It should be mandatory that meditation is taught as part of the curriculum in all schools grades K-12 across the country. Although it should be mandatory, each teacher and counselor should be trained to tailor the mindfulness practice to each of the classrooms and student’s personal needs to ensure the greatest benefits from the practice, as opposed to one universal program. Students may have different obstacles occurring in their homes and personal lives, so a program with various options allows for alleviating the stress that comes with that. This type of program could include options of guided, self-guided, solo, and group meditations. By tailoring the meditative experience to each student, the teachers and student body will be able to reap more abundant mental health and behavioral benefits, including reduced anxiety, increased calmness, and increased ability to focus.

There is no one specific type of meditation that is the “right” way. Each person responds differently to types of meditation, and thus these K-12 programs should be set up so that each person is able to meditate in the way that suits them best. One of these types is called guided meditation. Guided meditation is defined as a process by which one or more participants meditate in response to the guidance provided by a trained practitioner or teacher, either in person or via a written text, sound recording, video, or audiovisual media comprising music or verbal instruction, or a combination of both. Guided meditation is better for younger children, since if they were left by themselves to meditate they may doze off or become fidgety, and older people whose minds tend to wander. My younger sister is ten and has an extreme case of ADHD, which has been alleviated by guided meditative practices. If she, like many other children, were left to lead their own meditation, it wouldn’t be nearly as beneficial. There are also different types of practices within the realm of guided meditations, including Affirmation Meditation, Body Scan, Guided Imagery, Brainwave meditation, Yoga and more. One student in a class may benefit from Body Scan meditation, while another may benefit more greatly from Affirmation Meditation. If a teacher or guidance counselor has basic knowledge of each of these types, he/she would be able to group students into meditative practices that best suit them.

Along with guided meditation is self-guided meditation. This practice results in a state of deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent, often through breathing exercises. Self-guided meditation does not require the speech or guidance of another individual. The person meditating can create a mantra for themselves at the beginning of their meditation session, and go as long as they need to. This type of practice would be more beneficial for older students, or even younger ones who do not respond to guided meditation. For example, if a high school senior is struggling mentally with stress of college applications, he/she can sit down in a quiet place, set a timer based on their personal needs, and complete their meditation. A student may only need five minutes to meditate, or they may need a half hour. By not forcing one universal meditation program on students, it allows for personal growth, development, and mental strength as well as decreased symptoms as mentioned previously.

If students are given the option to partake in guided or self-guided meditation, they should also be given the opportunity to meditate in groups or by themselves as needed. From personal experience, in my January-Term class we meditated for ten minutes as a group at the beginning of each class period. We switched it up between guided and self-guided practices, but because there were over thirty people in the group, I found myself getting off-track and distracted by others’ coughs, sneezes, fidgeting, etc. However, when I meditate in small groups or by myself, such as during Meditation Club, I am able to receive the full benefits of the meditative and mindfulness practices. Students who are easily distracted or who do not feel comfortable meditating in groups should be given the equal opportunity to meditate not only in the style that best suits them, but also in the environment that best suits them.

Overall, there are many different ways to practice meditation and mindfulness, and it would be ridiculous to say that one universal plan would work perfectly for each student. By ensuring a way for each student to find a program that works for them, over time schools across the nation would be able to see drastic differences in classroom behaviors, decreased test anxiety and fatigue, and many more benefits proven by scientific data. School clothes, backpacks, and shoes are not one size fits all, and neither is meditation. By offering guided, self-guided, group, and solo meditations, schools would be offering an equal chance for each student to reap the benefits of meditation.