Meditation programme devised for ‘stressed’ primary school pupils

The Westmorland Gazette: Meditation could soon be on the curriculum for primary school pupils thanks to a programme devised by a Lake District woman.

Holly Horsley, 25, is on a mission to reduce stress caused by the school curriculum which, she says, focusses ‘too much’ on career-led subjects and not enough on life skills to combat pressure.

She is working with national charity, Fixers, to produce an information pack about the benefits of meditation, which will be sent out to local schools.

“I like to find a quiet place and just sit there and be in my element,” she explained.

“To me, meditation is something that is already there, something that is already in your mind, which everyone has the power to unlock.

“You don’t have to be sat going ‘ommm’ or be part of a particular religion. It’s not about that.

“For my Fixers project, I am campaigning for primary schools to teach children meditation techniques from an early age.

“I believe that these stress-reducing exercises will help young people feel more centred, calmer, and in more control at potentially difficult moments in their life.”

Miss Horsley began practising meditation last year and believes that young people could benefit from learning stress-reduction methods at an early age.

She said around 300,000 UK children and teenagers suffer anxiety, and the number of young people admitted to hospital after self-harming has increased by 68 per cent over the last ten years.

Dr Guinever Chivers, from NHS Cumbria, agreed anxiety is an issue among young people.

“Children are much more stressed these days,” he said. “Young people do feel things very strongly and often look for their own solutions. What we can then see is unhealthy coping mechanisms such as self-harm.”

Now Miss Horsley hopes the information pack she is creating will encourage schools to incorporate meditation into the curriculum.

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