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Meditation exercise for kids


Mindfulness for Kids - Mindful

  • How to Meditate
  • Mindfulness Activities
  • Guided Meditation
  • Coping with Stress
  • Parenting Tips

How to Meditate with Your Kids

By teaching children meditation and mindfulness skills we help them increase their well-being and enable them to meet the stresses of the world with presence, self-compassion, and openness.

In order to help kids of all ages find their way into practicing mindfulness, it can be helpful to give them an easy definition they can relate to.

A Definition of Mindfulness Meditation for Children

Mindfulness meditation, at its simplest, is paying attention to what is happening in the present moment. It may be what you’re feeling, hearing, or anything else you notice. There’s no special place of calm you have to reach and it’s not about clearing your mind, it’s just an honest and kind look at what you’re experiencing in this moment. 

A Mindfulness Practice for Families

By Christopher Willard

One easy way to introduce mindfulness to your children is through informal practices that you can do along with them. Start with a simple kindness meditation—offering good wishes and compassion to others.

1. To begin, find a comfortable sitting position. You can even place a hand on the heart. Allow your eyes to close or lower your gaze toward the floor.

2. Bring to mind someone who you really respect and look up to, and who really loves you in return. 

3. Notice how you feel as you bring this person to mind.

4. Make a kind wish and send it their way. What would make them happy?

5. Next, bring to mind someone else you love and care about: A family member, a friend, a beloved colleague. Just bring this person to mind, sending this person a kind wish.

We’ll move from here to a more neutral person. Perhaps someone you don’t know very well: A parent you see occasionally in the pick-up line, a person who delivers your mail, or makes your coffee in the morning. Just bring this person to mind and imagine yourself sending them some kind of kind wish.

6. Lastly, bring to mind someone who has frustrated you lately, someone who is a little difficult. Send this last person a kind wish—something nice for them in their life.

7. Check in with your mind and body as you conclude this practice. Allow your eyes to open if they’ve been closed. Notice if there’s any shift

Why Teach Mindfulness to Children?

When we teach mindfulness to kids, we give them the tools they need to build confidence, cope with stress, and relate to uncomfortable or challenging moments. The earlier we do so in their young lives, the greater the opportunity to help them cultivate resilience and develop and refine their mindfulness practice as they mature.

Teaching mindfulness to kids can also help shape three critical skills developed in early childhood: paying attention and remembering information, shifting back and forth between tasks, and behaving appropriately with others. These abilities are known as executive functions and they are essential for more advanced tasks like planning, reasoning, problem-solving, and positive social relationships.

There Benefits of Mindfulness for Kids

Studies show that the benefits of mindfulness for kids may include:

1. Increased focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion.

2. Improved academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being.

3. Decreased levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior.

Mindfulness Activities for Kids

To introduce the idea of mindfulness more directly to your kids, you can use exercises that encourage them to tune into their senses. Make a game out of eating a snack very slowly, savoring the smell, texture, and taste. Or, dive into an afternoon of glitter jar making with any variety of materials: glitter, different-coloured beads, food colouring and oil, pieces of lego. The DIY craft doubles as a creative exercise and a mindfulness tool to represent the mind settling.

An Appreciation Practice for Children

By Susan Kaiser Greenland

Leading the game:

  1. Ask your child: “Do you ever feel disappointed by something or someone?”
  2. Ask: “How did that make you feel?”
    Acknowledge their feelings and, if appropriate, talk about them.
  3. Say something like: “I bet even when you’re feeling disappointed there are good things happening in your life, too. Let’s name three good things together.”

Tips for naming three good things:

  1. Remind your child that the point of this game isn’t to pretend they’re not upset when they feel upset. It’s to remember that they can feel two things at once: they can feel grateful for good things while feeling sad, hurt, or disappointed by challenges.
  2. If children or teens have trouble thinking of three good things on their own, brainstorm and help them discover some.
  3. When kids understand that this game is not about sweeping their feelings under the rug, the phrase “three good things” can become a playful and humorous response to the minor gripes that show up in family life.
  4. Parents can encourage kids to remind them to name  Three Good Things when they’re stuck on a trivial disappointment or minor annoyance, too.
  5. To develop a habit of thankfulness, play Three Good Things around the dinner table, before bedtime, and at other times when the family is together.

