In the current pandemic, as lockdowns ease worldwide, policymakers are trying to decide if it's safe for students to go back to school. Their job is made more challenging by the lack of evidence on whether children are more or less at risk of contracting the new coronavirus.

In countries where the cases are on a declining trend, the government has begun reopening their schools. But in countries like India, where daily cases are rising, fear swirls around the question of sending children back to classrooms. The pandemic situation has led schools and teachers into an emergency remote teaching mode.

Saloni Shah studies in 8th standard. Her online learning experience as a student has been very stressful and irritating. When we asked her more about it, she says the following.

"I honestly feel like I'm not learning anything, just getting assignments daily. The only thing I like about the online classes 2020 is that I can be home and choose to do the work. But, I don't like the fact that I'm not learning anything—just watching videos and trying to figure out what I'm doing. It's just adding more stress on me. Also, if I have a question about something, I have to wait for my teacher to respond. Sometimes, that response will not happen

until the next day. I also prefer to be in a physical classroom because I can also get help from my peers."

Like Saloni, many students around the world are stressed and tired with online classes in 2020. With online learning moving into the long term, experts say that there is a massive mental, emotional and academic impact.

Impact of online learning on students

Lack of engagement

While online learning benefits are many, this overnight shift from offline to online study has affected students' learning. There is a lack of engagement leaving students demotivated. This is because schools offer a structured learning environment, which cannot be achieved when students are confined to their homes. Online learning disrupts their usual learning patterns, often leaving them confused.

Lack of motivation

Research proves that students are not motivated to complete their tasks when not surrounded by their peers. This is true for children below the age of 10, as keeping them engaged often requires one-on-one contact.

Lack of productivity

Another major challenge is keeping students stimulated. This is because the comfort of home brings down productivity, and many of them end up spending hours procrastinating.

Lack of connectivity

Power outages and lack of internet connection impact online learning. Also, many students frequently face issues with login.

A successful online experience, especially when required for the long term, requires educators, students, and families to adjust to new routines. Parents and educators can help students find the right online learning approaches, remain accountable for their work and get extra help when needed.

As a parent, here are five things you can do to help your child learn online

Create a schedule

Traditional school days provide your child with a lot of structure. But, that isn't easy in the case of e-learning. Especially for young learners, managing this increased autonomy is a challenge. That's why your child participating in e-learning needs to build their routines and effectively manage the time to stay on track. Having a well-thought-out daily schedule is vital, and you can be a massive help in creating such a plan and making sure that it is followed.

Demonstrate hard work and persistence

Online classes can remove many of the systems of accountability that your child is used to in the traditional classroom. For instance, time management skills - this motivation comes more naturally for some students than for others. Regardless, getting accustomed to online learning platforms and working through the normal, productive struggles of learning more independently can be challenging. You can make a big difference by merely demonstrating the ubiquity and importance of these skills in the "real world" beyond school.

Have a designated workplace

The right workspace makes a massive difference in your child's mindset and helps him or her to focus. When participating in online learning, they can complete their work where they want. So it's essential to put thought into what kind of environment is truly most effective for your child and make sure that they have a designated space at home.

Understand the online learning platform

Online learning means that students spend their school days immersed in an online platform. So, take time to get familiar with what those platforms look like, how your child is using them, what resources are available, and how can you support them.

Communicate with your child's teacher

Students are learning online, but they are not learning independently. Teachers still play a critical role in e-learning maintaining open, frequent communication is vital for student success. So, make sure you take part in this ongoing dialogue and get the appropriate help when it is needed.

Online classes stress can be reduced with a mental boost for children. As a parent, if you're looking for a natural solution for your child's cognitive development, choose Maharishi Ayurveda's Herbonic.

Maharishi Ayurveda Herbonic- A perfect health drink for children

Herbonic is an ideal family health drink, and milk additive helps cope with energy-sapping activities by keeping body replenished adequate energy. Herbs like Ashwagandha and Brahmi, enhance mental and physical acumen and adaptability. While almonds used ensures healthy body tissue development. It's 100% herbal formulation and drooling taste, make Herbonic a preferred drink among kids and adults. Even fussiest of children gulp down a glass of delicious Herbonic milk. Herbonic provides the essential growth elements which combine well with Vidyarthi Amrit. Herbonic has no artificial additive or preservatives.

