Ohio congressman's meditation crusade

(CBS News) YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - In the challenge of slowing down the hectic pace of life, it can often seem as though we've squeezed out any time for thoughtfulness and contemplation as we go about our daily lives. But one man's got an idea how to change that and perhaps the power to do so.

In the tranquility of his living room in Youngstown, Ohio, 39-year-old Tim Ryan is conducting his 30-minute morning ritual. He is meditating: slowing his breathing and clearing his head of clutter.

"How much faster literally can we go, until you are so distracted all the time that you're actually missing your life?" he asked.

If this all looks and sounds a bit New-Agey, guess again. Congressman Tim Ryan will tell you the New Age is now. "It's a quiet revolution that's happening," he said.

Ryan is a former high school football hero from a shot-and-a-beer district who's now written a book on mindfulness. The group he thinks could benefit most from reading it? His colleagues on Capitol Hill.

"Yeah, that's true. It's a problem," he said about Washington, a city that is probably less introspective. "And I think if you look back at our country to the big mistakes that we made, it seems to me that we weren't seeing things quite clearly."

Ryan is pushing a curriculum called S.E.L. -- social emotional learning -- that teaches kids to relax, calming themselves into a state where they are better able to learn.

Juanita Rodgers uses it in her kindergarten classroom in a tough neighborhood in Youngstown. "They have no control of where they come from," she said. "They have no control of where they live. When they close their eyes, they can actually see themselves even doing well in school. And when you can see it, it will happen."

In the last three years, they've seen reading levels improve by double digits. But 10-year old Alissia Thomas is focused on other benefits not measured by test scores.

Asked if she and the other kids need to find other ways to be calm, Thomas said: "Yes. A lot of them do because of the anger." She added: "We've had some fights and when they get angry they go after the people they are angry at. They need to be able to sit down and think of their happy place."

Ryan will be introducing a bill that will help states implement S.E.L. standards and promote mindfulness in medical schools, teacher-training programs , and to help treat veterans.

"It's happening now in the military, in the prisons," he said. "I think at some point the more we understand about how the brain works, the more this is going to catch on."

According to the magazine "Psychology Today," somewhere near 10 million Americans are practicing some sort of meditation.

[samuel5028]

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. We can do according to our timing. It's all about focusing in single place.

[WillowSunstar]

Meditation can be done in a non-religious manner. This is something that needs to be told to people, since most people associate with meditation only with Eastern religions. All you have to do is breathe deeply and focus on your breath. There is no reason to have to say religious mantras while doing it.

With too many people obese, smoking, drinking, and abusing illegal drugs, Western society needs a revolution in healthy stress relief.

[O-bus]

A meditation sound does not have to be religious.
http://acem.com/

[judymar14]

Teach them how to avoid being a victim would be best, duck and hide. By securing the school building they can relax by themselves. They can meditate at home, where it is somewhat safer.

And there is only one way to secure the building, armed guards.

[peacefulperson]

"shot and beer district"? What kind of crack is that? I lived there 7 years and never had a shot or a beer. Stinking reporters who think they have to insult everyone they don't understand.

[peacefulperson]

I used to live in Tim Ryan's district in Niles, OH, and found him to spend too much time on silly stuff like this and not enough time on real problems, like improving economic opportunities in his district. I ultimately had to leave my hometown two years ago and move 200 miles to get a decent job. I'm so sad that he thinks his time is well-spent on teaching kids to meditate, rather than on getting on the business of Congress, not the least of which is getting a budget passed already. Does he meditate about the looming repeat of the fiscal cliff?

[LebronJeremy1]

I currently live in his district. He brought more money to this area in his first term than his predecessor (Traficant) did in 17 years.

[CuriousServant]

I see. We are to teach more students (kindergarten in our district is now at 33 per class, expected to be 45 next year) more things (CIM/CAM, Power Standards, NCLB, etc.) with a shorter calendar year, and an additional 14 days set aside for testing with less resources (we haven't been allowed to use colored paper in 6 years) with less money, but let's teach them meditation to compensate for our lack of investment in the future.

Well, I am already working 60+ hours a week and have not had a net increase in wages in 7 years. Let's cut back on some other items and give the next generation the tools to earn more money and pay more taxes... It an investment.

I think the meditation isn't something we need.

[HenrikMK]

There is an old saying:

"You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you're too busy; then you should sit for an hour"

[peacefulperson]

He should meditate on getting things done in Congress, the wake up and get them done!