”If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” -Dalai Lama
Mindfulness meditation is hugely beneficial to children so it is no surprise that many parents and teachers are interested in sharing mindfulness practices with the kids in their lives. I have had the honor of sharing mindfulness with a number of children. Most children take to mindfulness instruction quite naturally and seem to greatly benefit from even brief sessions. Below are some tips to introducing mindfulness meditation to children.
Maintain your own regular mindfulness meditation practice. It is much easier to share a practice we are intimately familiar with. Teaching children mindfulness meditation in an authentic and effective manner will be easy once you have established your own personal practice.
Make mindfulness practice a special daily event. Create a designated space, maybe a corner of the room with many pillows or outside on the lawn, where you will lead the children in a daily practice. Try to maintain the practice at the same time and place every day (or every school day).
Share observations after the practice. Whether with a group of students or at home with your child, sharing observations from the mindfulness meditation practice is a great way to wrap up the daily sessions. You can share how your own personal practice has helped you with a specific situation or emotion or how you got distracted and how you responded. Children can share anything they noticed during the practice as well, which will help them to become aware of distractions or sensations.
Meditation instructor Alice Lash offers mindfulness meditation to children, teen and adults in Miami. Join a group meditation class with Mindfultime today.
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