Benefits

• Provide nutrition for healthy body tissue development

• Provides adequate energy

• Enhance mental and physical acumen and adaptability

Online classes are quite stressful for children. Unable to meet friends and relax, they are more than likely to need an extra touch to handle the day. Maharishi Ayurveda'sHerbonic helps them manage the pressure, boost their energy levels and naturally enhance mental health. Try it today.

How to Boost Immunity in your Child Naturally with Ayurveda?

In today’s times, children are under tremendous pressure to perform in school and Sports. Not to forget the growing peer pressure they face.

Since they have their growing years and have an active life with studies, tuitions, sports and other activities, taking good care of their health is of utmost importance.

Apart from focusing on their growing needs, it is important that parents should focus on giving them proper nutrition to maintain their immune system.

With this pandemic, it has become critical to focus on their immunity as well. In addition to their basic nutrition that is through the meals that they take, it has become important to take an effective immunity booster.

Here Ayurveda can really help you out as it is natural, and it will not affect their body's natural growth rate without any side effects. This will help them develop a stronger base to deal with the ever-growing responsibilities on their shoulders. Let us find out the best ayurvedic medicine for child immunity that can help you in a long run.

Ayurveda’s take on boosting the Immunity of your child

If your child has a weakened immunity and catches cough and cold easily or falls sick easily with the changing seasons, then you need to focus on your child’s Immunity. There is a possibility that ama (Toxins) are accumulated in the digestive system that can weaken the immunity of the child.

In Ayurveda, we focus on balancing the doshas in the body of the child to make it stronger to fight infections. This will affect the overall health of the child both mind and body wise. He/she will feel calmer and healthier with a positive bend of mind.

Here, I want to emphasize that having good digestion plays an important role in the overall Immunity of the child.

In Ayurveda, we recommend reducing the Kapha dominant foods in the diet of the child. This will lead to increased immunity. Eliminating food items such as sweets, dairy, junk foods, and wheat can improve the immunity of the child manifolds.

Changing the diet pattern and encouraging the child to eat more leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Consuming warm and freshly cooked food at home is recommended. Also, use spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, and ginger as these helps in enhancing the Agni or digestive fire.

Eating fixed and regular intervals of time should be encouraged. Immune-boosting foods in Ayurveda should lean towards pungent, astringent, and bitter flavors.

As parents, you should encourage your child to engage in any form of physical activity as it increases the blood circulation, balances their energy levels, and also improves the flow of nutrients. Any kind of physical activity or games can boost the detox mechanisms in the body. This way the body itself helps in the process of detoxification and makes the body stronger.

One more important aspect of a child’s health is sound sleep. It is an important aspect of a child’s health.

Taking care of these important factors that are diet, activity, and sleep can certainly benefit you a lot.

You can go for Chawanprash and Herbonic as these are good immune boosters for children and are one of the best ayurvedic medicine for child immunity.

Chwanprashis an age-old Ayurvedic formulation that can aid the immunity and respiratory system of the child. It can help protect the child from seasonal changes, cough, cold, and flu.

Herbonic is an Ayurvedic energy drink for your child that has Ashwagandhaand Brahmi, which helps in enhancing mental and physical acumen and adaptability.

Both these natural formulations can help in building the immunity and energy levels of the child.

Here are some of the frequently asked question that can help you a lot

Q. How can I boost my child’s immune system?

A. You can make the necessary lifestyle changes in the child’s’ diet, activity levels, etc. I have explained all the changes in the post. Ayurveda can be especially helpful in boosting immunity as it can help in the most natural way possible.

Q. What home remedy is good for a child's immune system?

A. You can give them a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and make use of spices such as Turmeric, ginger, garlic, turmeric, etc. Taking Ayurvedic Chawanprashcan also help as it is a natural formulation that can help with the child’s immunity.

Q. What is a good immune booster for toddlers?

A nutritious diet and ayurvedic herbs can be the best immune booster for a child of any age. You can get the ayurvedic herbs in the form of Chwanprash as it is the best immunity booster that supports the respiratory system of the toddler.This can be the best ayurvedic medicine for child immunity.

