Meditation is a practice of building awareness on a single thought, object, or sensation. There have been, and continue to be research that has proven that meditation can change the development of the brain. A consistent practice can help build concentration and creativity.
Teaching and encouraging little yogis to meditate can be hard, at first. But I find it is the one part of a yoga class that the kids seem to savior more then other parts. It is as if their minds have been hungry and are finally being fed. As with all parts of yoga, meditation is a practice. Which is why I think it is so important to continue what the children do in class at home.
When meditation becomes a routine, there are many rewards, including a sense of calm, focus, reduced anxiety and depression. And, parents, doing it with your kids at home, you get to reap the benefits too!
There may be times during meditation that results don’t happen quickly, or possibly you feel that the results are negative. We need to remember that when we meditate we are slowing down, we are coming into closer contact with how we feel, and sometimes that results in uncomfortable sensations, like sadness or anger.
Explain to your children that is can be hard to sit still. Sometimes it’s even hard for me to be still! But, the more you practice, the more you start to understand how important it is to be still and be slow for your mind to be calm.
So, knowing the importance of this practice, how do you, the parent, help your child at home?
I will be writing up focus meditations for you and your child to do together. They are simple and ones that we are also doing in class. It only takes a few minutes. In the beginning of the practice, you the parent, will act as narrator. As kids get older and the practice becomes more routine, you may find your child is able to drop into meditation on their own. I recommend, if this happens, to still practice with them. You will be amazed at the benefits you will begin to feel once you start a routine.
I also recommend you set some sort of timer. This will help the mind from wandering too much, and stop you from always looking at the clock.
Happy Meditating!
Below is a great article, highlighting the importance of meditation.
