(bell ringing)
Judy: I've been meditating
for over 2 years.
I was excited to meet kids who meditated.
I was excited to meet kids who felt it
was an important part of their day.
Voiceover: All right boys and girls,
let's go ahead and sit up, nice and tall.
Let's find our pulse,
let's close our eyes.
Judy: I've always been fascinated with
the David Lynch foundations
quiet time program.
That they would be able to teach
an entire school to meditate.
To me, it seemed like
a very unlikely story.
(bells)
Why meditate, why teach Junior High
School students to meditate?
They were teaching these
kids how to do homework,
and how to get good grades,
and about English, and Math, and Science.
They also felt it was necessary to
help them deal with anxiety,
and stress, and fear, and the future.
Man: You look sharp, Mr Douglas.
Mr Douglas: Thank you
Man: All right guys.
Judy: Out of all the schools
in the Los Angeles area
that the David Lynch foundation
has taught to meditate,
I chose [Aspiriline] because
of the principal, Ms Garcia.
Jennifer: Good Morning, Mr [Selzer].
Looking dapper as usual.
Judy: She feels personally responsible
for each and every child in her school.
Jennifer: We believe
here, that everybody gets
treated differently,
because that's what's fair.
It's not a cookie cutter mold.
Every child gets something different here,
because that's what's the
right thing to do for kids.
Judy: Ms Garcia's setting
these kids up for success.
Not by adding in and extra
hour or school everyday,
or an extra class into the curriculum,
but to add in meditation.
I heard about the TM technique in schools.
It's suppose to be really great for kids,
and helps them reduce their stress.
I was like, sounds great,
find out more about it.
Hagan: Transcendental Meditation is an
easy, simple, effortless technique.
It takes practice, 20
minutes, twice a day.
Lynn: With Transcendental Meditation,
it's just a very simple,
natural, mental technique,
that releases stress in the
mind, body, and emotions.
Girl: There were these days
before that I had anxiety,
and had to worry about whether I would
get it during Biology or Algebra.
After TM, I felt my worries
going away, along with anxiety.
When I meditate, it takes out
all the tension inside of
you and it's really calming.
Judy: What did you think meditation was?
Student: I was very confused,
because I didn't understand,
I thought they go in the
criss cross and yeah...
Judy: And burn incense.
Student: Yeah
Judy: And stand in front of a statue.
Student: (laughs) yeah
Student in sweater: I
could compare it to a nap.
Student in white socks: I
would say that it's calm.
Boy in blue vest: It can
help you relieve stress.
Boy in maroon sweater:
It was relaxing and easy.
Dark haired girl: It comes to you
and it (breathes out),
so that's pretty cool.
Girl in blue sweater: First,
we start sitting up straight
and we close our eyes, then
we start to think our mantra.
To imagine that we're a
submarine, and we're trying
to get deep into thought, so we can relax.
Judy: When I started, the first thing
that other people noticed about me,
was that my skin was really glowing.
Has anyone said anything to you guys
since you started
meditating, about your skin.
Victor: Yeah
Judy: Really?
Victor: Not about skin, but mood.
Judy: Your mood?
Victor: Yeah, I'm calmer
and I'm not in a bad mood.
Victor's mom: Victor, before
starting meditation...
He would lock himself in
his room for too long.
He wouldn't really talk to us.
He would get frustrated very easily,
for not being able to
say what he was feeling.
Boy: They say that I used to get angry,
fast, but not anymore, I
will think about it twice,
instead of just one time, in there.
Girl with long hairl: I saw
a difference in my grades,
I would have C's, and a D, and then I
raised that D to a B and the C to an A.
Boy in Maroon sweater:
I like going Biology,
I like going there, I went up to a B.
Victor: Every child who has some troubles,
or is feeling down should try this.
Victor's mom: He was diagnosed with autism
when he was three years old.
Once meditation began, he
started to get along with us.
I see him more peaceful, more relaxed.
I have seen a lot of changes in him
since he started meditating.
Judy: Is your overall goal to
have the whole school meditating?
Ms Garcia: Ultimately, what I'd like,
is every child to have an
opportunity to meditate.
(bell rings)
Judy: Everybody here really cares deeply
about the kids that walk through
these doors everyday
and that's why it works.
Girl: This experience for
me has been life changing.
I don't have to live with anxiety anymore.
I know how to control it now,
and it's more calm now, with TM.
Boy in blue vest: My family
says I look more relaxed.
I also try meditating if I can't sleep,
and it actually kind of helps too.
Girl with glasses: I felt, wow,
maybe it can help me,
my new life right now.
Judy: The idea of bringing meditation in,
and being able to see how
beneficial that would be,
because you can't be next
to every kid all the time,
but you've given them this tool.
Ms Garcia: This tool,
to have as a life tool.
Judy: It's gonna be another thing
they have in their backpack.
I think [Aspiriline]
is a significant place,
because of Ms Garcia, and because of
the quiet time program.
I was really excited to
see the change in the kids.
It's a real success story.
I wish I would of learned
to meditate at their age.