Transcendental Meditation And it’s Wide Ranging Benefits

We all are seeking for something more in our life—more happiness, better health, greater achievements and deeper fulfilment. Some people may be looking for a way to reduce stress and increase inner peace; others may want to increase their mental potential and achieve more in life; and there may be a few searching for eternal freedom and bliss within.

Here we have an ancient yet scientifically validated programme known as Transcendental Meditation(TM) as a simple technique for holistic development, providing solutions to all the contemporary challenges that individuals and societies are facing all across.

What is Transcendental Meditation?

Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural, effortless technique practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. No concentration, no controlling of the mind is needed to practice this technique. Moreover, no monitoring of thoughts and no “trying to empty” the mind is involved in TM Technique. Also it doesn’t require any change in lifestyle or belief system to learn this technique. Over 10 million people have learnt TM—of all ages, cultures, religions and walks of life.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced this technique to the whole world in late 1950s to help every individual to unfold the vast inner potential that plays an important role to be successful and happier in life.

The Transcendental Meditation technique allows our active mind to naturally and spontaneously settle inward, through quieter levels of thought, until we experience the most silent and peaceful level of our own awareness— Pure Consciousness—reservoir of infinite bliss, creativity and intelligence.

As we practice this technique regularly, it helps to increase that bliss, intelligence along with success and fulfilment in our daily life.

What are the benefits of Transcendental Meditation?

There are more than 650 scientific research studies, 400 of them published in peer-reviewed journals, conducted at over 250 Universities and research institutes in 30 countries over the last 50 years, that documents the benefits of Transcendental Meditation in the field of mental potential, health, behaviour and society.

When the mind settles down during the practice of TM, the body gains a unique state of deep rest, which dissolves deep rooted stresses in a natural way, which helps in reducing:

- Anxiety

- Depression

- High Blood Pressure

- Insulin Resistance

- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

- ADHD

- OCD

- Autism Spectrum and many other diseases.

Research shows that TM helps to have a healthier heart, increases immunity and decreases hospitalisation rate. In addition to that, it promotes younger biological age and improves gene expression.

TM produces a unique type of brain functioning, shows exceptional orderliness as measured by electroencephalograph—called EEG. Increased orderliness is called EEG Coherence. High EEG Coherence is significantly associated with:

- Increased Creativity

- Greater Learning Ability

- Higher Moral Reasoning

- Higher Intelligence(IQ)

- Less Neurotic Behaviour

- Higher Academic Achievement

- Clearer experiences of Transcendental Consciousness—the field of our total inner intelligence

- And more efficient functioning of our Nervous System.

TM also helps in improving memory, increases field independence and fluid intelligence. It helps in increasing Self Actualization which leads to clarity of mind, confidence and skills to achieve the goals. Additionally, research shows that TM helps to develop Higher States of Consciousness and Enlightenment—Full development of Mind and Physiology.

When we are lesser stressed and more relaxed, we are able to give more to others—our relationships naturally become more enjoyable, there is more understanding and compassion towards others. Research studies indicates that people who practice TM have Improved Work and Personal Relationships; Greater Appreciation for others; and Increased Tolerance. When TM was taught in Prisons it was seen through research that there was reduction in Aggression, Verbal Hostility and Tendency to Assault and Recidivism in Prison Inmates.

“We radiate what we are”—When we feel peace, happiness and calmness within, it naturally spreads in the surroundings.

Many scientific studies shows that when large group of people, more than 1% of the population in any given area, practices TM, it naturally increases

positive trends and reduces negative trends in the given area—this phenomenon is known as—Maharishi Effect.

When groups practiced the TM and it’s Advance Programmes (square root of one percent of the population in the given area) was enough to reduce Violent Crime, Homicides, Traffic Fatalities, other accidental deaths, drug related deaths, infant mortality and increased peace in the society—as was recorded in several areas like Lebanon, Cambodia, USA, Netherlands, etc through multiple research studies—known as Extended Maharishi Effect.

“Water the root to enjoy the fruit”— just as watering the roots nourishes the trunk, branches, leaves, fruits and flowers, similarly Transcendental Meditation nourishes life as a whole—mind, body, behaviour and society, by enlivening the basis of life—Transcendental Consciousness in one’s awareness and develops higher states of consciousness and a more harmonious, healthier and peaceful world.