedule for Mind Body Education may be, for example:
Mondays: Yoga
Tuesdays: Meditation
Wednesdays: Tai Chi
Thursdays: Mindfulness
Fridays: Qigong (Chi Kung)
As Mind Body Education is developed in Public Education worldwide, schools can exchange their results and techniques ... creating a worldwide Mind Body laboratory which could evolve education approaches all over the planet. AND as this occurs students worldwide will be cultivating a form of SUPER-THINKING, known in science as 'GAMMA BRAIN WAVE THINKING.'
Superhumans: The remarkable brain waves of high-level meditators | Daniel Goleman | Big Think People who have meditated for thousands of hours exhibit a remarkable difference in their brainwaves. Psychologist and author Daniel Goleman says we can actually see what happens in the heads of those who have achieved "enlightenment" and the results are unprecedented in science.
The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena [consciousness], it will make more progress in one decade than it has in all the previous centuries of existence.
-- Nikola Tesla [ the man who invented the 20th Century]