Guided Mindfulness Meditation for Children

Once your child is comfortable with the idea of meditation, you can offer them tools to refine their own practice. Here are three guided practices developed for kids. Feel free to join your child in these meditations if it helps encourage focus.

An 8-Minute Practice to Notice Positive Moments

A Mindfulness Practice for Kids: Coming Back to the Positive—From Dr. Mark Bertin

  • 8:00
  1. Lie down somewhere comfortable. Let your arms and legs fall to the ground. Close your eyes gently.
  2. Start to notice how your body changes with each breath you take. Each time you breathe, your belly moves up, and your belly moves down. If it is easier, put a hand on your belly. Or if you want, put a stuffed animal there.
  3. Each time you breathe, your belly moves. Your hand, or your toy, rises, and then falls. See if you can count ten breaths that way. Breathing in, one, breathing out, one.
  4. When you lose count, don’t worry about it. That’s normal, and happens to everyone. Come back to whatever number you last remember.
  5. Now, shift your attention to your day. Breathing in, focus on your breath as your belly goes up. Breathing out, focus on something that went well today.
  6. With each breath: breathing in, noticing your belly move, and with each breath out, noticing something that went well today.
  7. Now, picture something about yourself that makes you proud. Breathing in, focus on your belly moving. Breathing out, picture something that makes you proud of yourself. If nothing comes to mind, that sometimes happens. If that’s how you feel, picture what you’d wish for yourself instead.
  8. Finally, bring someone to mind who makes you happy. Before we end, try one more practice. Breathing in, notice your belly move. And now, breathing out, picture someone who makes you happy.
  9. As you come to the end of this practice, take a few deep breaths, and start to wiggle your arms and legs. Pause and decide what you’d like to do next.
  10. It’s normal to have thoughts that make us feel scared or bad. We should never ignore anything important, but it’s useful to focus on the rest of our lives too. Take a few minutes every day to notice what has gone well, and see what happens next.

Guided Audio Practices for Kids

1.  A Meditation for Preschoolers

This guided practice will help you teach your child the basics of mindfulness by drawing on the elements of nature. Follow along as your child observes their experience and explores their strength within.

Be Like Nature: Mindfulness for Preschoolers—From Scott Rogers

  • 4:00

2.

A Meditation for Young Kids

A body scan meditation is a great way to help your child bring attention to the present moment—especially when emotions or thoughts are overwhelming. They’ll learn to explore sensations in the body while bringing calmness, attention, and appreciation to daytime routines or bedtime rituals.

A Calming Body Scan: Mindfulness for Kids—From Dr. Mark Bertin

  • 11:39

3. A Meditation for Teens

Preadolescents and teens can practice mindfulness the same way as adults. Although, practices geared toward this age group often feature language that is more engaging to them. Here is an 8-minute practice, appropriate for older kids, that uses counting breaths to cultivate mindful awareness.

Count Your Breaths: Mindfulness for Teens—From Dr. Mark Bertin

  • 8:13

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Helping Kids Cope with Stress

Mindfulness practice can offer your child stress management strategies to calm their nervous system. Below are a few kid-friendly breathing techniques you can demonstrate and do with them.

5 Mindful Breath Practices for Children

1. Belly Breathing

When breathing in, the belly expands slightly; and when breathing out, it contracts. Do several rounds and return to normal breathing.

2. Mindful Breathing

Simply notice the breath and feel it move in the body. You can add visuals and words to make the practice more engaging. For example, on the in-breath ask your child to repeat the phrase, I am a lake and on the out-breath, I am calm. This technique can be adapted to use any visual and taps into the power of imagination.

3. Teddy Bear Breath

This is a great variation of the belly-breathing practice for little ones. Have them lie down with a teddy or stuffed animal on their belly, and let them watch as it moves up and down while they breathe, as if they are rocking it to sleep.

