Meditation is an ancient Buddhist practice in which one aims to calm the mind and relax the body. Recently, the art of meditation has dramatically resurfaced, particularly among the teenager/young adult generation who are most affected by the pressures and stress placed upon them by external factors. In fact, science has proven that long term effects of meditation can lead to decreased anxiety and stress levels as well as increases in productivity and self-confidence.
Students have a range of thoughts on their personal experiences with meditation within their lifestyles. A few students said that meditation was ‘a waste of time; we could be actually getting work done instead of doing nothing,” while the majority of students had a more positive outlook on meditation: many said “it made me feel more peaceful and comfortable” and helped them maintain “a healthy mind-set to face any challenges throughout the day.” Overall, student feedback was incredibly optimistic and proved that meditation is indeed making a strong comeback within the younger members of society.
In the stressful lives that many of us lead today, meditation would be an ideal method to separate us from our tension and anxiety and improve our focus, self-awareness and calmness. Perhaps meditation is the key to being a mindful, calm person in this modern age and ultimately paves the road to success.
By Aalia Qureshi, Nonsuch High School for Girls
