Children and meditation
It is never to young to start teaching meditation to children. Children learn from imitation and practice. To watch a child learn something as simple as meditation is amazingly heartwarming. While watching my grandson this weekend I was meditating and noticed that he was watching me intently. I decided to try to see if he would do it. He smiled at me and I turned on the camera. Not only did he pay attention but he repeated what I did (although I think he thought it was funny).
At 13 months old he is definitely a smart kid but I know he is also very fortunate to be at a terrific day care where meditation is part of daily activities. Meditation is known to increase focus so making it part of a daily practice in small children helps them to concentrate. For babies meditation can actually bring them into a state of calm. I usually have meditation music around when I am babysitting my grandson because it is calming and relaxing for me as well. I think he sleeps better because it is so peaceful too.
Today most people think about medication for stress and anxiety relief. Children can get stressed and have anxiety so why not also include meditation for them? Babies and infants can feel stress when they are separated from their parent like when they are dropped off at daycare or even at Grandma's house. Funny thing is that when you incorporate the elements of meditation into a daily routine the children find they are less stressed about the separation. Having even just a few minutes of meditation can become fun as well as relaxing. For my grandson, when he is with me, we meditate a few minutes here and there as a way of remaining calm and less anxious. He is 13 months old and runs around getting into things and throwing his toys and pushing them across my floor. But when he is upset I find that I can calm him down quickly with a little OM here and there. It may not work for all children but for him it works wonders. I like to think that it brings us closer together as well. When he was born I stayed the first night in the hospital at the request of his parents (who were exhausted and needed sleep). I held him for a bit during the night and hummed lightly in a low tone when he got cranky. I think it may have started there - our relationship with meditation that we have. Whenever I have babysat him we spend a few minutes just sitting together and me humming to him in a low tone during which he tends to fall asleep. Since he was fortunate enough to get into a daycare with a provider that is beyond awesome, I know he is experiencing meditation there as well (to an extent). Just look at the concentration as he watches me - full of wonder, trust, and concentration. I can't express how amazing it feels to share my love of meditation with him. As long as he continues to have fun with it I am more than happy to continue sharing the experience with him.
At 13 months old he is definitely a smart kid but I know he is also very fortunate to be at a terrific day care where meditation is part of daily activities. Meditation is known to increase focus so making it part of a daily practice in small children helps them to concentrate. For babies meditation can actually bring them into a state of calm. I usually have meditation music around when I am babysitting my grandson because it is calming and relaxing for me as well. I think he sleeps better because it is so peaceful too.
Today most people think about medication for stress and anxiety relief. Children can get stressed and have anxiety so why not also include meditation for them? Babies and infants can feel stress when they are separated from their parent like when they are dropped off at daycare or even at Grandma's house. Funny thing is that when you incorporate the elements of meditation into a daily routine the children find they are less stressed about the separation. Having even just a few minutes of meditation can become fun as well as relaxing. For my grandson, when he is with me, we meditate a few minutes here and there as a way of remaining calm and less anxious. He is 13 months old and runs around getting into things and throwing his toys and pushing them across my floor. But when he is upset I find that I can calm him down quickly with a little OM here and there. It may not work for all children but for him it works wonders. I like to think that it brings us closer together as well. When he was born I stayed the first night in the hospital at the request of his parents (who were exhausted and needed sleep). I held him for a bit during the night and hummed lightly in a low tone when he got cranky. I think it may have started there - our relationship with meditation that we have. Whenever I have babysat him we spend a few minutes just sitting together and me humming to him in a low tone during which he tends to fall asleep. Since he was fortunate enough to get into a daycare with a provider that is beyond awesome, I know he is experiencing meditation there as well (to an extent). Just look at the concentration as he watches me - full of wonder, trust, and concentration. I can't express how amazing it feels to share my love of meditation with him. As long as he continues to have fun with it I am more than happy to continue sharing the experience with him.
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