| A recent article published in The Chronicle | | | | skill for stress reduction.Jon Kabat-Zinn, |
| of Higher Education about teaching meditation | | | | widely regarded as the maestro of |
| in college has created a great deal of buzz. | | | | meditation-as-medicine, has developed an |
| Several media folks contacted me for my | | | | outstanding program--Mindfulness-Based Stress |
| opinion, and they were surprised by my | | | | Reduction--which is being taught in |
| response.I am sure there are plenty of | | | | communities all over North America. We need |
| meditation teachers who are grinning on their | | | | much more of that--in workplaces, clinics, |
| cushions at the notion of meditation being | | | | hospitals, fitness clubs, retirement |
| offered at universities for academic college | | | | communities, HeadStart programs and drug |
| credit.Not me. I think it is a misguided | | | | rehabilitation centers.Yes, we need to bring |
| idea--and I'd like to suggest a much better | | | | meditation to the masses. But the most |
| one.It's not that I don't wholeheartedly | | | | critical element is this: we must open the |
| believe that meditation is a powerful way to | | | | world of mindfulness to include activities |
| reduce stress, increase concentration, and | | | | OTHER than meditation.Those who are most |
| develop greater awareness and compassion. | | | | dedicated to the practice and promotion of |
| It's not that I don't agree that college | | | | meditation tend to be Buddhists, whether they |
| students could benefit from | | | | are teaching in a temple or a prestigious |
| meditation--especially during those stressful | | | | university. The irony is that if those who |
| finals weeks.But making meditation an | | | | are most committed to creating a peaceful |
| academic college course perpetuates a | | | | world could release their attachment to |
| dangerous notion: that meditation is for | | | | meditation, they would be far more likely to |
| highly intelligent, educated people only. | | | | spread the message of mindfulness to the |
| ANYONE can benefit from meditation, and the | | | | masses.It's time to bring meditation |
| more elite we make it appear, the more people | | | | down---WAY down.In fact, we'd do well to |
| will assume that they are somehow not the | | | | shift gears entirely. Instead of focusing on |
| "right kind of person" to meditate.Is a | | | | teaching meditation in college, we should |
| college professor the "right kind of person" | | | | jump into playing with mindfulness in |
| to teach meditation? While there are | | | | kindergarten.We know that there are certain |
| certainly those who have studied meditation | | | | skills that are learned more quickly and |
| personally and professionally, they are not | | | | easily by young children than adults--music, |
| necessarily the ones who can teach it as a | | | | foreign languages, sharing--and I propose |
| valuable wellness tool instead of a Religion | | | | that mindfulness is one of them.After all, |
| or Philosophy course.As much as I believe in | | | | five-year-olds are much more likely to stay |
| the power of meditation, I'm not sure that | | | | fully present--that's what kids DO! And we |
| paying $4000 (the going rate for one class at | | | | want them to view it as an awe-inspiring way |
| a private university in the U.S.) for a | | | | to see the world around them with greater |
| one-semester academic course in | | | | awareness and wonder.Kindergarteners learn by |
| sitting-and-breathing is an appropriate | | | | playing, so there's no need to force any |
| addition to the curriculum.Credit for sitting | | | | particular sitting position or limit oneself |
| and breathing. Cha-ching! The universities | | | | to traditional props. In fact, if |
| find a new income stream.Sure, I'm biased. | | | | five-year-olds were encouraged to play with |
| After all, I have four teenage daughters, two | | | | the idea of paying attention, I guarantee |
| of whom are taking college classes, so I tend | | | | that they would be far more creative about it |
| to be rather mindful of the bang-for-buck | | | | than any 18-year-old.We don't need gongs in |
| quotient.I'm also wary of turning the | | | | the kindergarten classroom--a kazoo would |
| practice of nonjudgmental awareness into yet | | | | work just as well. We don't need to |
| another adult task to be evaluated, another | | | | incorporate cushions, esoteric language, or |
| achievement to enable us to get ahead in a | | | | religion of any kind.What we do need are |
| competitive world. Judging one's ability to | | | | creative teachers who recognize the value of |
| be nonjudgmental seems counterproductive.The | | | | having students who are able to focus calmly |
| alternative--offering pass/fail grades | | | | in order to play well with others, listen, |
| only--is equally problematic. A pass/fail | | | | and learn.Step away from the idea of |
| class that consists of mostly sitting and | | | | meditation as an academic area of study, and |
| breathing would be a shoo-in for the | | | | jump into the notion that playing with |
| no-brainer credit award. We don't need to | | | | preschoolers is a far more effective and |
| create more elitism around meditation, but | | | | enjoyable way to make mindfulness a lifelong |
| neither do we want it to become the leading | | | | practice.Maya Talisman Frost has taught |
| bonehead course on campus.I believe | | | | thousands of people how to pay attention. |
| meditation should be offered on every college | | | | Her playful, powerful eyes-wide-open approach |
| campus--but make it an activity credit, like | | | | to mindfulness has been featured in over 100 |
| yoga or tai chi, instead of an academic | | | | publications around the world. She has been |
| credit. Or better yet, offer it at no charge | | | | meditating for 30 years. |
| in every student union building as a helpful | | | | |