Many successful people have attributed their success to the practice of Meditation. How great it would be if we could pass on this amazing skill to our kids at a young age? Listen to know how.

What is meditation?

So, what is meditation? It is an ancient Indian method of calming our minds, looking inwards, and trying to be in the present. It leads to tranquility and purification from the negative state of our minds.

A mere 10-15 minutes of meditation each day can bring many positive results. It can be practiced anywhere and anytime. The first stage of meditation is to stop distractions and make the mind clearer and more lucid.

Let’s talk about why is it necessary to introduce our kids to meditation and the benefits:

• Meditation helps in the better process of information. The parietal lobe in the brain slows down during meditation allowing them to process the information much faster and easier.
• Meditation increases focus improves sleep and mood
• Meditation helps in reducing stress and anxiety thus promoting creativity
• Meditation helps in overall health

 

How do we teach meditation to kids?

For 4 – 7 years olds:

1. Sit along with them in a stable position
2. Close your eyes and set the timer. Ask them to do the same.
3. Tell them to concentrate on breathing. Feeling the movement of the stomach.
4. Explain why this exercise is fun to them in an engaging way, which may involve toys, stories or movement.

For example take the story of “The Hare & The tortoise” which has been quite popular since our childhood. We all know, towards the end of the story Tortoise kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up, the Tortoise was near the goal. You can retell this story to engage the kids by saying the Hare had to rest in the middle of the race because it did not practice meditation which made the Hare get tired easily.

5.   Once they learn breathing techniques that allow them to feel a change in their bodies, you can help them create a quiet space for themselves that provides a safe environment for self-connection and allows them an opportunity to be grounded, and focus on having the negative thoughts from the day escape their minds

 

For 8 – 12-year-olds:

 

1. Explain the importance of Jnana mudra to this age group (mudras are hand positions that are used during meditation to reinforce specific healing states of mind). For Jnana mudra, curl your index fingers toward the base of your thumbs to create a circle. The rest of your fingers remain straight out. Then rest your palms facing up or down on your knees. This position helps the child to memorize information, or clear the creative block.
2. Extend the time limit.
3. Introduce meditation music
4. Introduce different breathing techniques.

 

For 13 – 17-year-olds:

1. Find a suitable place.
2. Observe and absorb the space. Taking it all with our sensory organs. For example, feel the mat that you are sitting on, the aroma of the room, etc.
3. Keep your focus on the breath.

Parents should try and join them in this process. Calming the mind might prove difficult in the beginning. Varied thoughts keep popping up. Greet the thoughts, acknowledge them and then allow them to move away and continue to focus on the breath.

 

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Also Read: Is time management an important skill?

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