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Natalea-Rae Gibbons
DeBock
English 4 Honors
20 October 2015
Essential Question: How does yoga and meditation benefit a student in school?
Working Thesis Statement: Mandatory yoga and meditation classes are beneficial to students.
Refined Thesis Statement: Implementing yoga and meditation classes in school is beneficial to students
mentally, physically, and academically.
Annotated Bibliography
Kaleem, Jaweed. "Reading, Writing, Required Silence: How Meditation Is Changing Schools. And
Students." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
At New York Citys Brooklyn Urban Garden School, students begin and end the day in fifteen
minutes of meditation or quiet time, helping reach deep relaxation. Staff teach kids about the practice
and science behind meditation. Initially developed to be a one-off effort, quiet time has expanded,
appearing in eighteen schools across the country. In 2005, Lynch established a foundation to fund
meditation instruction in schools across the U.S. and abroad. Meditation reduces stress levels and
decreases the risk of high blood pressure, along with greater confidence and happiness. The Quiet Time
program is relatively new but early studies point to better grades, fewer suspension, and reports of better
mental health among students. This article will be beneficial because it has quotes from students showing
feelings of the program.

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Machado, Amanda. "Should Schools Teach Kids to Meditate?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 27
Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
Men and women in the corporate world have begun using mindfulness meditation to fight the
stress and overstimulation of their jobs. Studies are showing direct links between meditation and held
benefits; finding that just eight weeks of meditation could be just as effective as medication in treating
depression, anxiety, and pain. Schools have begun experimenting with regular mandatory meditation and
yoga classes finding that after classes students have reduced stress; resulting in higher attendance and
improved grade point averages. This article will be helpful because it shares a story about a former
teacher who started a yoga and meditation program of her own.

Meditation in Schools. Meditation in Schools. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

The schedule of a young adult is one of the most stressful and can lead to sleepless nights;
because students do not know how to calm their overactive mind and body. Meditation is a tool to relieve
stress. High schools should allow, if not require, time for students to meditate and relieve the mind of
negative thoughts; in turn decreasing stress hormones and improving sleep ability and quality.
Implementing meditation is a good habit to begin at a young age and can be used throughout all ages to
face challenged throughout the day. This article provides information on how meditation can affect the
mind and body.

Rosen, Jane. "Yoga in Schools Isn." Thrive: The Kripalu Blog. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
Teachers and students work under enormous pressure to achieve good performance. School
curriculums have become test driven and leave out aspects of artistic creativity. Yoga is an option for
students to relax and love. Students benefit mentally through the relief of stress, an increased confidence,
and a sense of empowerment. Not only do children aid mentally but also physically through improvement

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of strength, flexibility, and balance. One can learn to direct their distraction and develop stamina. A yoga
class being shared between students and teachers may give a new perspective on each, creating a bond
and a greater sense of community for both. This article is relative because it explains a former teacher's
journey through teaching children yoga and how it affected the classroom setting.

"Why Meditation Should Be Implemented In Schools." Www.boldsky.com. 21 June 2015. Web. 26 Oct.
2015.
The importance of meditation in schools is crucial. Children are allotted time to relax and free
themselves of tension and stress. Successful practice of meditation will lower cortisol, a stress hormone,
causing a sense of calm. Children tend to lose interest quickly so meditating with a group of friends will
cause the child to become more interested and will boost their performance. Regular implementation of
meditation in children will reduce stress, help academic improvement, improve memory, create hormonal
balance, channel emotion, and improver personality. A child is more vulnerable at a younger age; what
they teach and learn will become a habit, and is more likely to be carried on throughout life. This article is
helpful because it states general facts about how meditation can improve a childs life, not only physically
but academically.

"Yoga in Public Schools." Yoga in Public Schools. Web. 27 Oct. 2015

Yoga is an ancient practice that roots from Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religious practice in India
and East Asia. Studies show that regular practice can help lower blood pressure, reduce heart disease,
improve strength and balance, and deal with depression along with other mental health. Chelsea A.
Jackson struggled teaching her third graders who struggled to pay attention. Personally Jackson had been
turning to yoga to help manage stress and found it also improved her fitness, attitude, and confidence.
Jackson showed her students how to focus on breathing and demonstrated a few simple poses. The effects
were better than hoped for. Over the span of a few weeks student attention spans increased and test scores

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improved. Jackson is now pursuing her doctorate in education studying yoga integration in the classroom.
This article is helpful because it explains a teacher's experience with a class, and gives a brief history on
yoga.

"Yoga in the Classroom: A New Kind of Education : NCHPAD - Building Inclusive Communities."
National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD). Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
Research by The Association for School Yoga and Mindfulness has shown that school yoga has
many benefits on the student. Aside from physical, school yoga has shown it can reduce problem
behavior, test anxiety, and anger; it can also increase self-regulation and focus. A training program
designed by Sonia Sumar is specifically for children with special needs; designed to enhance the natural
development. This gentle style of yoga can be used for both babies and children with disabilities, and will
increase flexibility and strength by using breathing and relaxation techniques to reduce hyperactivity.
Schools across the nation are beginning to implement yoga programs to accomplish health and classroom
goals of students with disabilities. Physical and mental health is important for the development of all
children. This article is important because it argues the side of how yoga is beneficial to not only standard
students, but mentally and physically disabled students as well.