Meditation and mindfulness have been absorbed into the modern vernacular and are often hailed as a magic remedy to the ills of modern living.
Meditation in general has been found to enhance:
physical well-being, eg:
- concentration and cognition
- a relaxed and calm state
emotional well-being, eg:
- an aid and relief from depression and anxiety
- a sense of peace
- improved ‘sense of self’ [1]
Christian Meditation has been found to enhance all the above, plus:
spiritual well-being, eg:
- enhanced sense of and relationship with God [1]
- opportunity for children to “know themselves and God in a new way.”[2]
- able to focus on one’s “interiority and recognise God’s active presence”.[3]
- “healing and greater connection with others.”[3]
For these reasons, many schools are now implementing a mindfulness program, or perhaps secular meditation programs, often utilising facets of mindfulness, for the well-being benefits that such meditation practice can bring, as noted by several scientific trials.
In a faith-based school, I believe there is a wonderful opportunity to combine all of the benefits of Mindfulness / secular meditation with the advantages of contemplating God’s presence via Christian Meditation. To put it simply, Christian Meditation can achieve the same well-being benefits of Mindfulness, plus bestow wonderful Faith and Spirituality benefits.
Why miss this wonderful opportunity?
[1] ACU: de Souza, Hyde & Kehoe, 2014
[2] Christopher Morris, “Meditation in Religious Education: Nurturing Opportunities for Unitive Knowledge” Religious Education Journal of Australia vol. 25, no. 1 (2009): 38
[3] Frederick & White, “Mindfulness, Christian Devotion Meditation, Surrender, and Worry”, 2015