It’s never too early to start meditating. In fact, there’s a lot to gain by teaching meditation for kids. Not only will it help children improve their mental focus, it will also develop their imagination and calm their nerves. There can be no question about the positive effects of meditation for overall health and improvement of well-being. With everything that kids stand to benefit from meditation, what can you do to make them interested in it in the first place? The challenge becomes even clear, as they’re surrounded by temptations and distractions from video games to television shows.
Easy Kids Meditation Technique #1: OM Mantra Chanting
I have covered the “adult” version of this timeless meditation in the article, AUM Mantra Meditation to Open the Third Eye Chakra, but this meditation is definitely a favorite for children as well. I often hear this chant reverberating in the house as both Shivum and now his little 2 year old brother, Taran, often seem to add it to their play spontaneously.
Keep the instructions easy for kids to understand. Simply ask them to do the following…
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Sit up straight
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Place your hands in Gyan Mudra (thumb tip and index finger meeting with wrists resting on the knees) or have your hands folded in prayer pose.
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Close your eyes.
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Take a deep breath and chant the sound AUM out loud for as long as you can. Then take a deep breath again and repeat the chant. (Check out more here)
Meditation Technique #2: Gayatri Mantra Chenating
Another technique is to have the child pick a prayer which they will then sing aloud—this practice is known as the Gayatri Mantra. An ideal example of a prayer is the Vedic mantra.
Meditation Technique #3: Breath Awareness
Zen Buddhism is rooted in this form of meditation: breath awareness. It’s also a method that children can benefit from. In order to modify it for children, a modified version cane be taught to them. First, the child must sit up straight, then put their hands in Gyan Mudra position, where the tip of their thumb and index finger meet in the wrists, and then rests on their knees. They must then close their eyes without moving at all. The crux of this exercise is when they breathe deeply, as they follow their breath inhale and exhale.
