Meditating could help improve academic performance in mathematics and English in students with low grades, as suggested by a study by Maharishi University of Management in California (United States) published in the journal Education .
The study was conducted in a California public school with 189 students who were below the passing level in English and mathematics. Students who had participated in the transcendental meditation program showed significant increases in performance and scale scores in English and mathematics over the one-year study period. Specifically, 41 percent of students who meditated improved their math scores , compared to 15 percent of control students who did not meditate.
According to Ronald Zigler, co-author of the work, "the results support the new trend in education oriented to the development of the mind-body of students to improve their academic achievement."
On the other hand, the teachers pointed out that the transcendental meditation program was an added value for the school, since the students were calmer, happier and less hyperactive , with a greater ability to concentrate on school work. In terms of the school environment, educators reported fewer fighting among students and, in general, a more relaxed and calm atmosphere since the program was implemented.
