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Liberty Middle School meditation club helps students start the day right
When you think of middle school students, your first thought probably isn’t connected to meditation. But at Liberty Middle School, the staff is hoping to make meditation a staple in the lives of students going through the transition of going from elementary school to middle school and also discovering how to be teenagers.
The Meditation Club meets twice a week before school begins and the club sponsors hope it will give students another way to deal with stress, get ready for the day, and also learn how to calm down at the end of the day to get better sleep.
Traci McShane and Lana Juracek are co-sponsors of the club.
"We just know a lot of kids have stress or things they are dealing with in their lives and we thought that this would be a way to calm down before the day starts," Juracek said.
During the club, the kids listen to a guided meditation app and either sit cross-legged with their palms in their laps or lay down on the floor.
Juracek explained when they first started talking about mindfulness, students weren't quite sure what she meant by that.
"As they've gotten to know more about it and know what it really is and how it can help them, I think they've gotten excited and more passionate about it as well."
So far this school year, the club has averaged around a dozen students. 7th grader Malayah Ginsburg first heard about the club after seeing a flier on the wall about it. She was interested, so she decided to give it a try. So far, she has had a good experience in the club.
"It helps because you are taking a deep breath and you are not focusing on all of the stuff you have today," she said while admitting she had been stressed about a test later in the day, but after meditating her mood had improved.
"It helps," she said, nodding.
The Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education says mediation in schools can also lead to improved school-wide GPA, increased attendance, decreased suspensions/school violence, among other things. The concept of meditation and wellness is catching on in schools across the country,