The following was reported today in the news, I am glad to see it. It is time for a more balanced, realistic view on the benefits of meditation.
That's not to say that teaching meditation, even to kids, is a bad thing at all. But the promises of meditation, including Zazen, can be oversold. It is like saying that eating more vegetables for school kids is the answer to everything. It is not the answer to everything that plagues teenagers, although it is a very good, even extremely beneficial (perhaps indispensable, even if not in the same was as spinach) thing.
Furthermore, many (including me) are critical of "mindfulness" meditation for leaving out so much of the power in Buddhist teachings, turning meditation into merely a stress reduction measure, or a means to be better and more compliant employees, consumers, soldiers. (you can read more about such issues here: https://www.mountaincloud.org/beyond...id-loy-part-1/)
As well, Zazen is not a cure for EVERYTHING that ails one, psychologically, physically, socially:
One might say that Zazen is a "cure-none-cure" for all that ails us: It will not fix one's bad tooth, yet it will allow one to realize the "Emptiness" in which ... in one sense ... there was never a "tooth" to throb from the start! 
However, if somebody thought that having a bunch of teens and pre-teens sitting meditation would significantly help them or our schools ... I bet most of the kids were sitting there thinking about video games and tik-tok the whole time.
Gassho, J
STLah
That's not to say that teaching meditation, even to kids, is a bad thing at all. But the promises of meditation, including Zazen, can be oversold. It is like saying that eating more vegetables for school kids is the answer to everything. It is not the answer to everything that plagues teenagers, although it is a very good, even extremely beneficial (perhaps indispensable, even if not in the same was as spinach) thing.
There is a crisis in teen mental health, and schools in many countries are exploring different ways to make young people more resilient.
However, a UK-based research project, the largest of its kind on the subject, has suggested mindfulness training in schools might be a dead end -- at least as a universal, one-size-fits-all approach.
The study, which involved 28,000 children, 650 teachers and 100 schools, looked at the impact of mindfulness training over an eight-year period and found that the technique didn't help the mental health and well-being of adolescents ages 11 to 14. The authors suggested investigating other options to improve adolescent mental health.
https://us.cnn.com/2022/07/12/health...ess/index.html
However, a UK-based research project, the largest of its kind on the subject, has suggested mindfulness training in schools might be a dead end -- at least as a universal, one-size-fits-all approach.
The study, which involved 28,000 children, 650 teachers and 100 schools, looked at the impact of mindfulness training over an eight-year period and found that the technique didn't help the mental health and well-being of adolescents ages 11 to 14. The authors suggested investigating other options to improve adolescent mental health.
https://us.cnn.com/2022/07/12/health...ess/index.html
Furthermore, many (including me) are critical of "mindfulness" meditation for leaving out so much of the power in Buddhist teachings, turning meditation into merely a stress reduction measure, or a means to be better and more compliant employees, consumers, soldiers. (you can read more about such issues here: https://www.mountaincloud.org/beyond...id-loy-part-1/)
As well, Zazen is not a cure for EVERYTHING that ails one, psychologically, physically, socially:
Zazen is -NOT- a cure for many things ... it will not fix a bad tooth (just allow you to be present with the toothache ... you had better see a dentist, not a Zen teacher), cure cancer (although it may have some healthful effects and make one more attune to the process of chemotherapy and/or dying), etc. Zen practice will not cure your acne on your face, or fix your flat tire. All it will do is let one "be at one, and whole" ... TRULY ONE ... with one's pimples and punctured wheel, accepting and embracing of each, WHOLLY WHOLE with/as each one. There are many psychological problems or psycho/medical problems such as alcoholism that may require other therapies, although Zen can be part of a 12-Step program or such (a few Zen teachers in America with a drinking problem had to seek outside help). My feeling is that some things are probably best handled by medical, psychological or psychiatric treatment, not Zen teachers.
My feeling is that receiving outside treatment, medication AND "just sitting" can all work together WHEN the doctor approves and your heart feels right.
My feeling is that receiving outside treatment, medication AND "just sitting" can all work together WHEN the doctor approves and your heart feels right.
However, if somebody thought that having a bunch of teens and pre-teens sitting meditation would significantly help them or our schools ... I bet most of the kids were sitting there thinking about video games and tik-tok the whole time.
Gassho, J
STLah
, I'm obviously not going to do it 
. I've hinted to the possibility of some kind of mindfulness training but it's literally at the bottom of the list. It seems like almost all of my other suggestions are related to improving aspects of communication and building up relationships, which if we could do better would probably have more of an impact?
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