4. Four Square Breathing

This practice is a useful tool for older children. Breathe in for a count of four. Hold the breath for a count of four. Breathe out for a count of four. Hold the breath for a count of four. Do several rounds and return to normal breathing.

5. Basic Breath Ball Practice

You can use a Hoberman sphere—a geodesic dome that can be folded and unfolded—to teach your child basic breath awareness. The toy can be referred to as a breath ball because the dome’s movements mimic the movements of breathing: as the dome folds inward, we imagine the out-breath contracting; as the dome expands, we imagine the lungs expanding on the in-breath.

1. Using both hands, gently hold the breathing ball in front of your belly.

2. Hold one square on opposite sides of the sphere’s surface.

3. Take a deep breath in. As your belly expands, let the ball expand with it. 

4. Breathe in fairly slowly, maybe holding momentarily at the top of the breath as you fully expand the ball.

5. As you breath out, allow the sphere to contract to its smallest size.

6. Repeat a few times. You might even count along in a rhythm.

Mindful Parenting Tips

By Elisha Goldstein and Stephanie Goldstein

It’s important to follow the oxygen mask principle: put your own mask on first, before you help your child. The more we discover how to be mindful ourselves, the more we can turn to mindful parenting strategies and appreciate our children’s capacity to be present in each moment.

There’s an inner skill set called for in parenting—an awareness of what is, what’s changing, and what matters going forward. In day-to-day life, take the time you need to notice your own feelings, pause before responding, and practice listening. 

7 Things Mindful Families Do Differently

1. Embrace Imperfection

You are going to make mistakes, you are going to hurt your children’s feelings, and you are not going to be able to show up in all the ways you want to or the ways your children want you to, but none of that makes you a bad parent—it only makes you a human one. When you can move into a place of acceptance of this you are able to shift into a greater ease and grace within yourself.

2. Listen with Curiosity

When we pause and listen to each other more in our lives, we can engage the experiences in our family with a growth mindset. We can see the struggles and triumphs as opportunities for learning and growth. Instead of judging each other, we can get better at recognizing when we don’t understand where the other person is coming from, lean in with curiosity and say, “tell me more.” Or we might try and stand in their shoes to understand their perspective by asking ourselves, “why might they be acting this way?”

3. Communicate Courageously

Being clear and honest with each other about what you need and how you feel is ultimately an act of kindness that creates trust and connection. This means showing up with our partners and kids with an open heart and an open mind. It builds on listening with curiosity and creates space for everyone to feel comfortable to share how they feel and what they need.

4. Practice Appreciation and Gratitude

While words of affirmation may or may not be your primary love language, we all want to be seen and appreciated and there’s a surprisingly simple way of doing this that can have huge benefits—intentionally practicing being appreciative and expressing gratitude to one another. By taking the time to acknowledge our kids or our partner when they empty the dishwasher or are ready on time, we can shift the culture of the household from demanding and frustrated to cooperative and grateful

5. Forgive Ourselves and Each Other

In practicing mindfulness we come to understand that our mistakes aren’t signs of failing at being a human. Instead, they are opportunities for learning about the inevitable pitfalls of life, what gets in our way and understanding the optimal route to get back into a space of balance and connection.

The simple phrase of “forgive, investigate and invite” can be enormously helpful. If we have transgressed, we can set the intention to “forgive” ourselves for this wrongdoing, understanding that we can’t change the past, remembering that we aren’t perfect, and realizing that we often make mistakes out of ignorance, confusion or upset feelings.

6. Practice Support and Generosity

Our kids are always watching us, learning how to be in the world and modeling our behaviors. So it’s important that we model this way of being in the world and include them in these acts as often as possible. Want some ideas? You can consider getting involved in service projects at a local school or organization. You can encourage your kids to make pictures or cards for their grandparents or someone who is ill. These small or large acts are the essential healing agent within the family system, our culture, and the world. Ultimately, connection is the cornerstone of well-being and it starts in the family.

7. Remember to Play and Have Fun

It seems silly to say that any of us would forget to have fun and enjoy each other but it’s more common than you think. Raising children is probably the most important job you will ever be tasked with and the pressure of raising good humans can be weighty. So much so that we can fall into a pattern of taking things too seriously and being overly focused on tasks (chores, homework, activities, etc. ) that we lose the enjoyment of being together.

