{"id":4180,"date":"2023-08-16T21:10:06","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T21:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/?page_id=4180"},"modified":"2023-08-16T21:14:12","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T21:14:12","slug":"rls-04","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/rls-04\/","title":{"rendered":"Meditation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;3_5,2_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;3_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;70px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Meditation<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/img-04-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;img 04&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><em>The R.L.S. (Real Life Skills) Program teaches students the skills they need for a more productive, happier life full of success and enjoyment.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">A visitor to Riverbend Academy, a successful businessman who had heard about the school and was considering sending his son, walked down the hallways and I could see the puzzled look on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cIs it always this quiet?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cOnly during meditation times,\u201d I said.<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cMeditation?\u201d he asked. His face clearly adding the unspoken, What kind of school is this???<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cMeditation,\u201d I repeated, motioning for him to look in the class. Students sat at their desks, some with the heads down, some sitting up with their eyes closed, one girl on the floor in the lotus position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">I stepped back into the hall and my visitor paused and then followed me back toward the the meeting room. \u201cLittle old for nap-time, aren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">I knew that tone which also said, why are you wasting valuable education time?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">This was not the first time I\u2019d heard that same concern. \u201cI bet your business and mine have all the same challenges.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cMy business?\u201d he said, snorting. \u201cI\u2019ve got almost 100 employees. I doubt you have my problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cChallenges like absenteeism, lack of focus, too many on leave because of stress, poor attitudes, lackadaisical attitudes, incapable of learning new concepts, software, and systems?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">Grudgingly, he nodded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cSounds a lot like that class before we started meditating. The benefits of meditation are numerous and well researched but here are the top five that relate to our students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">1)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0After practicing meditation for just a few weeks, students improve in all areas of academic achievement but particularly creative thinking, practical intelligence, and IQ with the added benefit (or possibly the result of) increased focus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">2)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Meditation produces higher self-esteem and emotional competence increasing confidence and generating a more positive, happier outlook on school and life in general.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">3)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Meditation reduces the instances of stress, depression, and anxiety as well as ADHD symptoms increasing performance on exams and tests and overall health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">4)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Even after only practicing meditation for a total of 11 hours, brain scans of students show increased levels of function in the areas of the brain responsible for cognitive and intellectual performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">5)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Studies of elementary and secondary students who practice meditation on a daily basis demonstrate significant reduction in absenteeism and bad behaviour \u2013 in some cases reducing both by as much as 65%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cAnd then the bonus,\u201d I added. \u201cNot all our meditation happens in low lights and soft music. The place you really need calm and clear thinking is during a crisis. We encourage our students to find ways to calm themselves during all situations and settings, like right before an exam. How valuable would you consider an employee who was capable of bringing down the level of wasted, panicked activity during a crisis simply by their ability to project calm and peace?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">I could tell by the smile on his face that he was remembering one of those types of people \u2013 probably someone he wished he could have hired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cMeditation, eh?\u201d he finally said. \u201cYou have anyone that could teach it to my management staff?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u201cI\u2019m sure some of our kids would love to trade a couple of periods to do a workshop,\u201d I said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjQxNDkifX0=@&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Order Now&#8221; button_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;button_url&#8221; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; button_bg_color=&#8221;#7CDA24&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MeditationThe R.L.S. (Real Life Skills) Program teaches students the skills they need for a more productive, happier life full of success and enjoyment. A visitor to Riverbend Academy, a successful businessman who had heard about the school and was considering sending his son, walked down the hallways and I could see the puzzled look on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4180","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4180"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4180\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4182,"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4180\/revisions\/4182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifeskills.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}