The ability to recognize, comprehend, and control our own emotions is referred to as emotional intelligence, and meditation can help with this. Research shows that practicing meditation regularly can increase emotional intelligence by boosting one’s capacity for self-awareness, self-control, and empathy. A sense of openness and curiosity, which are necessary for imagination and creativity, can be fostered by meditation.
Numerous studies from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom on the usefulness of meditation in adult training have been undertaken recently, and many of them have yielded encouraging findings. Meditation can be a valuable tool for adult learners to enhance their learning experience in a variety of ways. In adult education, where students may be coping with complex personal and professional difficulties, meditation can aid in the development of emotional intelligence. Additionally, meditation helps increase concentration, which is beneficial for adult learners who could have demanding schedules and many other commitments.
Meditation boosts learning outcomes and the learning environment. Teachers can add guided meditation exercises into lessons to help students unwind and concentrate by teaching them the fundamentals of meditation. To aid learners in acquiring these abilities, educators might introduce them to mindfulness practices like breath awareness, body scans, and mindful movement exercises to maintain focus and engagement throughout lectures and coursework. By combining meditation with adult education, people can unleash their creativity and problem-solving ingenuity. It improves working memory in addition to shielding our brain from the damaging effects of multitasking and stress. Not only can meditation help the hippocampus grow, but it also teaches your brain how to deal with proactive interference.
Teachers can guide students in particular attention-controlling meditation practices like awareness of the breath, body, or thoughts. These methods can enhance focus and memory recall, which are crucial abilities for adult learners. Teachers can share mindfulness practices such as self-compassion meditation, which aids in managing negative self-talk and self-judgment, and loving-kindness meditation, which encourages positive feelings and empathy. Adult education instructors can assist students in acquiring critical abilities that can improve their learning and general well-being by adding meditation into the curriculum. Through meditation, learners can improve their capacity to let go of limiting beliefs and preconceived assumptions, which will help them think differently, can learn to be nicer to themselves, let go of critical self-talk, and develop better self-confidence by learning to be more self-compassionate.
When we meditate, we reach a deep state of relaxation that can assist to clear the mind which can be especially helpful in adult education, where tension and anxiety are frequently experienced as a result of the demands of the curriculum and the tight deadlines. Additionally, meditation can enhance our capacity for divergent thought, which is crucial for creativity in learners. Divergent thinking is the capacity to come up with several ideas and solutions to a given issue.
For adult learners, meditation can be a potent technique for reducing stress and anxiety, increasing focus and attention, improving memory retention, raising self-awareness, and growing emotional intelligence. Adult learners can improve their overall learning experience and complete their learning objectives by including meditation in their daily learning schedule.
Sources:
Medical News Today. (2019, March 7). What are the benefits of mindfulness? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324010
Columbia University School of Professional Studies. (2019, January 22). How meditation can help you focus. https://sps.columbia.edu/news/how-meditation-can-help-you-focus#:~:text=Researchers%20at%20the%20Columbia%20University,Improve%20memory%20and%20attention%20span.