51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom

These days, the answer to the question, “Should we prioritize academics or social-emotional learning in schools?” is a firm, “Yes to both.” Academic skills are of course essential for children’s lifelong success. But without intentional social-emotional development, students may not learn how to process their emotions and connect with others in healthy ways. That’s where mindfulness can come in.

If you’re not sure exactly what mindfulness is, here’s a quick recap. Mindfulness involves both an awareness and an acceptance of both the world around us and our internal experiences.[3] Mindful people tend to focus more on the present instead of ruminating on the past or future, and they cultivate a curiosity towards their thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations.

Let’s go over some of the benefits of mindfulness and how it relates to social-emotional learning (SEL). Then, we’ll share 51 tips and activities for teaching elementary students how to practice mindfulness.

Why Mindfulness? Consider the Social-Emotional Benefits

Why teach mindfulness in our schools? The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has linked mindfulness to two core social-emotional skills: self-regulation and self-awareness. These skills teach students not only how to recognize their thoughts, emotions, and actions, but also how to react in positive ways.

According to brain imaging research, practicing mindfulness can alter brain structure in a way that can improve a student’s reaction to stress.[1] It thickens the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for perception and reasoning, and increases blood flow in the brain.[2] And not only does mindfulness training reduce stress levels, it can also help alleviate anxiety or depression.[4,5]

A final reason to try mindfulness in your classroom? It can be especially helpful for children with learning disabilities, particularly attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One study found that children with learning disabilities who received mindfulness training earned better grades and had fewer behavioral issues compared to before they started the program.[6] Children in special education programs better connected with their peers after mindfulness training.[7]

Overall, mindfulness has something to offer for every child in your class. It can relieve student stress, reduce bullying rates, and help children with learning disabilities or special needs develop stronger SEL skills. If you haven’t yet tried mindfulness activities with your class, now may be the time to see just how much they can benefit your students.

29 Individual Activities for Teaching Mindfulness to Children

The best way to show students how to be mindful is to practice it in class. These 51 engaging mindfulness activities can help your students develop self-awareness and self-regulation skills.

1. Heartbeat Exercise: As your students monitor their heartbeat and breathing after exercise, they’ll learn to become mindful of how their body feels.

2. Pinwheel Breathing: This exercise helps students practice deep breaths by using a pinwheel to show them how.

3. Muscle Relaxation: How often are we truly mindful of the muscles in our body? With this activity, children can start practicing mindfulness around how they tense or relax their muscles.

4. Five Senses Exercise: Did you know that you can use all five of your senses while being mindful? This activity can show you how!

5. The Present Moment Worksheet: This free mindfulness worksheet teaches young students all about what it means to be present.

6. Making Mindful Observations: Add a little social-emotional learning to your science lessons by teaching students to make mindful observations.

7. Teaching STOP Mindfulness: Teach kids the core components of mindfulness through the acronym STOP: Stop, Take a breath, Observe, and Proceed.

8. Breathing Boards: Have your students follow the line with their fingers as they take calm, measured breaths.

9. Mindful Glitter Jar: This adorable craft can give students a visual example of how their thoughts settle down after practicing mindfulness.

10. Mindful Eating: What student doesn’t love a lesson that involves snacks? With this creative mindfulness exercise, students can learn to be more aware of what they’re eating.

11. Smiling Minds App: Try out this free mindfulness app for kids with your students to practice short meditations and other exercises.

12. Quiet Time: Adding a little quiet time to your classroom schedule can give students room to de-stress and focus on the present.

13. Nature Walk: Embark on an outdoor walk that will encourage your students to engage all of their five senses in observation.

14. Rainbow Bubble Breathing Story: For younger students, this “story” about a rainbow bubble can be a great visual for practicing controlled breathing.

15. Positive Affirmations: Check out this list of 125 positive mantras your students can use while meditating or reflecting on their strengths.

16. Build-a-Face Story Stones: This activity can help students learn to observe and recognize different emotions.

17. Blindfolded Taste Test: Taste is a powerful sensation, and this activity can be especially helpful for teaching students to analyze different sensations.

