Meditating with Children

Creating a safe, loving, empowering, environment While meditation is a valued part of our Sunday morning experience, it is a skill that needs to be practiced at home. If we teach our children to meditate so that it becomes a natural part of their lives, we will be looking at future adults more centered and more aware. They will be able to draw from their innermost being the necessary resources to carry them through the difficulties that life can present. We have included some guidelines here to help you to successfully practice this in your home.

Goals of Meditation

Experience the presence of God within
Commune with God
Become open and receptive to hearing guidance from our indwelling Christ presence
Experience peace, joy and clarity

Process of Meditation

Still the body
Quiet the mind
Focus on the Christ within

Gifts of Meditation

In leading children in the experience of meditation, it is important to approach it differently than we would with adults. With children, it is helpful to provide them with the experience of ONE of the many aspects of meditation at a time. They can thereby have an enjoyable experience, and at the same time learn many things on a subconscious level.

Through a variety of meditation techniques, children can learn to:

Control their breathing
Perceive changes in their bodies
Still their bodies
Be quiet
Be peaceful
Visualize
Notice their feelings
Change their feelings
Focus
Be elsewhere

Each of these is a wondrous skill to have and of which to be aware. Given the right environment and support, children respond to meditation naturally. Persist! It is a worthwhile goal.

Steps to Meditation

Meditation is most successful and powerful if it is done at the same time and in the same location each time. This sets up a routine for you and your child and becomes a very powerful time to be together.

Establish a certain cue, or set of cues, that always occur prior to meditation time. This will become an unconscious signal to the children and they begin to prepare themselves for the experience without even being aware of it. Allow the child to participate in the ritual of preparing for meditation. Remember to focus on one aspect of meditation at a time.

Some cues you might use are:

setting up a peaceful picture
lighting a candle
turning the lights off
playing a specific piece of music
turning on a special night light

A Technique to Try

Invite your children to sit quietly and comfortably with you for just a moment. Tell them that we will focus on our breath. Just gently breathe in and out, feeling our shoulders relax, our hands relax and our feet become still. Just gently breathe for a minute or two. Then softly encourage your child to repeat the Prayer for Protection with you.

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