The well-being serving learning
Learning, no matter the method, requires a context. Whether it is at home or at school, it has to be joyful. Our institutions are above all places of life where children are free to blossom and discover some tools establishing the link between their body and mind. Far from being superfluous or anecdotal, activities such as meditation, yoga or philosophy are pedagogical bases, essential to acquire life skills, real gateway to success.
Meditation, what is it for ?
There are nowadays an increasing number of works depicting the great impact of mindfulness meditation on children, regarding emotional balance, resilience capacities, a better quality of familial dialogue and improved attentional abilities in both scholar work and learning processes. Mindfulness meditation is no murky practice, it is simply the idea to be fully conscious of what oneself is doing, because in order to reach wellbeing oneself has to start by being first.
A great American study conducted by the Davis Californian University for more than 100 individuals shows the impact of meditation on the brain. Revealed by the magnetic resonance imagery (MRI), the brain anatomy comparison of half of the participants regularly practicing the mindfulness meditation clearly showed a lesser alteration of the grey matter than in the second group made from outsiders to the practice. The intensity of meditation would stimulate the dendrites (a projection from a nerve cell) and the synapses (connecting the different neurons). This powerful solicitation of the brain could interfere as well on stress, which is extremely deleterious on cells. Therefore a little meditation in class before working could multiply the learning abilities, reduce stress and help with the management of emotions.
« If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation. » Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalaï Lama, Nobel Price.
Philosophy, or wisdom from kindergarten
Why wait for the BAC to sharpen your thinking ? Philosophy, too often bewildered with the history of ideas, is a discipline helping to face the complexity of various questions and to work on oneself both critical thinking and reflective spirit.
Children are curious as they grasp the world and the novelties it implies. In that particular moment they need to become more familiar with concepts such as beauty, truth, freedom, desire, friendship, etc, as many concepts forming the philosophical practice.
By making them discuss a story each week, children learn to listen to each other, to refine their judgment and to accept complexity as much as difference.
Yoga, or the art of moving the body to soothe the mind
Children nowadays will more than ever be confronted to screens and technologies like extensions of themselves. In order for them to be well trained and to use this fast world in a smart way, we are strongly committed to help children remain anchored to the present and to reinforce the importance of the body, senses and emotions. It is what the Montessori pedagogy it about. However, we also wish to emphasize this aspect by adding yoga workshops in each one of our ambiances in order to make our pupils enjoy a discipline which is ideal to develop relaxation, trust and concentration. Each lesson systematically includes a work of breathing as well as a physical expense to regenerate the body and to gain better coordination.