18. Being Mindful of Anger: Anger can be difficult for kids to process and even tougher for them to react to in a healthy way. Use this quick meditation script to help students calm down when they feel overwhelmed.

19. Mindful Journaling Prompts: Try some of these journaling prompts with older students to help them reflect on internal and external experiences.

20. Emotion Octopus Craft: Learning about our emotions has never looked so adorable! Let each child put together an emotion octopus, then have a class discussion on feelings.

21. Today I Feel…: Hang this Muppet-themed chart in your classroom and teach students how to recognize the emotions they feel each day.

22. Square Breaths: Square breathing is a simple yet effective way to help students calm down when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

23. Stop and Think Worksheet: Every action we do can cause a positive or negative reaction in others. Pass this worksheet out to your students, then discuss why it matters to consider others’ reactions.

24. Raisin Exercise: Hand out a raisin to each of your students, then practice observing it using each of the five senses. Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center recommends doing this exercise multiple times to get the full effect, but even once can be a helpful experience for your students.

25. Draw Your Breath: This art exercise can help students gain self-awareness of their breath and use that knowledge to move towards relaxation.

26. Melt or Freeze?: Mindfulness is a great way to help students manage their impulses. This activity helps students sort possible actions into impulsive (“melt”) and responsible (“freeze”).

27. Tuning into Different Moods: If we’re overwhelmed or distracted, it can be hard to remember to stay mindful of our emotions. This exercise requires just a few minutes as you teach students to observe what they’re feeling in the moment.

28. Emotions Bottles: While we definitely don’t want students to “bottle up” their feelings, this activity uses the Pixar movie Inside Out to help children name and claim their emotions.

29. Mindful Coloring: Did you know that coloring is a great way to practice mindfulness for both children and adults?[8] Use these printable coloring pages for a quiet activity to relax and focus on the present.

21 Group Activities for Teaching Mindfulness to Children

Group mindfulness activities can help children practice what they have learned and discuss what it means to be grounded in the present. These 21 activities—including classroom ideas as well as home activities for families—are a great place to start.

30. Yoga for Kids: Check out this video of mindfulness exercises that will help elementary students practice yoga through age-appropriate and imaginative games.

31. Rainbow Walk: Go on a walk with your students and encourage them to find something red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet as a quick way to practice mindfulness.

32. Mindful Quote Jar: This DIY craft (#3 on the list) will help you make a jar full of mindfulness quotes so you can share little insights with your students every day.

33. Mindfulness Bingo: Give your students the challenge of completing as many activities as possible on the mindfulness bingo sheet. Then, hold a class discussion on how many they did and how the mindfulness activities made them feel.

34. Red Light, Green Light: This game is a classic P.E. staple, but did you know that you can use it to teach observation—a core part of mindfulness?

35. What Would You Do?: Use this worksheet to help children become more aware of their actions and emotions in real-life situations.

36. Root to Rise Activity: This activity combines yoga and meditation to help students mindfully practice self-confidence and peace.

37. Assessing vs. Judging Others: Do you know the difference between observing and judging another person? Teach your students how to assess others mindfully with this social-emotional learning activity.

38. Freeze Dance Mindfulness: Have a freeze dance party with your class as a fun way to engage and teach your students about mindfulness.

39. Body Scan: Try this quick body scan meditation as a class to focus on emotions and physical sensations.

40. Gift of You: This festive activity is a great way to teach mindfulness around the holidays.

41. What Are You Doing? Activity: This activity teaches students both how to listen mindfully and pay better attention to their actions.

42. Lots of Feelings: Share this take-home activity with families so they can help children practice recognizing and processing emotions.

43. Read a Book About Mindfulness: Put together a story-time read aloud with this list of 11 best mindfulness books for young learners from Read Brightly.

44. Who Am I? Game: This classic game encourages students to pay attention and make observations, which can be helpful for developing mindfulness.

45. Mindful or Unmindful? Worksheet: To make sure your students grasp what mindfulness is and is not, fill out this worksheet as a class.

