Mental Health of Children Improved by Meditation Techniques

Helen Holmes March 28, 2013

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For years, science has been successful in unlocking the true potential of mindfulness meditation in promoting mental health, most especially when scientists discovered that the ancient mind-and-body technique has the ability to make positive changes in the brain. And just like in adults, allowing children to engage in mindfulness meditation is one great way to improve their well-being, says an expert.

Meditation for Children

In a study authored by Professor Willem Kuyken from the Mood Disorders Centre at the University of Exeter, researchers outlined the benefits of mindfulness meditation to young children. Their study was among the first to navigate the potential role of this technique to children ages 12 to 16 years. For this research project, Prof Kuyken and his team invited students from 12 secondary schools to either participate in a mindfulness training programme or go ahead with their usual school curriculum.

Mindfulness was described by the researchers as the ‘practice of being aware of what is happening in the present moment and learning to skilfully relate to thoughts, emotions and body impulses as they arise’.

The researchers found that the students who took part in the mindfulness education reported fewer symptoms of depression, lower stress levels, and greater sense of well-being as compared to those who continued with their regular school curriculum.

Even though a lot of work is still needed to be done, the researchers suggest that mindfulness can be used as a means of improving the emotional and mental well-being of children. Such intervention, they added, is inexpensive, can easily fit with the standard curriculum of schools, and can have rapid impact on students. Practising mindfulness meditation is also an enjoyable activity for students and school personnel.

Mindfulness and Mental Health

Mindfulness is one of the major breakthroughs in psychology. When neuroscientists and psychologists unravelled the mystery behind this ancient philosophy, a lot of new concepts have arrived which surprisingly altered many of the old principles in science. For instance, when scientists discovered, through brain scans, that meditation produces massive changes in the brain structures of individuals, the belief that the brain stops developing after birth has been phased out.  Numerous studies have shown that meditation increases the white matter in the brain, and reduces those that negatively affect emotions. Practising mindfulness meditation on a regular basis has also been found to help in a wide range of physical health problems, including pain management, stress, heart disease, and obesity.

 

Dear Readers,

Have you tried practising mindfulness techniques? In what way did it benefit your mental and physical health? Do you agree with the researchers’ suggestion to incorporate meditation in the school curriculum of students in elementary and secondary schools? Why or why not?

Share your comments below! 

 

Source of this article:

Meditation technique enhances children’s mental health