AUBURN — On a recent Tuesday in an Edward Little High School classroom, students lay down, eyes closed, on yoga mats or reclined on chairs.

They were covered with blankets as they meditated for about 20 minutes.

At first glance, it might appear they’re napping for credit — but it’s much more.

The elective class is “Mind Power,” taught by Candy Gleason, who chairs the school’s English Department. The class teaches students how to better handle stress, calm their minds and improve brain function. The class provides psychology and science education.

Students in the class say it helps them to stress less about what they have to do. They leave class better focused and organized.

Gleason, who’s teaching the class for the second year, said for years, she’s guided public speaking and debate students through meditating skills to help them calm and organize their thoughts before they step in front of the podium.

She came up with “Mind Power” as an elective course, in which the goal is teaching students how to relax, how to not judge themselves so harshly and how to focus their energy in positive directions.

Asked how meditating helps with academics, students were quick to offer examples.

Pamela Monto said she missed a lot of school last year because of illness and anxiety.

“My grades were horrendous,” which increased her anxiety, she said.

She started her senior year in the fall with a full load.

“I have to take my SATs, fill out the FAFSA,” she said. “I have to think about college.” Sometimes it gets to be too much, she said.

Monto enrolled in the class, thinking if it helped her miss less school, it would be worth it.

The class has helped, Monto said.

“This year, my grades are A’s and B’s,” she said. “There’s an obvious change.”

Knowing how to relax and manage her tasks better has led to not having “toxic stress,” she said. “That helps get stuff done.”

Two phrases used often in the class are “being in the present” and “being “mindful.”

Student Owen Voisine explained what those words mean.

Too often, everyone dwells on the past, on things they can’t change, or they think too much about what might happen in the future and have anxiety about things that haven’t happened yet, Voisine said.

He said that focusing more on the present — about what he’s doing right now — minimizes stress and helps him “focus on what is happening, and do it right.”

For example, Voisine said, he has a lot of homework, a lot of responsibilities as a senior to get ready for life after high school.

“It can be overwhelming,” he said. Instead of worry about everything, he said, “focus on taking small steps toward graduation.”

Students are required to read books that relate to the class. Cam Hutchins gave a report on “Who Moved My Cheese?”

He shared that in the book, two mice feel entitled to the way things are and refuse to adapt to change, while two others view change as normal and exciting.

The latter mice do better, Hutchins said. His takeaway was that everyone goes through change.

“Most of us are graduating,” he said. “Change is happening, whether I want it to or not,” Hutchins said. Instead of freaking out, “go with it.” Being excited about change will help him do well, he said.

Andrea Monto, Pamela Monto’s twin sister, gave her report on “Mindful Eating.” She learned that when life gets tough, take a step back and don’t react strongly when someone is rude. Realize that maybe they’re having a bad day, she said.

The book also taught her how exercise and certain foods physically affect the body, she said, and that her outlook on life matters and she should nourish herself the way one might nourish a plant.

“If you plant a seed of joy in yourself, it’ll soon flourish and grow,” she said. “Other people will feed off your joy.”

bwashuk@sunjournal.com