Mitigating Detention With Meditation Essay - 1079 Words

Mitigating Detention with Meditation In a world full of contrast, nothing lies at more polar ends than detention and meditation. On one hand, students are forced to sit in uncomfortable desks and stare at the wall, while the other implements the use of plush floor pillows and calming essential oils. Fortunately, for the students of Robert W. Coleman Elementary School, staff have implemented a â€Å"Mindful Moment Room,† where misbehaving youth are sent to evaluate their improper actions. Here, they are able to breathe in the relaxing scent of lavender, stretch to relieve tension, lounge on yoga mats, and utilize deep breathing in order to calm down. Despite the room only having been in effect for a few years, the school has already noticed a†¦show more content†¦Their body’s alarm system is switched way on, so they may be primed for fight or flight and not able to sit calmly† (Bloom). For these kids, meditation becomes an outlet to relieve their pent-up emotions, and let their guards down fo r several moments. The room becomes a safe haven for them, which is why meditation should be more common in classrooms across the world, for students of all ages. Another benefit of meditation is that it can increase students’ discipline, which in turn, decreases the school’s total number of suspensions. Deborah Bloom from CNN reports that â€Å"Thompson says she’s had zero suspensions since the room’s creation. The year before that, there were four suspensions† (Bloom). This is an impressive drop in numbers, convincing many to believe that meditation has a rightful spot at school. Its positive thinking and deep breathing methods allow for students to assume better control over their tempers, and suppress any desire to act out of order. Additionally, Mandy Oaklander from TIME further supports this claim by saying, â€Å"Three years after a Transcendental Meditation program was implemented at a troubled middle school, suspension rates dropped from 28% to 4% and teacher turnover plummeted† (Oaklander). These numbers show that meditation is truly more impactful than detention, and should be implementedSho w MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesself-understanding—is essential to one’s productive personal and interpersonal functioning, and in understanding and empathizing with other people. A host of techniques and methods for achieving self-knowledge have long been available— including group methods, meditation techniques, altered consciousness procedures, aromatherapy, assorted massages, physical exercise regimens, and biofeedback. It is estimated that Americans alone spend between $30 billion and $50 billion on such therapies. In this chapter we do not