I am a beginner meditator. If you know me, then you're reading this thinking, "there's no way that Katy meditates....on purpose....of her own free will..." This is exactly why I need to meditate! What is meditation? Rather than give a fancy definition here, I'll suffice it to say that meditation is a way to pray, to be in touch with one's interior self, and to experience the Divine (whatever name you choose) in a profoundly still way. I've been trying my hand at this for about a year now, and really, I still have no idea what I'm doing. But I do know that when I do it, consistently, life is all around much better. Or, more accurately, I'm more at peace and in touch with what's happening around me, which makes it seem better.
This semester I surveyed my students, with their hunched shoulders, overly caffeinated nerves, and anxious faces, especially around midterm. And I thought, "Why not meditate?" Meditation is non-confessional, so I thought it could be appealing in a classroom setting that is, after all, in a religious college. For those who are religious, it can be a form of prayer, and for those who are non-religious, it can be a form of self-reflection. I attend meditation weekly with the delightful Brother Camillus, he graciously agreed to visit my classrooms and lead the students in a 15 minute introduction to meditation. Brother Camillus gave an introduction to the benefits of meditation and what it can do for us cognitively with great humor and sensitivity. I read a short verse from Mark (the Gospel we were studying at the time), and students had the option of participating in a short, simple meditation that lasted just a minute or two. Feet flat on the floor, shoulders relaxed, inhale, hold the breath briefly, and exhale. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. That's it---as Brother Camillus says, to meditate all you have to do is breathe deeply and completely (believe me, I remember it often during the day).
The next class period the students had an exam. I gave students the option of doing the meditation again before the exam started, and nearly everyone participated. One student told me after the exam that the breathing was very helpful in centering. Cool.
Today was the last day of class, and I gave out (optional) anonymous sheets for students to fill out about what they liked most in the class, what was helpful for them, and what aided their learning the most. To my surprise (although it shouldn't be), many responded that the meditation was very helpful for them. Some also said that they weren't sure how it fit into the class, but that they liked it. (I trust that the connection to the class, their well-being, and their lives will become clearer later). Seriously, we've done two minutes of meditation in the entire semester. The fact that it was that meaningful makes me wonder other ways I can incorporate it into the class, and also continue to respect of the multiplicity of religious, spiritual, and non-religious students who are present. I also had equal number of students stress that they were relieved the class was non-credal and respected all faith traditions without pushing ideology, so it is important that any meditation not interfered with this critical value I hold in the classroom. I have a number of colleagues who begin many class periods with music---also a meditative exercise. More thoughts to come on this!
Has anyone used similar exercises in the classroom in a diverse setting? Thoughts and suggestions very welcome!