Meditation is a part of mindfulness practices- aims to ground oneself in the present and deal with the "wandering mind.
with the "wandering mind
Mindfulness for children has already been proven to be a useful tool.Mindfulness practices are used to increase concentration, attention span, control impulsivity and connect with one's body in order to facilitate awareness. Additionally, mindfulness is a skill that is easy.
In a previous article “Getting kids started with meditation", several benefits and its need in today’s world for children was explored. We reported that children today are extremely prone to distress in various ways and meditation was a way to cope with this early on. We found that introducing kids to meditation has several benefits such as better attention span, less behavioral problems, better coping with anger, improved resilience and coping, higher self acceptance and higher emotional intelligence, along with many other physical and mental benefits. We also talked about tips to introduce children to meditation and ways in which teaching mediation to children can become less daunting. We found that meditation is a skill that takes some time to learn and get in the habit of, but it is also something that can be made accessible for children and can provide them with many benefits in their personal, academic and social life.
So, when meditation is so beneficial for children, it makes one wonder- what are some ways to engage in meditation? Meditation is something that is widely known as something that requires one to sit still and breathe for hours without getting distracted. But, that doesn’t seem very practical for children. So, what are the different ways in which children can be encouraged to engage in meditation and mindfulness in order to reap its full benfits?
Variations in people
5 ways to meditate
There are many ways to engage in meditation. Children can be engaged to try out multiple or all of these few suggestions in order to figure out what provides the best results or feels the most authentic to them. Some of the ways to meditate that are easy for beginners (children or adults) are as follows:
Visual imagery or imagination: this type of meditation uses the power of imagination and creativity to place oneself in situations that are calm and soothing, unlike the present triggering environment. This type of meditation allows one to calm their senses by using a cognitive component (imagination) in order to bring oneself to the present in a state of relaxation. There are various scripts that can be used to imagine oneself in calming environments such as beaches, roads, pools/ floating on water, etc. Children can be encouraged to add as many details as they want to their calm place such as sounds, smell, tastes, objects, etc. This type of meditation has the advantage of being very creative and fun for a lot of children as it has endless possibilities.
Gazing meditation: this technique is often used in mindfulness and psychology to introduce meditation for kids. Many people may struggle with imagery or closing their eyes, which makes this activity perfect for them. It is a really simple exercise, where children can be encouraged to fix their gaze on an object of their preference and concentrate on it for a few minutes. The goal during this time is to be able to focus on the object alone and have a clear/ empty mind and no thoughts. It is difficult to achieve this in the first time as the focus tends to shift by external noises, boredom, racing thoughts, etc. However, with practice, children can learn to direct their attention to just one object at a time without getting swept up by other distractions. As one can guess, this activity is great for calming the mind, getting a break, increasing attention span, self regulation and increasing concentration over time. Later, when one has mentioned this part, children may also shut their eyes to imagine the object they were focusing on and picture it in vivid detail and with stillness.
Body scanning: this technique is very useful for kids struggling with hyperactivity or those who feel stress somatically (in their body). This activity can be used to release energy and tension from the body that is causing discomfort, however, it requires slightly more practice and effort- it may not be easy to follow the first time. Here, kids can contract and release their muscles one by one, starting from their toes and moving all the way up to their forehead. A lot of the time people may not even realize when they're stressed and clenching their jaws, lifting their shoulders, holding in their stomach, scrunching their forehead, etc. Actively contracting and releasing all the muscles can help with this.
Mindful walking: This kind of meditation has several benefits as it promotes mind-body awareness, releases nervous energy and is easier to do for beginners. All of these things make this meditation great for children to try out. Mindful walking has also been found to have great effects in people with depressive symptoms, children with anxiety and healthy children (Schuling et al., 2018). This activity is really easy to do. Each step is the object of focus in mindful walking. Children can choose to walk on textured surfaces like mats, grass, mud, sandpits, etc to firmly feel the sensations that come up with each step. Children should be encouraged to pay attention to each step and action such as curling of toes, pressure applied on keeping the foot down, raising one’s foot, etc. This has been found to be great for dealing with stress and anxiety- especially in moments where sitting still may be challenging. It can also be done in any setting without requiring any extra equipment or causing any disturbance. Even doing this for as little as 10 minutes can have really good implications for one’s mental health and provide emotional regulation.
Activity oriented meditation: This kind of meditation involves doing activities that one loves in a repetitive and mindful manner in order to help regulate oneself and bring your mind to the present. This is just another way of focusing on one task at a time only and becoming aware of what one is doing in order to combat the wandering mind. Children can use things such as drawing, blowing bubbles, mandalas,writing, or any other mechanical tasks. They must be encouraged to focus on each part of the task and direct their full attention towards their actions in order to ‘mindfully’ engage in the task. Tasks which are noisy, in a group, or disruptive are not recommended for this activity. Additionally, new activities can be tried in order to spark interest as well such as building blocks, reading, slow dancing, etc. All of these activities can direct one’s focus from distressing things to the present. Caregivers may even use prompts to direct their attention towards various parts of the tasks by asking questions such as “what color are you using?” “How does the color feel?” “Do you like the texture of the paper?” etc. This kind of meditation can be loads of fun and easy to build a habit of.
