Children more than ever are in need of some quality quiet, still, blissful time. A break from all the hectic never ending visual, sound and environmental stimulation such as TV, game consoles, music, mobile phones, DVD's, computers, computer games, friends, sports, school work, music, busy roads, shopping centers and more learning.

What about offering our children a skill to know how to eliminate stress as an adult?

What about offering our children a skill to know what it feels like to have a mind that is totally relaxed and not bored due to lack of stimulation?

What about offering our children the ability to just be and enjoy what is around them?

What about offering our children the ability to know for sure what is right just for them?

What about offering our children a way to reduce or dissolve their worries or fears? 

This and more is achievable with a simple desire to bring the gift of regular simple guided meditation into our children's lives.

Recommendations from an expert:

Whilst I love meditation and have been doing it for years, I recently found a fabulous book called Indigo Dreaming: A Book of Meditations for Children at our local library. I fell in love with this book so much so that I actually emailed the author Amy and here is what she had to say about teaching meditation to children or even students at school.

Be patient and don’t set your expectations too high like thinking they are going to sit or lay perfectly still.  Like any new skill, meditation takes practice.

  1. Don’t expect too much at the start
  2. Be relaxed and calm yourself
  3. Keep your language and instructions simple
  4. Let them participate voluntarily
  5. Make it fun and enjoyable
  6. Explain to your children how good it is for them-they love hearing that it improves memory, helps them to concentrate etc
  7. I always tell children it is like exercising their brain

The Pyramid Meditation:

Following is a very brief version of a great meditation that I use from Amy's book which is an absolute winner with my nine year old son. We do it together before bed.

You imagine yourself sitting or lying inside a pyramid. The air inside is warm, you feel very calm and relaxed there is no sound. You feel safe in your pyramid. You love the colors and the smooth comfortable floor.

You breathe in and out and feel the quiet in your body.

Feel the quiet spread with each breathe until it fills the whole pyramid.

It is serene and still. You say in my mind I am quiet ……. I am quiet………I am quiet.

Thanks for reading my article. If you would like me to share other meditations from the book, please ask and I will be happy to do so.