empower
J
Community Solutions
maskmatters.org
SPRING 2018
78
✪
{
DID YOU KNOW?
}
Twenty minutes of meditation twice a day can greatly reduce stress.
I
f you have teens, then you’re most
likely dealing with their stress,
anxiety, sadness and a plethora of
emotions. But there is a solution,
which can be achieved one breath
at a time.
Youth Meditation, a nonprofit
organization based in North Carolina, is
dedicated to empowering youth, teachers
and parents with practical knowledge
and effective tools for managing not only
stress, but also anxiety and emotions.
Formed in 2014, it is co-founded by
Ranjit Deora and Angela Gala, students
of Dhirendra Bhramchari, whose students
included Indira Gandhi.
“Youth Meditation is a program that
teaches children, teachers and parents
mindfulness practices, and how to
meditate. Meditation and mindfulness
are the fundamental building blocks for
focus,” says Gala in an interview on the
nonprofit’s website. “Often, our minds
are very busy…being able to bring your
attention to what’s real is important,
especially when trying to teach arithmetic,
reading and all the fundamentals of
education.”
Gala says children and teens that
practice mindfulness and meditation
remember to breathe before they react to
stressful situations. She says they’re able to
focus on their work and are able to teach
their parents how to calm their anger.
“This is a tool [children] can
have for the rest of their lives,”
Gala says. “I look at it as a gift. If
you don’t give yourself
that time, what do you
have left to give?”
Gala admits
meditation doesn’t come
easily to all children. She says it
takes practice, and sometimes it
comes after being reintroduced. But the
benefits are worth the wait.
“In school, [meditation] practiced
regularly, you’ll find less aggression,
less anger and more focused and
communicative [children],” she says.
Currently, Youth Meditation offers
school programs for children, teens,
teachers and parents. Taught by Deora
and certified instructors, classes range
from laughter yoga to effective strategies
for reducing conflict for improved
connections with children and family.
In-studio courses—such as Mindfulness
Meditation for Teens, and Meditation
for Families—are also available. Times
and costs vary, tailoring the program
to the needs and time allowance of the
organization.
In 2017, Youth Meditation received
the Outstanding Partnership award from
Rock Hill Schools in South
Carolina. For now, Gala says,
the organization is growing
“organically.”They have an
upcoming school project and are
always seeking ways to share “what we
know to as many people as possible.”
“We started with a simple mission, to
help children. If we helped one child, we
completed our mission,” Gala says.
ONE
BREATH
AT
A TIME
By // Julia De Simone
MORE INFORMATION:
Youth Meditation
704-290-0200
youthmeditation.org
