Mindful Breathing in the Classroom to Increase Academic Scores

Novel education research focuses on studying how teaching methods affect academic performance. A few minutes of mindful breathing during the beginning of each school day will help teach the students to better cope with daily stressors and reduce their overall anxiety. Mindful breathing is an experience of relaxing the body, quieting the mind, and awakening the spirit. It encourages a deepening of consciousness or awareness and facilitates deeper understanding of self and others. Studies have shown that teaching students about feelings and social interactions can increase their academic success and enhance the school experience in general. Mindful breathing can help students manage time, practice mindful eating, control addictions and cravings, reduce stress and enhance sleep, achieve academic success, achieve athletic success and body satisfaction, enhance the immune system, and develop a deeper sense of compassion for others and self. A 2008 U.S analysis of roughly 300 studies involving more than 300,000 students in elementary and middle school found that students who received social and emotional course (including mindful breathing exercises) scored 11 to 17 percentage points higher on achievement tests than peers who did not take part in any courses. Also, behavior issues decreased. This session is designed to inform teachers/instructors about the use of mindful-based practices in the classroom