Meditation in Schools

A the Ross School in the Hamptons each day begins with breakfast all together and then some kind of meditative practice; tai chi, yoga or meditation. I have long been an advocate of creating the space for some kind of quiet time, like the compulsory naps of preschool. What makes schools think that students don't need to take 20 as they get older? Au contraire, I think with the pressures of schoolwork, peers and adolescence it becomes more important for students to cultivate a quiet practice.

There is a great deal of research out there proving the benefits of transcendental meditation (TM) in reducing stress, trauma, increasing concentration, fostering healthy communication and ameliorating test scores and anxiety. The renowned Director Producer David Lynch has been practicing TM for over 30 years and in 2005 founded the The David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace. It's mission is:

To fund the implementation of scientifically proven stress-reducing modalities including Transcendental Meditation, for at-risk populations such as underserved inner-city students; veterans with PTSD and their families; American Indians suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high suicide rates; homeless men participating in reentry programs striving to overcome addictions; and incarcerated juveniles and adults.

David Lynch calls the 20 minutes of TM practice, 'Quiet Time.' From more privileged students at the Ross School in the Hamptons to the youth hailing from agitated school zones - Every child, teacher and principal, All of us, could benefit from some kind of meditative practice. I can't say that I am a practitioner myself, but I know that I am negatively affected by the intensity of the world we live in today. I know that I will benefit greatly from giving myself 20 minutes twice a day. As an NYU Alumni I am also aware of the frighteningly high rates of suicide that take place within the institution each year; the pressures of school and parents, the high costs of city living, the over-bombardment of information and technology - We need more ways to check in with ourselves, to access the breadth and calm that lies below. Change, Lynch echoes, begins within.