Conclusion
Mindfulness and meditation are tools that can be of great help for children to build emotional regulation skills and inculcate habits that promote emotional self awareness. While it may often seem daunting to start meditation or teach children, it is to remember that it need not be! There are many ways to meditate and to make it fun for children as well. It is necessary to recognize that not all kinds of meditation are successful for all children. It may be helpful to try a bunch of different methods in order to explore what works best in which scenario. Additionally, it is absolutely okay that all types of meditation just don’t work for all children. There is no correct or better way to meditate. The goal is to be able to engage in actions mindfully, feeling grounded in the present, coping with the wandering mind and being rooted in the present. Children may even find their own ways to meditate or regulate themselves which can be adapted in order to teach meditation. Most importantly, breath-focused meditation is not for everyone. It is a difficult task for many adults as well! Caregivers are encouraged to explore different methods for themselves and their young ones in order to get the best results. It is okay to take some time to learn these skills as they do not come easily. Lastly, it is helpful to ensure that the expectations held from children are developmentally appropriate and in line with their personality. Setting unrealistic expectations such as meditating for 1 hour, only set children up for failure.
References
Bertone, H.J. (2021) Which type of meditation is right for you?, Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/types-of-meditation (Accessed: 27 July 2023).
Gaiam (no date) Meditation 101: Techniques, benefits, and a beginner’s how-to, Gaiam. Available at: https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/meditation-101-techniques-benefits-and-a-beginner-s-how-to (Accessed: 27 July 2023).
Schuling, R., van Herpen, N., de Nooij, R., de Groot, W. T., & Speckens, A. (2018). Silent into nature: Factors enabling improvement in a mindful walking retreat in nature of people with psychological symptoms. Ecopsychology, 10(2), 77-86.
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5 ways to meditate for children
There are many ways to engage in meditation. Children can be engaged to try out multiple or all of these few suggestions in order to figure out what provides the best results or feels the most authentic to them. Some of the ways to meditate that are easy for beginners (children or adults) are as follows:
Visual imagery or imagination: this type of meditation uses the power of imagination and creativity to place oneself in situations that are calm and soothing, unlike the present triggering environment. This type of meditation allows one to calm their senses by using a cognitive component (imagination) in order to bring oneself to the present in a state of relaxation. There are various scripts that can be used to imagine oneself in calming environments such as beaches, roads, pools/ floating on water, etc. Children can be encouraged to add as many details as they want to their calm place such as sounds, smell, tastes, objects, etc. This type of meditation has the advantage of being very creative and fun for a lot of children as it has endless possibilities.
Gazing meditation: this technique is often used in mindfulness and psychology to introduce meditation for kids. Many people may struggle with imagery or closing their eyes, which makes this activity perfect for them. It is a really simple exercise, where children can be encouraged to fix their gaze on an object of their preference and concentrate on it for a few minutes. The goal during this time is to be able to focus on the object alone and have a clear/ empty mind and no thoughts. It is difficult to achieve this in the first time as the focus tends to shift by external noises, boredom, racing thoughts, etc. However, with practice, children can learn to direct their attention to just one object at a time without getting swept up by other distractions. As one can guess, this activity is great for calming the mind, getting a break, increasing attention span, self regulation and increasing concentration over time. Later, when one has mentioned this part, children may also shut their eyes to imagine the object they were focusing on and picture it in vivid detail and with stillness.
Body scanning: this technique is very useful for kids struggling with hyperactivity or those who feel stress somatically (in their body). This activity can be used to release energy and tension from the body that is causing discomfort, however, it requires slightly more practice and effort- it may not be easy to follow the first time. Here, kids can contract and release their muscles one by one, starting from their toes and moving all the way up to their forehead. A lot of the time people may not even realize when they're stressed and clenching their jaws, lifting their shoulders, holding in their stomach, scrunching their forehead, etc. Actively contracting and releasing all the muscles can help with this.
Progressive muscle relaxation may be a little more difficult for children to understand as it requires some coordination and control to focus on only one muscle at a time, and the instructions may also be slightly difficult to follow. In that case, additional tools such as smiley balls can be used to "hold tightly" for contraction and then releasing. Metaphors such as "imagine squeezing a lemon using only your jaw" or "breaking an ice cube in your mouth" can also be helpful (and fun!). There are many more progressive muscle relaxation metaphor scripts available to make the instructions more accessible for children, but one can also use their own creativity.
Mindful walking: This kind of meditation has several benefits as it promotes mind-body awareness, releases nervous energy and is easier to do for beginners. All of these things make this meditation great for children to try out. Mindful walking has also been found to have great effects in people with depressive symptoms, children with anxiety and healthy children (Schuling et al., 2018). This activity is really easy to do. Each step is the object of focus in mindful walking. Children can choose to walk on textured surfaces like mats, grass, mud, sandpits, etc to firmly feel the sensations that come up with each step. Children should be encouraged to pay attention to each step and action such as curling of toes, pressure applied on keeping the foot down, raising one’s foot, etc. This has been found to be great for dealing with stress and anxiety- especially in moments where sitting still may be challenging. It can also be done in any setting without requiring any extra equipment or causing any disturbance. Even doing this for as little as 10 minutes can have really good implications for one’s mental health and provide emotional regulation.
Activity oriented meditation: This kind of meditation involves doing activities that one loves in a repetitive and mindful manner in order to help regulate oneself and bring your mind to the present. This is just another way of focusing on one task at a time only and becoming aware of what one is doing in order to combat the wandering mind. Children can use things such as drawing, blowing bubbles, mandalas,writing, or any other mechanical tasks. They must be encouraged to focus on each part of the task and direct their full attention towards their actions in order to ‘mindfully’ engage in the task. Tasks which are noisy, in a group, or disruptive are not recommended for this activity. Additionally, new activities can be tried in order to spark interest as well such as building blocks, reading, slow dancing, etc. All of these activities can direct one’s focus from distressing things to the present. Caregivers may even use prompts to direct their attention towards various parts of the tasks by asking questions such as “what color are you using?” “How does the color feel?” “Do you like the texture of the paper?” etc. This kind of meditation can be loads of fun and easy to build a habit of.
to start learning, even though it may take a while to master.
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