The new worldwide trend of implementing meditation into schools was recently adopted in the United States, the United Kingdom and just last month, in Fredericton as well.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, suspensions decreased nationally by 20 per cent in the last two years as schools test alternative ways, like yoga, to aid students with school stress.
Fredericton High School decided one hour of yoga per day must be part of their curricula. This addition is not a substitute or alternative to physical education class.
“It’s like any other class. I meet with my Grade 11 and 12 students once a day for an hour and they are assessed,” said Daneen Dymond, physical education and yoga teacher at Fredericton High School.
Yoga is implemented to teach students how to be resilient and how to approach stressful situations in a positive way.
“We are hoping to develop young adults and teens to be productive citizens. To be able to deal with the stresses of life,” she said.
A Harvard study shows people spend 47 per cent of their time thinking about what isn’t going on; contemplating the past or assuming what might happen in the future. This suggests that mind-wandering causes stress, anxiety and often leads to unhappiness.
Yoga and meditation encourage mindfulness; the state of being aware of the present. This reduces worry and anxiety.
Dymond said it’s not only about Fredericton High School.
“This is about trying to get the message out of how important it is for adults to support and encourage our youth to take time for themselves … We all need to be able to detach, to understand the importance of just being still and appreciative of what surrounds us.”
In the same way, St. Thomas University’s Student Services began the Self-Care Series event every Monday night. The activities offered include art classes, board games and yoga nights.
Trish Murray-Zelmer, Self-Care Series co-ordinator, said it aims to be “a fun drop-in time where students can just come and dedicate to one activity for two hours, practice mindfulness, and then go back to their responsibilities.”
Mariana Amero, a second-year student majoring in psychology at STU, found that yoga helped her sleep, feel more relaxed and get in tune with her spiritual side.
“It’s all about acquiring the habit of being mindful and you will notice a huge difference in yourself,” she said.
Natalí Ortiz, a fourth-year student at St. Thomas University, has been doing yoga for the last five years. She said her practice helped her be more conscious of her personal well-being. Seeing the positive results of being mindful in her life, she encourages others to try yoga. But she often gets the same response: “Oh, but I’m not flexible.”
Like Amero, Ortiz believes yoga is a personal experience and that the most important aspect is to make time for yourself.
“Do not compare yourself to others,” Ortiz said, “when you focus on your growth and what you are trying to achieve, you are already accomplishing the goal of yoga.”
