More US schools are taking breaks for meditation. Teachers say it helps students' mental health
School districts across the U.S. are adopting mental health practices as a part of their daily schedules and curriculums
REX, Ga. (AP) — The third-grade students at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School had only a few days until summer vacation, and an hour until lunch, but there was no struggle to focus as they filed into the classroom. They were ready for one of their favorite parts of the day.
The children closed their eyes and traced their thumbs from their foreheads to their hearts as a pre-recorded voice led them through an exercise called the shark fin, part of the classroom's regular meditation routine.
“Listen to the chimes," said the teacher, Kim Franklin. "Remember to breathe.”
Schools across the U.S. have been introducing yoga, meditation and mindfulness exercises to help students manage stress and emotions. As the depths of student struggles with mental health became clear in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year endorsed schools' use of the practices.