46. Mindful Listening: Listening is an essential part of mindfulness. Use this resource to show your students how to become mindful listeners in school and elsewhere.

47. Guided Meditation: Demonstrating how to meditate to your little learners can be tough. With this guided meditation designed for children, you can help them learn how.

48. Mindfulness Safari: With this mindfulness safari, you can learn to pay attention to the world around you from the comfort of your schoolyard.

49. What Mood Are You Generating in Others?: Using this lesson plan as a guide, discuss with your students how everyday actions affect their classmates and what they can do to put themselves in another person’s shoes.

50. Mindfulness Scavenger Hunt: As students check off each box in this modified scavenger hunt, they will get closer and closer to practicing mindfulness.

51. Mindful Gratitude Exercise: When students learn to be mindful of what they’re thankful for, they can find greater contentment in their lives.

Sources:

  1. Davidson, R. and Lutz, A. Buddha’s brain: neuroplasticity and meditation. IEEE Signal Process Magazine, 2008, 25(1), pp. 174–176.
  2. Weare, K. Evidence for the Impact of Mindfulness on Children and Young People. The Mindfulness in Schools Project, April 2012, pp. 1-12.
  3. Greater Good Magazine. Mindfulness Definition: What Is Mindfulness? Retrieved from berkeley.edu: https://greatergood. berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition.
  4. Napoli, M.N., Krech, P.R., and Holley, L.C. Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 2005, 21(1), pp. 99-125.
  5. Meiklejohn, J. et. al. Integrating Mindfulness Training into K-12 Education: Fostering the Resilience of Teachers and Students. Mindfulness, 3(4), pp. 291-307.
  6. Leland, M. Mindfulness and Student Success. Journal of Adult Education, 2015, 44(1), pp. 19-24.
  7. Benn, R., Akiva, T., Arel, S., and Roeser, R. W. Mindfulness training effects for parents and educators of children with special needs. Developmental Psychology, 2012, 48(5), pp. 1476-87.
  8. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. 3 Reasons Adult Coloring Can Actually Relax Your Brain. May 27, 2020. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/3-reasons-adult-coloring-can-actually-relax-brain/.

Meditation for children: 3 exercises for every day

Listen to your body For parents

Teaching children meditation techniques increases mindfulness, develops self-control and empathy. Meditation helps with stress, hyperactivity and depression in schoolchildren and improves academic performance in the sciences.

It is generally accepted that meditation requires special adult self-discipline and concentration. In fact, this technique can be used at any age. The main thing is to choose the right exercises. Three ways to get started with kids.

1. Balloon

This is a simple deep breathing exercise with a strong visual component. Performed sitting or standing.

Exercise

  1. Relax and inhale and exhale deeply through your nose.
  2. Take a slow, deep breath and try to fill your belly with air, as if you were trying to inflate a big balloon. Try to inflate your belly as much as you can.
  3. Slowly release the air from the balloon, exhaling through the nose.

Remind the child to relax the whole body with each exhalation, each time the air slowly leaves the balloon. At the same time, try to make a quiet “shhhh” so that the exhalation is slow. Continue for a few minutes.

For restless preschoolers, a more dynamic version with your participation is suitable.

Exercise

  1. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite color and then a huge ball of that color in your mind.
  2. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, inflating a large ball of your favorite color with your belly. Spread your arms out to the sides and above your head, imagining how this ball grows inside the abdomen.
  3. When the balloon is full of air, hold your breath.
  4. Now I will burst your balloon (press your finger to the child's stomach), and you exhale sharply and fall to the floor.

2. "Follow the Leader"

More suitable for children over five years old. Ask your child to introduce a friend, sibling, or someone they enjoy spending time with. Then ask which of them is the leader and comes up with games. If your child sees himself as a leader, ask him to imagine that he is "breath". If he prefers to follow the leader, he is a "thought". For example, he chose his older brother as his best friend, and then the older brother is the leader.

