A Consideration of the Use of Mindfulness Meditation in Public Education

With roots in the Buddhist religious tradition, a secularized version of

mindfulness meditation is now being embraced by many as a way to significantly

improve their quality of life. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that teaches one to

focus with present-moment awareness. Advocates extol the virtues of mindfulness and

its positive impact upon one's physical and mental health such as stress reduction and the

ability to regulate one's emotions. It is increasingly being taught in hospitals, corporate

settings, and now in schools. The purported benefits of the contemplative practice of

mindfulness have propelled it into the curriculum of an ever-growing number of public

school systems, yet there are those who claim there is potential for harm.

Critics of mindfulness programs in schools object for a number of reasons. They

believe it encourages children to unwittingly adopt Buddhist religious beliefs and an

undesirable worldview. Indeed, aspects of mindfulness training include "acceptance" and

"non-judgment," which seem to conflict with the goal of doing one's best in the

classroom and differentiating between right and wrong.