Meditation in Children

Meditation is a process of relaxing the body and mind. Mediation has immense benefits and anyone and everyone can benefit from it. From the old to the young and even children can benefit from meditation.

These days there is increasing levels of stress among children. Therefore meditation can help them to relax and enhance their problem solving abilities. Meditation helps children to identify their mental and physiological requirements and finally sets them free from their worries, fears and tensions.

However children must be taught about proper meditation techniques. If meditation is done in the right way it can help an angry or frustrated child to calm down and rethink about a particular situation.  Even simple breathing exercises are beneficial in calming down hyperactive children. 

Few Meditation techniques for Children-

• Children can be asked to meditate at any place. It is not necessary that they do so in some secluded corner.  Children can lie down on the bed, floor, carpet or the lawn or where ever they feel comfortable. Then they should be advised to close their eyes and relax.  With their eyes closed they should count till 10 in the mind. This will help them to relax.

• Doing meditation in the sitting position can also be helpful for children to focus their mind. The child needs to sit in an upright position. Keep the hands on the laps to avoid fidgeting with anything. Keep the eyes closed. Take a deep breath.  Count your each breath. Sitting meditations will allow children to explore their inner thoughts and will keep their mind at peace.

• Another technique in which children can meditate is by lying down calmly and counting numbers 1, 2, 3… and so on till they feel relaxed.

Benefits of meditation in children-

• It helps in the physical, mental and spiritual growth as an individual.
• It helps children deal with common problems like stress, anxiety, pressure, tension, fear and anger.
• It enhances their ability to concentrate.
• It increases their memorizing skills.
• It increases the level of imagination.