Meditation in the classroom promoted

[30 June 2006 - The Press (New Zealand] Transcendental meditation may bring a new school of thought to New Zealand education. An American educator has told his Kiwi counterparts that a daily dose of transcendental meditation (TM) can be a positive lesson in ensuring peace rules in the classroom and the playground. In a move towards consciousness-based education, Ashley Deans, the director of the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment in Fairfield, Iowa, advocates awakening the brain. Deans, who addressed an educators' conference in Christchurch last night, believes there is plenty of space for some TM among the three Rs as part of education for enlightenment. Deans, who is a guest of the Stress-free Schools group, outlined the benefits of two 10-minute daily sessions of TM in schools. He said the technique created "stressless schools" where learning was boosted and violence and aggression disappeared. He said research over the past 35 years showed that TM encouraged creativity, intelligence and academic performance. Research had also shown the benefits of TM to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Deans said schools in the United States that had adopted the practice had reported the same leap in students' academic performance and a reduction in violent and aggressive behaviour. More