With roots in the Buddhist religious tradition, a secularized version of
mindfulness meditation is now being embraced by many as a way to significantly
improve their quality of life. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that teaches one to
focus with present-moment awareness. Advocates extol the virtues of mindfulness and
its positive impact upon one's physical and mental health such as stress reduction and the
ability to regulate one's emotions. It is increasingly being taught in hospitals, corporate
settings, and now in schools. The purported benefits of the contemplative practice of
mindfulness have propelled it into the curriculum of an ever-growing number of public
school systems, yet there are those who claim there is potential for harm.
Critics of mindfulness programs in schools object for a number of reasons. They
believe it encourages children to unwittingly adopt Buddhist religious beliefs and an
undesirable worldview. Indeed, aspects of mindfulness training include "acceptance" and
"non-judgment," which seem to conflict with the goal of doing one's best in the
classroom and differentiating between right and wrong.
