For a brief time each day, silence descends on three classrooms at Mill Park Secondary College.
During the past nine weeks, 135 middle-years students have taken part in a research project that asks them to meditate at least four times each week of second term to evaluate meditation’s effect on stress levels, productivity and mental health.
The research is being conducted by Smiling Mind, a free, app-based meditation program for young people, and is the first such study of its kind and size conducted in Australia.
Middle-years principal Karen Eastlake said she had been eager to incorporate meditation into the classroom since she began mindful meditation using the app almost a year ago.
“I pitched [the research trial] at a staff meeting and 95 per cent of the staff were prepared to give up their free time to come to training sessions,” she said.
Two classes of years 7, 8 and 9 students are involved in the trial, alternating between being the control group and doing the mediation.
“In the first week, they couldn’t really close their eyes and get into it. Now they know what to do and are really enjoying it, particularly the year sevens,” Ms Eastlake said.
She hopes to expand the program to the rest of the school later in the year.
The Mill Park college students are among 2000 across the state taking part in the trial.
Details: www.smilingmind.com.au