Exercise

  1. Sit back and close your eyes.
  2. Concentrate on your breathing and try to breathe more slowly, taking deep breaths and slow exhalations.
  3. Let your thoughts follow your breath. Imagine that you are a thought, and your breath is your big brother.
  4. Count how many seconds your exhalation lasts. Don't let your thoughts run ahead. She will try to do this, but try to make her follow the breath.
  5. Before exhaling, slowly count to ten.

3. Universal relaxation technique

This practice is suitable for both children and adults. She solves problems with sleep, a long period of stress or illness, liberates before public speaking. It is based on a progressive muscle relaxation technique developed by psychotherapist Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s for anxious patients.

Exercise

  1. Get into a comfortable sitting or lying position and close your eyes. You can lie down on a pillow and cover yourself with a blanket.
  2. Take a few deep breaths in and out.
  3. Direct your attention to the right foot. Squeeze it very, very hard, tucking all five fingers inward. Hold it in this position for two deep breaths.
  4. Sharply relax your foot and feel how the tension dissolves. You may feel a slight tingling in your muscles.
  5. Shift your attention to the left foot (the “tension-relaxation” cycle is repeated).
  6. Slowly move along the whole body, continuing to squeeze and unclench the muscles (if this is difficult, you can squeeze or massage them with your hand) and breathe deeply. Here is an approximate sequence: right foot - left foot; right shin - left shin; right knee - left knee; right thigh - left thigh; feet and legs along the entire length; hips; buttocks; stomach; the whole body below the belt; rib cage; right hand - left hand; right palm - left palm; shoulders; neck; face.

Text: Xenia Dyakova-Tinoku Photo Source: Getty Images

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A guide for parents on how to help their children

Today's youth experience anxiety and stress. Much more than it should. According to recent statistics published by the American Academy of Pediatrics,

Up to 30 percent of children and young adults will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.

Parents and other caregivers should teach our children good stress-reducing habits and introduce them to mindfulness activities that help them grow, support mental health, develop self-control and self-esteem, and reduce anxiety.

One of the best ways to do this is meditation. We cover everything you need to know about meditation for kids, including what the practice looks like, how to teach it, and why it works. While teaching mindfulness to children may seem like a daunting task for parents or teachers who want to improve the well-being of their children, once you understand what mindfulness and meditation practice is, everything becomes much easier.

Overview: Meditation for Children

In some ways it is not surprising that children develop stress disorders early. We live in a sensory world. There are real threats, and the unknown can be scary. Today's children suffer from attention spans and an inability to concentrate while studying, in the classroom, or even at play.

It is tempting to think that you can protect your children from all the fears and stresses throughout their lives; the best answer is to explain how to deal with difficult times. Children's meditation can help them with this.

Establishing a solid meditation practice at an early age is a good intention for your children and for yourself as parents and educators.

Whether it's deep breathing exercises, guided meditations, sleep stories, yoga, or any other mindfulness-based intervention, there's no doubt that children of all ages will benefit from mindfulness training from an early age.

Diagnosis of anxiety and behavioral disorders in children has increased dramatically.

Now let's define what meditation is?

For both children and adults, meditation is a practice that can bring great joy and comfort to your life. Although it can be difficult to define meditation in one sentence, in general it can be said that meditation is a mind-body practice that trains mindfulness and focus.

There are many benefits to meditation. For example, it helps to improve concentration, calm frayed nerves, relieve stress, help with self-comfort, and promote happiness. All these benefits are available to both children and adults.

Can children meditate?

Yes! Although a child's meditation will not look the same as an adult's meditation, the basic foundations of the practice remain. Children, for example, may benefit from guided imagery. Their duration may be shorter. And, of course, it is very important to choose meditation for the child. Some, for example, do not tolerate sitting meditation for more than a few minutes very well. However, they are fine with meditating while walking outdoors, mental painting, telling sleep stories in a soothing voice, or even listening to audio recordings as guided meditations.

Mantra meditation can spark curiosity in older children as it requires

extra attention and patience, but can be a great option if your children are willing to dive deeper into

Why is meditation important for children?

Up to 30% of young people develop anxiety disorders.

