More teachers and parents are beginning to embrace meditation for children, and now there is a study to show its effectiveness.

Professor Willem Kuyken from the Mood Disorders Centre at the University of Exeter presented evidence from new research findings of a trial showing how mindfulness is effective in improving the well-being of children ages 12 to 16 years at the Mindfulness in Schools Project Annual Conference in London, according to a report by MedicalXpress.com.

The research included students from 12 secondary schools who participated in mindfulness – being aware of the present moment and learning to relate to thoughts, emotions, body sensations and impulses as they arise – or took part in the usual school curriculum. The young people who participated in the mindfulness program reported fewer depressive symptoms, lower stress and greater well-being than those in the control group, according to the report.