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Just Breathe



Meditation isn’t only spiritual nonsense; it has a lot of positive effects! There is more and more spirituality in business and also at primary schools. There’s increased attention to mental fitness. By taking a moment for yourself daily, you will improve your concentration and reduce your stress.


Meditation and mindfulness are becoming much more important for the Occidental culture. People increasingly need quietness and relaxation in life. Meditation ensures your body and mind to take the time to relax. It helps you to come completely to yourself and finally let go of unnecessary thoughts. Meditation comes from the Orient. It started with Hinduism and Buddhism. Since the twentieth century, the interest in meditating in Western culture has increased (Wikipedia Meditatie, 2016). Meditation has a lot of positive effects. It reduces anxiety, depression and stress, a publication from the American Medical Association indicates mindfulness is as effective as antidepressants but without the negative side effects of antidepressants (Nico, 2014).


My experiences

Some people think it’s insane to meditate. When I tell to friends I get meditation at school, they say ‘what meditation??’ and laugh. They think it’s nonsense, but it isn’t! Meditation has a lot of positive effects, and I have experienced it myself. At my study ‘International Lifestyle Studies’ we have the sector ‘Health’, and of course, we have to be healthy too. So every Wednesday we have about one-hour meditation at school. I noticed after a meditation session I became much more relaxed. I feel less tense and come completely to myself. I released unnecessary thoughts and reduced my stress. But it’s not only sitting in a lotus position. We also learned to listen to each other and not immediately judge someone, what I always did before. It isn’t easy to meditate, but with the right mentality, you can do it.



Meditation during work

One in seven employees suffers from a burn-out as a result of an excessive workload and too much stress. This is especially at employees from 25 to 65 years old, as you can see in the graph right (CBS, 2016). You can reduce the excessive workload in various forms of meditation. Meditation ensures your stress and workload will reduce, whereby you can perform better. So meditation is also a way to score better.


More and more companies believe in the positive effects of meditation (List, van der 2015). Most of the people say: ‘No, I don’t have the time to meditate’, but they should just meditate. Tiredness makes you inefficient, whereby you will make mistakes. Meditation ensures more energy and reduces tiredness because you release your unnecessary thoughts and start with a fresh mind. Also, you can better concentrate on your work. A good concentration ensures you to do more in less time, so you are more productive. People who meditate can better release work and prevent burnouts (Heesterbeek, Rustmanagement).



Sitting like a frog

More and more primary schools start teaching meditation and mindfulness. It would have a positive effect on the attitude and school performances of the children. They learn to focus on their breathing, feelings and emotions. In The Netherlands is teaching in meditation and mindfulness coming more and more important.


Hans Streng gives meditation at primary schools; he used the method: ‘Sitting like a frog’. For children from 5 years old is this a good method, they are very enthusiastic. Children from 8 years old are going to feel pressure. They become aware of people around them, from this moment is meditation important for children. According to Hans Streng: ‘You can’t take the waves away, but you can learn a child to surf’. Research shows children with AD(H)D or other disorders benefit greatly from the meditation classes (J/M ouders). The parents of the children are very excited about the meditation lessons for their children (Thea, 2016).


Future Proof

I think meditation and mindfulness come to a new level in our society. Because of the fact meditation ensure your stress and will reduce workload, companies will believe in the positive effects of meditation. Even primary schools start teaching meditation and mindfulness; it would have a positive effect on the attitude of the children and their school performances. So, I think we can say meditation and mindfulness create a new trend ‘Just Breathe’. I think this trend has future potential because of the positive effects. Meditation is a way to score better, and that’s interesting for everyone!


- So when do you start with meditation?

Sources:

Thea, 2016. Meditatie op school: ‘Juist drukke kinderen hebben er ook baat bij’. Geraadpleegd op 28 september 2016, http://www.famme.nl/meditatie-op-school-juist-drukke-kinderen-hebben-er-ook-baat-bij/

Nico, R. 2014. Stress verslaan met mindfulness meditatie. Geraadpleegd op 27 september 2016, http://stressplein.eu/stress-verslaan-met-mindfulness-meditatie/

Wikipedia, 2016. Meditatie. Geraadpleegd op 26 september 2016, https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditatie

Heesterbeek, I. Rustmanagement. 6 redenen om ook tijdens je werk te mediteren. Geraadpleegd op 27 september 2016, http://www.ilseheesterbeek.nl/6-redenen-om-ook-tijdens-je-werk-te-mediteren/

J/M de beste vriend van ouders, 2015. Mediteren: nieuw vak op school? Geraadpleegd op 28 augustus 2016, https://www.jmouders.nl/school/groepen-1-8/groepen-6-8/leren-mediteren-als-vak-op-school

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