For a long time meditation has been a type of activity exclusive to adults, but that view is changing. There is now a growing interest in meditation for children because of the benefits it offers, such as self-control and concentration.
As we already talked about the benefits of yoga for children, meditation in children helps them to relax to combat anxieties and fears. In addition, it helps them to discover a little more about their body through breathing techniques, but... the question arises: how to teach meditation to children? This and other questions will be clarified in this post.
What is meditation for children?
Meditation is a practice to train the mind that seeks to help children relax and connect with their environment, in which breathing plays a fundamental role for the knowledge and management of the body.
Today's children have a completely different lifestyle than other generations. They spend very little time outdoors, decreasing the hours of interaction with other children. In this context, meditation becomes a useful alternative that can provide multiple benefits.
How to teach children to meditate?
To teach meditation to children it is very important to select the right techniques that are appropriate for their age. We will give you some tips and strategies that will be very useful to guide this learning process.
By way of example
The best way to teach children to meditate is by example. Children will be curious and will try to imitate this behavior. For children 3 years of age, it is recommended to select activities that lead to meditation through play.
It is important that the child sees it as a proposal to have fun, it should not be a compulsory activity. As children get older (between 8 and 9 years old) they will better understand some of the attitudes and purposes of meditation, thus encouraging their own practice.
Breathing is the anchor
For meditation the most important thing is breathing. Using a low and pleasant tone of voice ask the children to breathe deeply and try to follow your rhythm.
Accompanied by music
Adding soft music to accompany the meditation is a very common practice. You can include some nature sounds that arouse the child's interest or with their eyes closed, ask them to concentrate on the music and their breathing.
Use your imagination
Meditation is an invitation to relax using your imagination. Recreate a nice and safe place for the little ones, you can even help with some sounds and real elements. This practice also invites the child to create his own space.
Be patient
The practice of meditation can offer great benefits, but it is not an easy task. After a few minutes, children tend to lose interest in the activity they are doing at that moment, so it is advisable to start with short periods of meditation lasting between three and five minutes.
Try mantras
Invite him/her to repeat a short mantra or create a phrase of his/her own that the child understands, while remaining seated and calm with eyes closed.
Benefits of meditation for children
There are many benefits of meditation for children, let's see some of them:
- Promotes attention and self-control.
- Promotes kinder and more tolerant behaviors.
- It makes a pause in the child's lifestyle.
- Relieves stress and tension.
- Improves concentration and learning.
- It produces a decrease in disruptive behaviors.
- Promotes empathy.
- Improves breathing and body control.
Nowadays children are overstimulated, so it is vital to offer them various alternatives that allow them to relax, calming their rhythms and anxieties. From Logos Nursery School, nursery school located in Las Rozas de Madrid, we recommend not to see meditation as a duty with complicated exercises, but as a form of relaxation to have fun and keep away the fatigue and worries that children may suffer.
