Click here to subscribe to my blog
Meditation is very important for all of us, and in this busy time we have mostly forgotten this. Meditation for children can take many forms. It provides a wonderful strength they can draw on in themselves when they've found a form of meditation that they can relate to, and practice at least a little bit every day. 
The first exercise is really simple. Begin by finding a quiet place outside where there is a soothing atmosphere and freedom from interruption. Make yourself and your child comfortable (cushions and blankets can add to the fun) and encourage the child to quieten and relax their body. (Sometimes this can be difficult in itself! You could try a little massage or gentle strokes on their face, or quietly singing a sleepy song...) Gazing up at the sky, encourage the child to let their thoughts drift, and become as large as the sky. Speaking quietly and gently, help them to find (and keep returning to) simple awe at how vast the sky is, how beautiful and mysterious it is. Each time you notice that the child is showing a small sign of restlessness, return to the massage or stroking and then return their attention back to the sky and it's beauty. As they relax more deeply, you may notice sensations of calm breathing, quieted mind and peaceful emotions, or sense of calm. Lying with children under the sky can open a space for conversation of depth that may not be found under your more usual circumstances. While still relaxed, if you want to change the focus of of the meditation, you could also turn to something small, like a leaf or seedpod, and do the same thing. Encourage the child to look at it in a relaxed way, and notice it's details, and how interesting it is, and feel how mysterious it is. This feeling of awe and mystery is a natural state of contemplation, and a good beginning for learning meditation for children. __________________________________________________________________________ My Spiritual Teacher Bhagavan Adi Da gave another form of meditation for children which is simple yet utterly profound. Sitting or lying quietly with your child, direct their attention to the sky or the leaf, and gazing upon it, ask them to feel that you don't know what it is. This is not a test of knowledge, such as not knowing the chemistry or molecular make up of things, but rather it is a function of wonder or awe, and is truly the case that we don't know what it's essence is. Help them to not analyse with the mind, but see if they can simply find the feeling of awe and stay with it. This meditation can be turned to any object, for example, what is water? What is light? What is sound? What is a leaf? This form of contemplation and consideration is very easy for young people to 'get', and they have great enjoyment in the wonder of it. In fact, I suggest that adults practice this exercise before attempting it with children, as it may take you longer to get it! This exercise forms the basis of the Spiritual practice that my Teacher, Adi Da Samraj gave to children. In fact, He wrote a beautiful book for young people, to help them develop their natural sense of awe, and to learn the foundations of meditation. Though it offers fundamental guidance in meditation for children, it is deeply profound in it's Teaching also. He commented that often children have greater capacity for intuiting and understanding Spiritual Truths, than adults do! The gorgeous illustrations on this page are from this book which is titled, What, Where, When, How, Why and Who To Remember To Be Happy. This book is available for purchase at the Adidam publishing company, Dawn Horse Press webpage for Spiritual literature and meditation for children. One of the books listed at this webpage, “God Games” was written at the request of Avatar Adi Da Samraj, about games He created to serve children’s human and Spiritual growth. These games develop the child’s ability to notice and feel the energy of their own bodies as well as that of others, nature, and the Divine Mystery. Playing God Games also increases etheric sensitivity, intuition, and cooperative and non-competitive behavior, which are essentials in life, not simply in developing the capacity for meditation for children. The next form of meditation for children is easy and fun, and helps all of us, not just children to connect to something that is deeper than the more superficial things that we get into in our daily lives. This exercise can also provide a focus point for quality shared time between a parent and child. Once again, in an undisturbed space, such as lying in bed before sleep, or lying under a tree in the garden, and in a relaxed and quiet mood, begin to encourage the child to contemplate all the things that have meaning for them, and which they are grateful for in their life. If this exercise is difficult for a young person or child, it would be a good thing to talk about as it's important for all of us to value and feel the things in life which are important to us. As the child begins to feel their appreciation for the things they value (which could be numberless!) help them to stay with the feeling of gratitude and then gently and quietly ask the questions, where and how did all of this come to be, or come to exist. This kind of exercise assists both us and our children to stay in touch with the highest reality that is the existence of Divine mystery. Our scientific mentality takes this away sometimes and this can leave us feeling a sense of disconnection which can lead to depression or anxiety. This can so readily be passed on to our children, and conversely, with a little encouragement, our children can help us to fall back into the intuition of mystery!
Something else that is really important in meditation for children and all ages, is learning how to breathe deeply and properly. Learning to effectively breath deeply can also really help with the stresses of life and feelings of anxiety, so it is important for all of us. The following exercise is adapted from the ancient Vedic practice of pranayama, a classic tool for meditation. It can be practiced by children and adults alike: This exercise can be done while lying down somewhere comfortable - perhaps in bed again - or seated in a comfortable upright position. Direct the young person to place their hands on their ribs, with your finger tips slightly apart so that they can feel their chest rise and fall gently as they breath. As they inhale (preferably through their nose) instruct them to imagine a gold thread of light or a fine golden ribbon coming in with the breath. When they can see the golden thread, instruct them to draw it down into their belly as they breath in. As they exhale, help them to imagine that the light disperses like fine droplets all through your body to your finger tips and toes. Continue this exercise through a cycle of minimum five deep breaths, but it can continue for as long and the child enjoys the exercise.
|
