Meditation to Empower Students Manage and Reduce Exam Stress, in Maharashtra
Mumbai: Heartfulness Education Trust, the education wing of Heartfulness Institute, has collaborated with the Maharashtra SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) to introduce Manage Exam Stress the Heartfulness Way, a stress reduction and management program for Std 10th and Std 12th students in preparation for the Maharashtra State Board exams. Students can benefit from the program by accessing the online sessions in Marathi on MSCERT ‘s YouTube channel, completely free of cost. Mrs. Varsha Gaikwad, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister for School Education, endorsed this program and urged students to participate in the program.
‘Manage Exam Stress the Heartfulness Way’ is a much-needed program that aims to equip students with meditation techniques to help beat exam stress and perform their best in the upcoming State Board Exams. ‘Manage Exam Stress the Heartfulness Way’ is a 5-day series of online sessions, comprising of Heartfulness meditation, stress management, and reduction techniques.
Key Takeaways for students from the sessions of ‘Manage Exam Stress the Heartfulness Way’ Program
1. Stress The science and the need for Stress; Develop Will-Power and Ability to Focus
2. Courage How to build Courage and Confidence; Handle Fears, Doubts, and Response Stimuli
3. Resilience How to be Flexible and Adapt to change; Decision-making skills, Need for Introspection
4. Time Being in the present; Utilize Time; Prepare, Plan and work towards the Goal
5. Discipline Take Interest in studies. Have a Routine; Self-Discipline; Work upon yourself
Speaking about the program, Mrs. Varsha Gaikwad, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister for School Education, said, “Board exams can be stressful at the best of times; more so for the class of 2020-21. The State Council of Educational Research and Training, Maharashtra (SCERT) will hold special sessions to help students of class Xth & XIIth cope better with anxiety & exam stress in partnership with Heartfulness Education Trust.
Each year board exams become a stressful time for students as they face immense pressure to do well. Students also face additional peer pressure and stress due to fear of failure during exams. According to experts, students experience high anxiety and, in some cases, even depression during board exams. ‘Manage Exam Stress the Heartfulness Way’ is a tool to help students cope with the extreme pressure and inculcate the habit of meditation at a young age.
Commenting on this initiative, Mr. Bharat Madhavan, Director of School Connect Initiative of Heartfulness Education Trust, said, “As a society, it is important for us to understand the challenges faced by our youth, and arm them with tools to face these challenges in life. Exam times are stressful for the students as well as their families. Through this initiative, we aim for students to build the emotional and mental resilience to cope with the situation better. Manage Exam Stress the Heartfulness way is carefully designed towards empowering the students during this critical time in the education cycle.”
The 1-hour sessions include simple Heartfulness meditation techniques and discussions on topics such as, Managing Stress, Building Courage, Becoming Resilient, Managing Time, and Instilling Discipline in life. These topics have been mindfully curated by the Heartfulness team, keeping in mind the needs of students. Students participating in the program will experience a relaxed and focused mind leading to clarity in thinking and develop a heart-centered approach to learning. Participants will also learn about Heartful communication and cultivate the ability to listen, pause and respond during the sessions. The topics are also structured to boost their all-around development by inducing these aspects into their daily lives. The sessions can be accessed multiple times, and students can imbibe the learnings from this program as life-long lessons.
The Heartfulness team in Maharashtra is also looking forward to initiating a deeper, sustained engagement with MSCERT, and plans to initiate programs supporting teachers and parents. ‘Manage Exam Stress the Heartfulness Way’ is an initiative under HELP (Heartfulness Experience Life’s Potential) Course, by Heartfulness Education trust. HeartsApp, a free App by Heartfulness to connect students to any of the 14,000 Heartfulness trainers worldwide is also provided as part of this program.
