Meditation is training the mind to become calm and peaceful. Ordinarily, when we are awake, our brain is filled with all kinds of sensory input and processing all kinds of experiences. Thoughts, ideas, feelings, sights, talking and listening and doing things keep our minds active. If we don’t know how to quiet our mind, our thoughts and feelings can “spin out” and we can become overwhelmed at times. By increasing awareness of what is happening in our own body and mind, we are better able to decide how we want to react to situations in our lives. Breath represents the rhythm of life. Normally we breathe about 15 times per minute, but when we focus on our breath, we are able to slow down the breath automatically, without even trying. Slowing down our breath helps is not only get calm and peaceful but it also helps us understand ourselves and how our minds work. When we concentrate on the breath, we learn to focus, and when we know how to focus, we gain mastery over our reactions. This helps us to choose to act in positive ways rather than be in reaction to something outside of us. It is important to teach children how to quiet the mind from an early age. Children are eager to learn. Giving them an opportunity to learn about some of the subtleties of their mind as well as their abilities to focus it, helps build a foundation for self direction and awareness. One of the primary functions of the mind is memory. Input begins at birth and continues to store information throughout our lives even if it is consciously forgotten. Children learn the value of silence from birth, through naps, massage and visits to parks and other natural environments. We encourage quiet times as opposed to “time outs”, in order that the memory is positive. When children learn how to be quiet early in life, they develop concentration. They are able to focus; to be present with what is happening in the moment. When children learn how to return to their breath they get less frustrated and they can let go of uncomfortable sensations quicker. When children learn to quiet their mind, they are more receptive to flashes of insight and intuition. Pathways in the brain are developed early and become worn with repeated thought and action. Through meditation, we begin making a conscious connection between the body and the mind. As we pay attention to our breath, we also increase the amount of oxygen we take in to our bodies and oxygen is food for the brain. Instructions Meditation is very simple to learn. The first step in meditation is to find a comfortable position, either lying or sitting, where the spine is straight. Breathing naturally while in a relaxed position helps the body feel calm. In meditation, we enter a state called "restful alertness," where the body is awake but the mind is not engaged in the busyness of the mind. When the mind slows down, it is more able to focus and a whole lot of other things. Meditation is sometimes called “practice”, and for good reason. Even though it is simple, it requires practice. It helps tremendously to have a steady practice period. Some parents like to begin the day with a few minutes of meditation. This can help a child center themselves for the day. Others take 2 minutes of silence at mealtime, while others practice right before going to bed. Establishing a meditation practice early in a child’s life will help them with discipline and focus throughout their life. You will find even after a short time that if done consistently, even a couple of minutes will reap rewards. Try starting your child(ren) with just 2 or 3 minutes and increase by a minute or two each week. There are lots of ways to meditate.

Getting Still and Focusing on the Breath

Close your eyes. Keep your eyes closed and just relax your body. Feel the weight of your body on the floor (or the chair). Imagine that each time you exhale, you get more and more relaxed. All we are going to do here is focus on each breath, the in breath….and the out breath. Allow yourself to breathe normally. There is no need to breathe deeply. Just focus on your natural rhythm of breathing. It helps to keep in our mind the words “inhale” and “exhale”. Ok, let’s begin! Inhale….and exhale….inhale and exhale….inhale…and exhale….that’s right, just pay attention to your own breath….and say in your mind “inhale …..and exhale. GREAT! Continue softly guiding the child(ren) through repeating “inhale”….and “exhale”.

Present Awareness

Find a nice, comfortable position. Relax your body. Place your right hand on your belly and your left hand over your right hand. Begin by paying attention to your breath. As you inhale, feel your belly getting big, like a big balloon. As you exhale, imagine letting out the air in your belly balloon. Pay attention to your environment without looking around. Take your eyes and move them inside your head from right to left and the left to right. Notice that you can see things without turning your head through what we call your peripheral vision. One by one, with a full belly breath (both inhale and exhale) in between, silently name the things you can see without turning your head. Great. Now, close your eyes. Take one full belly breath (inhale and exhale). Now pay attention to all the things you can hear. One by one, with a full belly breath in between, silently name all the things you can hear. Great. Take a full belly breath and keep your eyes closed. Take another full belly breath. Now pay attention to all the things that you feel. This one can be tricky because you can feel things both inside and outside of your body. One by one, with a full belly breath (both inhale and exhale) in between, silently name the things you can feel, both inside and outside of your body. Example: For seeing: “chair, belly breath, table, belly breath, pillow, belly breath, floor, belly breath, wall, belly breath, picture, belly breath, pen, belly breath, paper, belly breath. For Hearing: “car, belly breath, saw, belly breath, fan, belly breath, car, belly breath, knocking, belly breath”. For feeling: Fan, belly breath, butt on floor, belly breath, leg stretch, belly breath, hunger, belly breath, itch, belly breath, happy, belly breath”. Excerpted from the workbook DarmAHA!: A Guide to Keeping Kid's Lights On!, by Anya Blakeley, M.A.