How and Why to Introduce your Child to Meditation?
Meditation is becoming more and more mainstream with each passing day. As the benefits of meditation, such as reducing anxiety, boosting confidence, and even bolstering the immune system, became more widely known, an increasing number of individuals adopted the practice to reap its benefits.
In layman’s terms, meditation is a practice in which one focuses the mind in order to achieve a clear and emotionally calm state of mind. The practice of meditation has been recorded for more than 5,000 years and some of the earliest references are found in Vedic texts. Meditation may also be defined as a set of mental training techniques. Meditation can be used to improve your mental health and cognitive abilities, as well as your physical health. Some of these techniques are straightforward and accessible to everyone, while others require the guidance of an experienced meditation instructor.
Numerous benefits of meditation include improved memory and attention span, reduced mental stress, and enhanced internal body processes such as blood circulation, respiration, and digestion. With an endless list of benefits, it is beneficial and natural to teach meditation to children or to begin early.
With regular practice, you can actually change the structure of your brain through meditation. A 2011 Harvard study found that just eight weeks of continuous daily meditation increased the cortical thickness in the hippocampus. This is a key area of the brain that oversees our learning, memory, and emotional regulation, all important areas to strengthen essential cognitive functions of the brain.
Scientific studies now have demonstrated that meditation has many benefits for children as well. In children, the benefits of meditation include not only reduction of stress and anxiety, but also better focus and concentration. This improvement in the mental well-being of children also leads to faster and more fulfilled overall development. It has been observed that the children who practice meditation regularly would indeed have less difficulty in following their courses and are more at ease with learning.
They would also have a better attitude in class and have a more open mind to new things than others. Meditation also makes children less aggressive, as it calms down and refresh their minds. Furthermore, it could particularly help inattentive or hyperactive students and those with language difficulties.
An increasing number of school teachers use small meditation techniques lasting two to five minutes on a regular basis, with promising overall results. Today meditation is being taught in schools in the United States, England, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Portugal and other countries.
Despite the fact that many schools have begun to teach or incorporate meditation in some form, we are still a long way from the day when it will be incorporated into the curriculum or syllabus. Typically, studies and sports dominate children’s schedules. However, by nature, children dislike inactivity and are resistant to the concept of calm and solitude. Meditation, however, can redirect an unfocused child to greater concentration, a careless child to greater conscientiousness, a nervous child to greater self-assurance, and an aggressive child to calm down and reflect before acting.
As children learn much from observing their parents, it is a good idea for parents to also learn and practice meditation technique and pass them on to the children. In addition, children are naturally curious and will want to emulate their parents if they observe them meditating at home. To further encourage their children, parents can create a small space for meditation at home.
The first step in introducing children to meditation is to introduce them to stillness. Earmark some period in a day to have total silence and peace in the house, during this period do not indulge in any particular activity. This period of calm should not be enforced or become a chore for the child. It should be done in a fun and playful way. If the period of calm breaks you may play with the child to drain their energy and then again resume the period of silence.
The second step in teaching meditation to children will be to use the most obvious technique: breathing. As a parent, you should be first able to give yourself time for this practice. For a few minutes, focus your thoughts only on your inhale and exhale and then encourage your child to join you. Obviously, this is far from easy for everyone, adult or younger. The first few days, hence, it would be better to start with meditations of only two or three minutes. Then you can gradually extend the period of activity. Again, the idea is not to punish the younger ones who fail to perform such an exercise but not to make it unpleasant for them. Punishment for error or failure at trying would indeed give a negative connotation to this practice.
For some people whether they are young or old, concentration around breathing is not easy or effective. In this case, you could use another technique, which is particularly common and also effective. The technique is Mantra meditation or in other words, focusing on reciting Sanskrit sacred words. Mantra meditation will help children to channel themselves into a spiritual activity that is ideal for their mental well-being. This will allow them to more easily allow themselves a moment of calm, each day, for themselves.
For this, you will need to learn about the most popular mantras in meditation. In particular of Gayatri Mantra, OM or the Mahamantra are ideal for chanting by children. The purpose of these recitations is to focus the mind on spiritual and peaceful activity. By singing these verses, your children will be able to learn a technique that will have many benefits for them. Over the weeks, they will then decide to continue the mantras or to try new meditation techniques.
The divine bead Rudraksha has been used by yogis and sages for the practice of meditation since time immemorial, as it helps to create a cocoon of personal energy and turn our senses inward. Wearing rudraksha beads, either as a single bead or as a bracelet with several beads, has been shown to be especially beneficial in balacing the inner energy system and assisting in the attainment of a meditative state.
Children are especially sensitive and receptive to rudraksha beads and can benefit greatly from wearing them on a regular basis. Rudraksha beads have various properties based on their shapes and lines, or mukhis. Children in India’s traditional education system, known as gurukul, wear a 5 mukhis rudraksha bead around their necks. Other types of rudraksha beads should be considered as well to promote mental calm and meditation in children, as they tend to be more restless and mentally and physically active than adults.
For example, if your child is inattentive or lazy, you can help them by wearing a 6 mukhi rudraksha bracelet to reinforce their attention and regulate their activity levels. The 4 mukhi rudraksha bead will assist your kid in the learning stage and will help him to achieve better results in school. While growing up, the 8 mukhi rudraksha would help him feel more confident and cope with difficult situations, especially in challenging environments at home or school.
There are different types of rudraksha to suit your child’s specific needs, all of which help to balance the body’s energy system and their corresponding chakras, which leads to improve the overall mental and physical capabilities of your son or daughter, while at the same time promoting a state of concentration and relaxation that naturally promotes meditation.
According to ancient Vedic wisdom such as the Shiv Puran, a person who cannot naturally fall into meditation should wear rudraksha beads.
Connect With Us
Chakra Yog,
C-309, Neelkanth Business Park, Nathani Road, Behind Vidyavihar Railway Station, Vidyavihar (W),
Mumbai – 400086, Maharashtra, India.
Open: Monday – Friday: 8.00am – 7.00pm
Close: Saturday – Sunday – Holiday