Ancient Classroom Secrets?

When I was a classroom teacher I kept a secret from my parents, my administration and even my students--we practiced meditation every day.  Right after lunch I would turn out the lights for a minute, ask my students to close their eyes or put their heads on the table, then I would lead them through a few minutes of guided meditation where we imagined ourselves to be calm, emotionally and mentally ready for the afternoon of learning to come.  My other secret was that we practiced deep breathing and movement in the morning to get our day going.  People wondered why I had such a well-behaved, productive classroom.

Apparently I am not the only one who feels that energy flow, meditation, emotional and mental grounding are important in the classroom.  I caught a glimpse of a news program featuring Goldie Hawn and the work her Hawn Foundation is doing to promote these skills in the classroom.  I knew I had to find out more.  Mind UP, Hawn's program focuses on the social, emotional and academic learning for all students.  According to their literature,

Our program provides children with emotional and cognitive tools to help them manage emotions and behaviors, reduce stress, sharpen concentration, and increase empathy and optimism.

Isn't that what we want for all of our children? If this sounds interesting to you, you can check out the website at Mind UP.  Scroll down to watch the video featuring Hawn and one of the scientists who worked with her on formulating this program.  It's a (ahem) mind-opener.