Meditation For Children: The Benefits For Growth
In the last few years we have rediscovered one of the most ancient and long-lived spiritual practices of the entire Orient: Yoga. Contrarily to what we can think of it, Yoga is much more than just physical exercise. To tell the truth, in fact, Yoga is first of all a meditation practice that has evolved with the ultimate goal of spiritual salvation.
Yoga and meditation: one thing
In an increasingly hectic world like today’s one, Yoga has represented an excellent response against the sedentary lifestyle and the poor care of our body. This discipline of Indian origin favours the development of control over our body. And, as we know, the organism is not made up of only body, but also of mind and spirituality.
Once its full authority in health promotion has been acknowledged, and after its benefits have been validated by many scientific studies, we have begun to pay attention also to the meditative side of Yoga. The famous historian of religions Mircea Eliade claimed that the term yoga derives from the Sanskrit word meaning “to unite”. And Yoga is really capable of uniting body and mind, but it can also unite people, letting us reconnect with our nature and with all creation.
Meditation is the backbone of this ancient discipline, which is promoted and practiced in many different variants. It is a very flexible discipline that can be practiced by anyone, even without necessarily having to bring spirituality into play. Meditation, in its most accessible variations, is in fact a great way to achieve inner relaxation and calm.
For these reasons, meditation for children constitutes a very beneficial tool for their growth. Today’s children absorb the stress and frenzy of the modern world and can develop anxieties, anguishes and fears that limit the expression of their potential and hinder their happiness. Meditation for children aims to create an inner space that provides refuge, locking the anxieties and the hustle of modern times out of the mind. The alienation and the complexities of a fragmented reality are unbearable boulders for us adults; for this reason, meditation for children represents an educational practice capable of stimulating healthy growth and developing effective defenses against modern imperilments.
What are the benefits of meditation for children?
Children know well how to take advantage of game and imagination to explore reality, both the inner and the outer one. Meditation for children allows them to strengthen their capacity for concentration, attention and creativity, but also helps them to find calm and relaxation in every situation.
Various scientific studies have demonstrated that meditation reduces the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, by increasing the production of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. Meditation for children allows them to develop the ability to maintain a stable emotional state and to better tolerate negative emotions, to appreciate pleasant ones and to be able to face anxieties and fears.
We can therefore employ meditation for children as an educational tool capable of making them develop all resources and defenses against the difficulties of growing up: they will improve their self-esteem, awareness of themselves and others, but also that of their own environment. All indispensable abilities for the future of our planet!
How to practice meditation for children?
To teach meditation to children, just follow the rule of simplicity. It is necessary to present meditation as a fantasy game, in which one sits comfortably, with closed eyes. One begins to pay attention to the breath, imagining that it is a flower at dawn, waiting for the first rays of sun to warm up. The drops of dew drip down from the petals and the sun rises slowly, radiating warmth, serenity and positive energy.
Suggest to the children to let their thoughts run like clouds in the blue sky: they must leave the doors of their mind open to let them in and out, without dwelling too much on them. Another way to stimulate meditation in children is to play mindfulness. Mindfulness is the Western version of meditation, a technique that helps develop awareness of the present moment and achieve serenity. Try to make your children play mindfulness of eating, meditation while eating.
To start the day well, involve your children in the preparation of a healthy breakfast, like our Little Buddha, the bright awakening for the wise and healthy adults of tomorrow. Just add three tablespoons of Little Buddha in a cup and mix them with half a glass of vegetable milk. Garnish with fresh fruit at will, or with our Toppings, such as ISWARI Seeds of Wisdom.
While they are eating, turn off the TV and any source of distraction and encourage them to play mindfulness: they should focus only on food, watching it slowly, smelling it, touching it and tasting it bite after bite, chewing slowly and trying to savour every nuance of flavour. Suggest them to imagine that they are their favourite animal, make them identify with a monkey, a horse or a giraffe. With the meditation for children you will raise the Great Buddhas of tomorrow!
In the last few years we have rediscovered one of the most ancient and long-lived spiritual practices of the entire Orient: Yoga. Contrarily to what we can think of it, Yoga is much more than just physical exercise. To tell the truth, in fact, Yoga is first of all a meditation practice that has evolved with the ultimate goal of spiritual salvation.