- American Academy of Pediatrics

Children are not immune from the stresses of life. In recent years, the number of diagnosed anxiety and behavioral disorders in children has increased dramatically. These include attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder. First, it tells us a few things as our understanding of how conduct disorders manifest in children grows. Second, rates of diagnosis are rising as children are tested and diagnosed with these disorders. In other words, today's children are not necessarily more stressed than children of the past. However, it also tells us that children are more prone to anxiety and stress than we previously thought. As parents, we must be vigilant and help our children cope with stressful situations in life and instill self-care in their lives from an early age.

Can meditation help children cope with stress?

Yes. Fortunately, meditation can help calm the symptoms associated with problematic disorders. Children's meditations have the same effects as adults' practice. Even short, simple meditations for beginners can have amazing benefits. A recent study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that just 15 minutes of meditation has the same positive impact as a full day of vacation.

Meditations for children

  • Guided Meditation for Children: Live or recorded guided meditation during which the instructor gives instructions for the meditation session.

  • Sleep Meditation: These meditations are gentler and more soothing. Often, meditations are accompanied by music, they calm the mind and prepare the body for sleep.

  • Mindfulness Meditation: Meditation and mindfulness just go together. Mindfulness meditation means awareness (full attention) to the present moment instead of focusing on the past or the future.

Benefits of meditation for children

Children can learn through meditation:

1.

How to breathe correctly.

Many people learn to breathe incorrectly (shallowly) in childhood. Meditation can help develop proper breathing skills. Deep breathing helps focus and relax, which teens, children, and even young adults may not be aware of and express in their own way.

2. How to deal with stress and anxiety.

Meditation helps to re-adjust the mind and calm the hectic thoughts and sharp, stressful emotions.

3. Better focus.

Mindfulness meditation, in particular, can be helpful in improving concentration. This is because staying in the present requires significant attention and awareness.

4. How to calm down and regulate difficult emotions.

Children often experience strong emotions and do not know how to calm down. Meditation helps center the mind and provides a soothing cushion for difficult emotions. If your child loves music, consider downloading a meditation that includes children's music. The audio recording can be turned on before bedtime or in the morning when the child is getting ready to start their day.

5. How to sleep better.

If you want to use bedtime meditation for kids, this is a great idea. Children's bedtime meditation can help alleviate some of the problems they face while resting. Many children feel too anxious, scared, or energetic to properly prepare for bed at night. Meditation before bed is a great remedy for a wandering mind.

Teaching children guided meditation is easier than you think

There is no wrong way to teach a child to meditate. But here are some tips:

1. Start small. Even five or ten minutes of meditation is better than no meditation at all. Before the start of the school day, sit in a quiet place (perhaps even in the car when you drive the children to school) and dedicate time to meditation practice.

2. Try family meditation. Meditation can be a wonderful experience for all family members, including children. This is a great way to bond with your child and build more trust and intimacy.

If you have never meditated before, ask an instructor for a quick start session.

3. Don't worry about the details. It is natural for someone to giggle, move, or be distracted and restless in body and mind. This practice is primarily aimed at manifesting itself. They may also fall asleep.

Meditation for Children: Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should you start meditating?

You can start mindfulness meditation or short, informal meditation sessions with your children at any time. As a general rule, seated meditations are best for children six years of age and older.

How do you meditate as a family?

Here is a quick family meditation: Find a quiet place. Sit on the floor and assume a comfortable, mindful posture. Straighten your back and close your eyes slightly. Set a timer for two to five minutes. Focus on taking a deep breath: Inhale. .. and exhale... Inhale... and exhale... Inhale... and exhale... until the timer runs out. Breathing exercises are the best way to introduce children to meditation - they give them the opportunity to focus and concentrate.

Does meditation help in studies?

Yes. Meditation has been proven to help children focus better and be less distracted. It helps to improve attention during classes and while studying. Meditation can also improve memory and provide mental and physical support to children as they learn. You can even teach your kids to meditate during their lunch break or before exams and tests at school.

Can babies meditate?

While you probably won't be able to get your little one to sit up during full meditation, you can work on focusing attention together. Try focusing on one object (like a ball) for 30 seconds. Look at it with your child and describe everything about it (color, shape, size, texture, smell...). This is a great mindfulness meditation for toddlers.

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