STUDENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO FIND THAT MEDITATING HELPS THEM GET SOME MUCH-NEEDED BREATHING ROOM.

A student in school who is just ready to take a test

There are currently two occupations that have significantly increased in difficulty during the past few years. One of them is being a teacher, which is a challenging job even under the best of circumstances. To persuade youngsters to concentrate on their studies in this day and age of nearly limitless chances for distraction and constantly decreasing attention spans can be like pulling teeth (no offence intended to dentists).

As someone who has worked in the past as a school aide with younger students, I can attest to the fact that it was frequently all I could do to prevent fights from breaking out and maintain a decibel level lower than that of an international airport. Any form of "education" that was really able to take place in such an atmosphere can be considered nothing short of a minor miracle.

Being a student is obviously the second occupation that has become significantly more challenging as time has gone on. Believe me when I say that I empathise with the predicament that they are in! The children of today are raised on electronic devices, which allow them to switch at a breakneck pace between activities such as visiting a website, sending a text message, or playing a video game. Where does a child learn how to focus their attention on a single reading assignment or arithmetic problem when there are so many other things that are just a click away?

But just recently, I watched a movie that moved me to tears and inspired me in such a way that it gave me hope. A public school in San Francisco served as the location for the filming of Room to Breathe, which was directed by Russell Long. One of the largest middle schools in the Bay Area, Marina Middle School has 900 pupils and holds the dubious reputation of having the highest suspension rate in the city. This is an unfortunate title to hold.

In the first images, we witness children tossing pencils at one another, fighting in the schoolyard, and running amok through the halls. Children do not fail because they are stupid; rather, they fail because they are unable to focus, as guidance counsellor Ling Busche explains to us in a voice-over: "There is this sensation of continual entertainment, and whatever is happening in the lesson often becomes secondary."

Given the disorganised nature of the environment, it is more than a little surprise that Mr. Ehnle's homeroom has been selected to participate in an experimental new program in self-reflection that is being labelled "mindfulness."

In point of fact, the practice of mindfulness is not at all "new." It is believed to have begun in the jungle monasteries of South Asia more than two thousand years ago. This basic form of meditation, in which one's attention is directed toward one's own bodily sensations, is currently making its way into classrooms in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and scores of other cities across the country, not so much as a means to enlightenment as it is as a useful tool to assist children in becoming calm and focused so that they can learn.

The instructor from the organisation Mindful Schools who worked with Ehnle's class, Megan Cowan, explained that the goal is to provide pupils with the "tools and abilities" necessary to bring order to the chaos that exists within their own thoughts.

This a difficult task, as Cowan realises for herself when her attempts to encourage the children to sit quietly and concentrate on their 7 11 breathing gif are met with sarcastic remarks and signs of disinterest from the children. When she wishes to remove these students who are being disruptive for the duration of the mindfulness exercises, the assistant principal reminds her that in a public school, no one may be barred from participation.

Therefore, Cowan decides to carry on with the entire class, and it comes as a bit of a surprise that by the time the documentary is over, some of her "most difficult patients" have begun to value what these relatively straightforward tactics have to offer them.

Example: Omar, whose older brother was killed in gang violence, testifies that mindfulness has taught him to pull back from potentially violent circumstances without reacting. Omar's older brother was killed in gang violence. On the video, Jacqueline's mother comments that her daughter has grown more considerate of the feelings of others and that she is now achieving higher academic success. In addition, Gerardo, an aspiring artist, shared with us that he practices mindfulness in order to improve his concentration while painting and drawing.

These seemingly little "success stories" are supported by a body of research that is continuously expanding. Students in the second and third grades at a school for students from low-income families participated in one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the topic of mindfulness. The participants' significant improvements in concentration, academic performance, and social skills were maintained for more than three months after the conclusion of their mindfulness program.

Research has also revealed that activities such as focusing attention on the breath and listening to ambient sounds have a significant impact on human physiology. These activities have been shown to slow down respiration, drop blood pressure levels, and reduce hazardous levels of stress.

This method is not a cure-all by any means. It is obvious that a good number of children want more than just a few moments of peace and quiet in their day in order to feel more at ease. However, many of those who participated in the program at Marina Middle School described it as an eye-opening experience. It was the first time that adolescents were given the opportunity to see that they do not have to be puppets hanging from the strings of their own overactive brains. On the other hand, people have the ability to choose where to focus their thoughts and how to react to their own feelings in any given moment.

Learning this is important not only for children but also for adults! According to Psychology Today, an estimated ten million people in the United States participate in some kind of meditation practice. Across the country, there has been a rise in the number of healthcare facilities, rehabilitation centres, and even corporate boardrooms that are incorporating mindfulness training.

According to Megan Cowan, "mindfulness does not make problems disappear." "However, the manner in which you are responding to your experiences shifts, which makes room for more buoyancy and happiness."

And research shows that children who are calm and cheerful are more likely to absorb new information. Let's keep our fingers crossed that more of our nation's troubled schools, where educators and children alike could need whatever assistance they can receive in today's world, will adopt mindfulness training in the near future.

Breathing exercise gif meditation would surely be beneficial for children who are anxious about taking tests or for those who find themselves in difficult social situations. If more schools implemented mindfulness training, we could see a reduction in violence, bullying, and academic failure rates. By pairing it with calming music, the experience would be much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Harmonic Breathing shares soothing soundtracks that can be used for meditation, concentration, or just relaxing. Our music project consists of different tracks that have been proven to help people focus and be more productive. The tones and rhythms create an environment that allows the listener to feel at ease while enjoying the music. If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness or would like to explore some of the many applications for this training, please visit our website today!