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When you think of meditation, perhaps the first image that comes to mind is of aging yogis in saffron robes seated peacefully in the lotus position. Or perhaps you imagine some fresh-faced young woman with her high ponytail and leotard, palms together, legs crossed, and a gentle smile on her face.
Chances are, though, that when you conjure a mental picture of someone practicing meditation, you’re not going to envision a chubby-legged preschooler sitting sedately, criss-cross applesauce, on a cartoon-themed exercise mat.
The truth, however, is that meditation provides immense mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits for every human, regardless of age. This article examines the benefits of meditation for children and how you can effectively incorporate it into your child’s life.
An Ancient Practice Given New Life
Historians speculate that the practice of meditation may be nearly as old as human civilization itself, potentially dating back as far as 5,000 BCE. Originally, it was the exclusive provenance of ancient Eastern Asian religions, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism.
Though meditation remains a cornerstone of spiritual practice for millions, by the 20th century, meditation had become largely severed from its faith-based origins. In Western societies, in particular, meditation came to be incorporated into secular practice as an important tool for supporting physical and mental health.
The Benefits of Meditation for Children
In the modern West, meditation is often conceptualized as a principally secular practice designed to help overscheduled, over-stressed adults manage the chaos of their daily lives.
However, it is not only adults who are under pressure in our fast-paced, high-anxiety world. Children, too, are facing greater social and emotional challenges than perhaps ever before. Not only this, but children today are also at significant risk of endearing adverse events that may negatively impact their brain development, leaving them vulnerable to cognitive impairments and emotional and mental health disorders throughout their lifespans.
These events may range from the severely traumatic, such as abuse and neglect, to the chronically stressful, such as prolonged financial hardship in the household.
Whatever the cause, kids need a way to calm and comfort themselves now more than ever. Meditation can fit the bill brilliantly, equipping kids with techniques to refocus, reassure, and relax themselves in an increasingly tumultuous world.
For children who may be having difficulty processing emotions or managing stress, meditation can be an especially helpful daily practice.
Incorporating Meditation Into Your Child’s Life
In most cases, your child’s meditation practice is going to look a lot different from yours. It’s neither feasible nor kind to expect a child under five, for example, to sit quiet and still for minutes at a stretch.
That doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t teach them to meditate until they’re older. You just need to get a bit creative. For instance, tying your meditation practice to your read-aloud time with your little one is the perfect way to reap the rewards of both reading and meditation.
Books like the Yogi Superhero series can help your child learn about basic yoga poses and breathing techniques, which you can then use for guided meditation practice with your child.
Remember, as well, that you don’t have to keep still to meditate. If your child is more comfortable when they’re always on the go, then try intertwining your meditative practice with some simple, repetitive physical action.
Something as simple as stomping your feet while chanting a positive affirmation can become a form of meditation. It can also help your child refocus and release their physical energy and prepare them for less kinetic sessions.
As your child grows older and more practiced in various meditation techniques, you can gradually increase the difficulty level, such as incrementally extending each meditation session or adding an early morning and pre-bedtime session.
This can teach your child to implement meditation-based relaxation techniques at various times of the day and based on their specific needs at any given time, whether they’re preparing to take a test, compete in a ball game, perform at a recital, or simply settle down to sleep at night.
The Takeaway
Meditation isn’t just for yogis and yuppies. Meditation has gifts to give humans from cradle to grave. That means that you don’t have to wait for your child to grow up to introduce them to the enormous power of meditation. Indeed, in our stress-saturated world, children need the calm and comfort that meditation provides every bit as much as adults do.
However, children’s meditation practices may differ greatly from those of adults, especially when the child is very young. It may be integrated with reading aloud activities to better enable the child to understand the practice and use it effectively in guided meditation. It may even involve a significant amount of simple, rhythmic movement and chanting. There’s no one way to meditate, and you simply can’t do it wrong. The key is to try it out and discover the techniques that work best for your child!
