Meditation For Youth
The Story of Teachers Introducing Character Education through "Mindfulness Meditation"
“Middle school students can change over a single semester more than a thousand times,” says a teacher who has been educating children for over a decade. Shy children can suddenly exhibit leadership, while those who were once aggressive can mature into individuals who are considerate of their friends. It’s important to understand that our children are continually growing, not only physically but also emotionally. Therefore, providing education that can properly nurture their potential is crucial. Especially in today’s context, where issues like school violence, bullying, smartphone addiction, and gaming addiction are being discussed, the importance of character education is being emphasized even more.
How can we raise our children in the right way? How can we properly unlock the boundless potential within them? These are the collective concerns that we all share. As a method to address these questions, some teachers who have experienced mindfulness meditation are incorporating the “subtracting the mind” meditation technique into their character education classes.
"What kind of thoughts do 18-year-old adolescents want to let go of?
“I felt a refreshing feeling inside. It’s as if someone emptied the trash bin of all the stray thoughts in my head.”
“My mind feels clearer and calmer. In the morning, I used to have a lot of thoughts, but after letting go through subtraction, all those thoughts disappeared. It’s amazing. It feels like all the cluttered thoughts in the black hole have been completely emptied. It feels like a breakthrough in my mind.”
“I recalled the anxious feeling about staying this way. Through subtracting my mind, I was able to feel a little relief from the anxiety and pressure I had about being this way. I also gained some regrets and realizations about how I used to be when I entered school compared to now.”
Minds that struggle to approach friends. Minds that keep procrastinating things they don’t want to do, unable to persevere in anything. Minds that can’t answer loudly in class, lacking in confidence. Distracted by random thoughts during class, wanting to constantly check their phones. Worries about things that won’t happen, weak willpower easily swayed by surrounding temptations…
These are the things that 18-year-old, second-year high school students most commonly mentioned as the “thoughts they want to let go of” in the present. Teachers who run meditation classes say that even students who seem to have no thoughts on the surface often have a strong desire for change when they open up about their deeper feelings. They want to get along better with friends, have more perseverance in anything they do, and speak up more in class… but they don’t know how to change and end up feeling discouraged and struggling alone.
At times like this, taking a close look at their own minds and simply emptying those negative thoughts can be a catalyst for change. Therefore, providing opportunities for adolescents in the process of forming their identities to reflect on themselves and let go of negative thoughts through meditation is truly important.
What Are The Benefits for Youth?
- Concentration - By discarding the distracted mind, concentration naturally increases.
- Independence - By discarding the resistance to taking action, they can achieve their goals with persistence and patience.
- Confidence - By discarding comparison to others and feelings of inferiority, confidence increases.
- Positive Mind - By discarding the negative mind, a positive and grateful mind is gained.
- Empathy - By discarding the self-centered mind, the ability to understand the feelings of others improves.
Should elementary school students also need meditation?
The trend of early education and the prevailing atmosphere of early evaluation based on grades and academic performance have led to an alarming accumulation of negative thoughts in children’s minds. Even among elementary school students, many of them often harbor self-doubt, reluctance, irritation, and stress. Most of them either keep these feelings bottled up or overly suppress them, which can often result in later outbursts or behavioral issues
Research results
(after 2weeks meditation)
Before letting go, I was overwhelmed and exhausted by the stress of academics. I didn’t want to study at all.
But after letting go of my feelings towards studying, it felt like my mind became a tranquil open field.
Before letting go, it felt like being in a battle, filled with irritation, as if I were fighting a soldier. It was a stressful experience.
After letting go, my mood became refreshed.
Before letting go, I disliked my older brother, and I didn’t want to do homework, so I felt like I was about to explode.
After letting go of the family homework-related thoughts, I became like a defused bomb, no longer ready to explode
Before letting go, I felt annoyed, anxious, restless, difficult, complex, inconvenient, tired, overwhelmed, challenging, boring, wanting to do something else, and uncomfortable. It was hard even to look at it.
After letting go of the stress related to academics, all those emotions from before disappeared, and I felt a refreshing, bright, and calm heart.
Before letting go, 1 was the feeling of boiling frustration due to stress, and 2 was when irritation arose. As for 3, 4, and 7, these were emotions of annoyance and inconvenience. 5 was when emotions were about to explode, and 6 was when irritation occurred.
After letting go of the stress related to studying and exams, 1 and 4 felt refreshing and light, like water and wind. 2’s warmth and coziness, as well as the complexity of emotions, disappeared. It felt like irritation and stress, similar to 3, were something enjoyable.
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