Meditation for Children

I regularly do light breathing meditations with our girls, I have had no training I am guided by our needs and we just do them when we need them. Not always the three of us, sometimes only one of the girls wants do some and that is always respected in our household. Never is anything forced including meditation.

I just wanted to share with you what we do, we are more connected afterwards, calmer and quite often asleep!

Firstly we discuss a colour, we sometimes have more than one, sometimes we have glitter - we just go on how we are feeling. We get comfortable (usually lying down) and check in that we are all comfortable, warm/cool enough then settle down and close our eyes. Then I begin talking them through some basic light work...

"Now with our eyes closed and our bodies comfortable we are going to take some big deep breathes in and then out, in, out, in and then out. We feel relaxed now and ready to breathe in some beautiful energising/relaxing/healing (change lights properties dependent on needs) light.
Starting at your toes visualise the beautiful energising/relaxing/healing purple light coming into your toes, it feels warm and safe. As the light comes into your toes you relax and feel the warmth coming up across your feet and into your ankles. Now all of your feet are full of the most beautiful purple light. As the light slowly moves up your legs the warmth spreads up your legs also, reaching your knees the purple light wraps around the front and back of your lower legs, knees and now upper legs up into your hips. Now all your legs are heavy, warm and relaxed, sinking into the bed/floor. With your legs and hips as full as they can be with purple light it now flows on up into your stomach and up around your back. Slowly the warm light reaches higher up your back and across your shoulders. You can feel the warmth as your shoulders relax. From your stomach the light works up across your chest and over your shoulders, meeting with the light that has covered your back. As the two warm flows of light meet at the top of your shoulders, they begin to flow down your arms. Your arms relax as the light flows down past your elbow, down into your wrists and into your hands right up to the tips of each of your fingers. Your whole body is heavy now, sinking into the bed/floor and your breathe is deep and slow. You feel safe, comfortable and truly blessed to be receiving the amazing gift of light.
Finally the purple light works up your neck, over the back of your head and right up over your face. Feel each muscle as it relaxes, your eyes still closed feel even heavier than before and your jaw opens slightly as it relaxes. The purple light is flowing around your whole body now, recharging/relaxing you with the energy/relaxation/healing you need. As you take some more long, deep breathes you feel the light filling you with energy/calm/healing and your body accepts it all with thanks. You are blessed and you are grateful for this beautiful gift. Keep breathing in long, slow breathes and take in all the energy/calm/healing you need right now and give thanks for this blessing."

If we are doing this meditation for sleep/relaxation this is where I end it, whereas if we are using it for energy/healing after a pause I add "Slowly when you feel ready open your eyes, refreshed and ready to have a positive day full of love, lighter and light."

Doing this regularly helps us all, works well when big emotions arise or when an event coming up is causing anxiety. I believe these meditations will grow and develop as our girls do and as with everything they will guide us as to when the time is ready and which direction to move in.

The benefits of meditation have been documented in many areas of health and well being so why not teach our children the basics when they are young? As they grow older if they wish these skills can be developed but if not at least they know the basics which can still have positive impacts on their health and well being. Don't we all want that for our children?