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Letter to the Editor, The Times18 January 2010
Dear Sir, Re. your article of 12 January 2010, "School teaches boys to meditate to reduce stress" by Sam Lister, Health Editor: I was interested to see that some schools in England are introducing Mindfulness training as part of their school day. As the Headteacher of a school established in 1986 to incorporate meditation daily in the classroom (specifically Transcendental Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi), I can assert that the school in your report was certainly not "the first to introduce meditation skills as a regular subject on the curriculum" or that their "classes in meditation and stress relief" were a "ground-breaking addition to the school curriculum". While Mindfulness training and Transcendental Meditation are different in their principles, practice and effects, I was surprised to find no reference to Transcendental Meditation or Consciousness-Based Education, which are the most widely adopted systems for pupil development used internationally. In addition, many studies conducted around the world and published in peer reviewed journals testify to the effectiveness of the system. In the UK Transcendental Meditation has been incorporated into a number of schools benefiting both staff and pupils. Reporters from The Times and The Times Educational Supplement have visited this school and others, resulting in articles in both these publications. Your readers may be interested to investigate further for themselves. Two excellent places to start are these web sites: www.maharishischool.com and www.consciousnessbasededucation.org.uk. Yours sincerely, Dr Derek Cassells
Headteacher
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