the potential value of "quieting"

My general impression ...

"Meditative" or mind-quieting practices can be done in a way that simply builds on the basic rest and activity cycle by turning attention inward and defocusing, paying attention to visceral events like breathing rather than to scanning the environment. These things end up being associated with religious rituals, but they have potential value both within and outside of a person's spiritual life.

These are relatively innocuous and have been shown in a number of studies to have some potential health and especially anxiety-reducing benefits, both during the break period and as part of the process of helping people learn how to quiet their mind and lower anxiety levels at other times. Something of obvious value in stressful times.

For those who have no exposure to this and wonder what it looks like, see the description of a modified form of Charles Stroebel's excellent and simple "Quieting Response" technique at:
http://www.imt.net/~randolfi/QR.html
for a taste of what this looks like without any specific religious ritual associated.

I think it makes the most sense as part of an effort to teach emotional self-regulation skills from an early age. That would give it the potential for some real benefit.

Learning to calm their mind and focus on their breathing for a few minutes a day might help at least some of the kids begin to understand how the way they focus affects the way they feel, a key insight in developing what some call "emotional intelligence."

On the other hand, it if is turned into a propaganda campaign for or against "separation of Church and State" or somesuch, because "it looks like prayer" or "it looks like New Age bunk," then it pretty much loses any value it would have had because it becomes an anxiety-provoking period rather than one of calm insight. If not burdened down with expectations and politics, it can become a nice mental health break with potential to help teach a useful skill.

The expectations around the practice would heavily color its effects in each case. Also, a minority of people even find it quite anxiety-provoking to try to be still and inwardly focused in this way for even a few minutes. But for the rest it holds some promise I think.

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