Meditation is one of the things that works wonders for stressed adults, but is there anything you can do to help the little ones in your life? If you are on summer holiday right now, and don’t have school to give them an outlet for their energy, you have to learn to keep them calm. But teaching your kids to meditate is not an easy thing, especially as it would probably be impossible for them to sit still! But let’s show you some ways to get them in the right direction.
Create a Calm Environment
This is the most important thing to teach when it comes to meditation, because when you create an environment that promotes calm, that has yoga mats, pillows, and a Buddha statue or two can set up the environment to make any room a happier and more serene environment. Creating a calming room in your home can make them feel safer, and this is the best way to teach them the fundamentals of meditation.
Start With Breathing
It’s so easy to get carried away with the storytelling aspects of meditation, like visualisation and mindfulness, but the most important aspect of meditation is the breathing. This is always the starting point for meditation, and this is how we learn to go deeper into ourselves. It’s very quick for children to learn this because they can notice that with certain breathing patterns their body changes. And to get your children to learn meditation is to get them to focus and count as they inhale and exhale. When they start to become aware of what happens when they breathe, whether it’s their chest or diaphragm going up and down, this is the first hurdle because they’re not focusing on anything else.
Lead by Example
You can’t expect children to sit still for a long time. It’s not easy in any environment. But you have to remember that you are the best example for your child’s behaviour. Take some time, even if it is just for a few minutes a day to sit there and meditate. And even if they crawl or sit in your lap, it doesn’t matter in the long run because they are seeing you practising the idea of stillness. The more they see you do this, the more interested they will be in what you are doing, and eventually, they will want to join in.
Set a Timer
Again, we cannot expect our children to sit still, even if they can’t sit still during their favourite TV show. The best thing for you to do is to start with a short time period. Set a timer for a few minutes. And think about a small task like practising breathing. Or learning to sit in silence. When you set a timer, it will let them know it is going to end, rather than them saying they’re bored because this is the simple way to strengthen that muscle.
Meditation is so important for everybody’s lives, and if you have spent stressful times with your child or they are prone to anxiety, a technique like this is going to set them up for a much healthier and happier life.
