Bhakti Gemmell, 8, is a home-schooled boy who practices meditation, yoga and is a high academic achiever.
Bhakti Gemmell, 8, is a home-schooled boy who practices meditation, yoga and is a high academic achiever.
Bhakti Das' school timetable is not what you'd expect for most 8-year-old boys.
Homeschooled by his parents Gopaladeva and Hirangya Das, Bhakti balances mathematics, reading and writing with meditation, yoga and vegetarian cooking.
Tucked away in the Katikati hillside, Mr Das says his son is learning a way of life overlooked by the mainstream education system.
"At the end of the day, our modern system is based around economics and how to make money. As if money leads to happiness.
"We're teaching Bhakti a simpler way of living, showing him you can survive and have your needs taken care of without the pressures of society," he says.
One of the staples of the family's daily routine is morning and afternoon meditation sessions.
"Meditation means to become free from distress and to carry your focus away from external things that bring unrest and to pay more attention to things that are valuable in a spiritual sense," he says.
We're teaching Bhakti a simpler way of living, showing him you can survive and have your needs taken care of without the pressures of society.''
This practice is something Mrs Das feels is beneficial to their family life as well as Bhakti's personal development.
"Meditation can help kids lengthen their attention span and focus, which is something I know many children struggle with.
"Living a busy life means there are constant distractions, parents are always working.
There is often a breakdown within the parental unit due to these pressures. I relish the chance to spend positive time with my child," she says.
These are sentiments shared by Tauranga-based meditation teacher Stephen Brenner, who is involved in the non-profit organisation Stress Free Schools.
Stress Free Schools promotes the inclusion of a meditative 'quiet time' programme in public schools throughout the country.
Quiet time involves students closing their eyes and meditating at their desks for around 20 minutes per day; 10 before the start of classes and another 10 at the end of the day.
"Learning meditation while still young is an ideal time to begin the development of a life-long skill," Mr Brenner says.
"Settling of the mind leads to settling of the body, which induces a very deep state of relaxation. In this deep rest, the body can release any stresses or tension and bring itself back into balance.
"Overall it has a soothing effect on the central nervous system and is a very pleasurable and natural experience."
The former clinical director of mental health for the Auckland District Health Board, Dr Nick Argyle, agrees on the positive impacts of meditation.
Dr Argyle advocates that the practice of meditation is the most effective technique to deal with stress and anxiety.
He says regular meditation leads to an improved mood, with a reduction in anxiety and addictive habits.
Learning meditation while still young is an ideal time to begin the development of a life-long skill.''
Research conducted by the Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education in San Francisco found that local schools, which implemented a quiet time programme had positive results.
After quiet time was introduced at San Francisco's John O'Connell High School, the number of expulsions dropped from seven to zero after one year.
After two years, the number of students suspended after fighting dropped from 26 to nine.
At Visitacion Valley Middle School it was found that after two years of regular periods of quiet time, there was an 86 per cent drop in the number of suspensions. The same quiet time initiative has been adopted by several schools throughout New Zealand in recent years.
In 2008, Edmund Hillary School in Pupuke began the programme, and principal Kataraina Nock says the results were positive.
According to Mrs Nock, both staff and parents reported the school to be more peaceful and the children happier.
Mr Brenner says these are the most common run-on effects of quiet time.
Meditation has been taught throughout New Zealand since 1970 by the Maharishi Foundation, a non-profit educational organisation and more than 40,000 Kiwis have learned the technique in that time.
Meditation Meditation is a practice centred around quieting the mind, to ultimately bring about a greater sense of inner calm and peace. Meditation is not linked to any philosophy or religion and it does not require a change of lifestyle, taking about 15 to 20 minutes a day of sitting in silence. Meditation has been around in recorded history for thousands of years. There are thousands of state-funded schools worldwide that practise meditatio
