Meditation For Kids (1)

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Why Meditation For Kids is the Answer for the
Future problems
www.mindvalleyacademy.com /blog/mind/meditation-fo
r-kids If You Had A Time Machine, Go Back And
Meditate As A Kid Do you currently enjoy the
benefits of meditation and wish you had started
earlier in life, say, as a kid? Do you have a
child or teenager that is overly stressed from
the increasingly hectic demands of modern-day
society? Is your child having trouble focusing
on his/her schoolwork? Or having self-esteem
issues? As kids, weve all been there. And as
parents, guardians, or teachers, we can address
common issues faced by kids by simply
introducing them to meditation. In this article,
you'll learn Teaching Kids Meditation Is Easier
Than We Think Have you ever watched a toddler eat
their food? Before they take a bite of it, they
thoroughly examine it they smell it, take it
apart, poke it with their fingers, bite it and
spit it out. Children naturally exercise
mindfulness a key component of meditation
because they have less mental barriers, biases,
and pre-determined beliefs that allows them to
experience a pure state of mindfulness.
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In contrast, as adults we believe it takes
practice and effort to meditate or to achieve
mindfulness because we need to consciously rid
ourselves of pre-conceived thoughts, fears, and
beliefs that inhibit our natural state of
awareness. It may seem odd to think of children
as calm, nonjudgmental, and mindful, but
ultimately, children can achieve mindfulness and
thereby practice meditation more easilythan
adults can. So its safe to say that
incorporating meditation into a childs learning
process is easier than we think, and schools
across the U.S. have begun adding meditation to
their curriculum with positive results. Recently
a Baltimore school replaced detention (a
conventional way of punishing misbehaving kids by
having them sit in silence in a classroom for 1
hour or more) with a more progressive form of
behavioral evaluation meditation. Instead of
the painstaking, and in most cases, unhelpful
process of detention, teaching kids to focus on
their breath and being in the present moment
achieves more value in the long run. Even
better, teaching kids outside of detention by
regularly implementing it as part of school
programs or at home may help kids avoid the very
reasons that landed them in detention in the
first place. Although research on how meditation
affects and benefits kids is not quite as robust
and thorough as it is for adults, it's certainly
starting to take off. Below are some of benefits
that research tells us mediation and mindfulness
can offer kids.
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The 5 Benefits of Meditation for Children The
mind of the child is constantly observing,
questioning, discovering and building
assumptions. Meditation can help kids tune into
this process and assist them with learning
emotional regulation and achieving cognitive
growth. While meditation provides adults
numerous benefits such as less stress and better
decision-making skills, children get a different
set of perks from this practice. Lets look at
the top five benefits of meditation for children
and why you should introduce kids to a simple
daily meditation practice as soon as
possible. 1. Meditation Enhances Focus Noticed
how kids are drawn to gadgets, social media, and
technology more than we ever were in our
youth? Modern day demands increasingly challenge
us to think and respond more quickly than ever
before and kids are no exception. Constant
stimulation during kids waking hours from the
internet, video games, social media, school
assignments demands them to multitask and jump
from thought to thought. While multitasking and
juggling many different physical, mental,
emotional and social tasks or activities at once
may sometimes be a good thing, no doubt
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You want your child to turn their attention
completely to one thing at a time... You want
your child to be able to solve complex problems
and see projects through to its completion...
You want your child to have the capacity to
focus. A study, by Italian neuroscientist
Giuseppe Pagnoni, found that meditation not only
changes brain patterns, but it also heightens
mental focus that may improve cognitive
performance. In the study, brain scans showed
that compared to those who meditate,
non-meditators had higher activity in their
ventral posteromedial cortex, the region of the
brain linked to spontaneous thoughts and
mind-wandering. So the next time your child
needs a little boost in focus and clarity, look
no further than a simple meditation to function
with lazer focus more effectively.
2. Meditation Fosters Self-Esteem And
Self-Love Most of us as kids, at one time
another, felt like we are not good
enough. Childhood, especially during puberty,
can be tough, and in a lot of cases, debilitating
on our self-esteem and confidence. Naturally
most of our present insecurities may have stemmed
from childhood An embarassing situation that
haunted you... Not being the cool kid at
school...
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Not having that car... Being bullied any
childhood situation that imprinted trauma or any
negative belief about yourself. Thankfully
meditation provides access to a greater feeling
of inner stability and security. As a practice
to quiet your mind, meditation slows down the
minds activity (self-talk and obsessive
thinking) to experience relaxation, inner peace,
self-love, and joy. When you learn to focus on
the moment, your fears, self-doubt, and
insecurities are transformed.
3. Meditation Relieves Stress For Peak
Performance Stress can begin to impact children
at a very young age, and stressful situations
affect health and well-being almost
immediately. Demands from academic studies,
competition, and always having to do things
right plays a huge toll on kids ability to
relax. Bluntly put, too much stress inhibits
peak performance. Like adults, meditation can
help children cope with stresses and traumas by
being mindful about present situations and
thinking clearly and rationally about them. When
the mind is calm, the body follows. When the
mind is free of tension, it will function at its
peak.
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Since meditation is known to help kids focus
their energies and reduce tensions, overwhelming
evidence suggests that it can help them perform
better in school. In fact, meditation can have a
profound impact on not only academics, but also
athletic, creative and social performance. A
University of California, Los Angeles study found
that second and third-graders who practiced
"mindful" meditation techniques for 30 minutes
twice a week for eight weeks had improved
behavior and scored higher on tests requiring
memory, attention and focus than the
non-meditators. More and more schools are
incorporating meditation in their learning
programs, and its only a matter of time that
meditation becomes a norm for education programs.
4. Meditation Supports Healthy Emotional
Development In our fast paced lifestyle,
children are having to face even more fears
than ever before. Fears of not being accepted,
fears of too much change, fears of losing loved
ones, or simply fears of not being enough. We
want kids to be able to navigate through phases
of insecurity, frustration, and impatience
without too much distress. But prolonged
fear-based stress on a childs emotional
development can be debilitating and have
long-term reprocussions.
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Thankfully, meditation allows children to access
their natural rhythm of self-awareness and
mindfulness two key components of
self-soothing, problem-solving, patience, and
facing fears. By teaching meditation to
children, you can help them become aware of this
natural state and consequently help them to
overcome any obstructive, negative emotions.
5. Meditation Enhances Empathy And
Connectedness Its commonly known that
meditation increases compassion e mpathy and
compassion directly stems from the awareness
state of mind, a distinct outcome of mindfulness
meditation. But theres now tangible, scientific
evidence of how mindfulness meditation increases
kindness, compassion, and connectivity among
adults and children alike. In a study at
Northeastern University, researchers found that
"meditation made people willing to act virtuous
to help another who are suffering even in the
face of a norm not to do so." Researchers are
uncertain of exactly why meditation heightens
empathy and connectedness, but there are two
possible reasons. First, meditation improves
childrens attention-span and their ability to
focus on specific things in their
environment. Second, meditation creates neural
pathways that allows children to see the
interconnectedness of human suffering regardless
of their relationships. Regular loving-kindness
or mindful meditation builds self-love,
compassion, and human or environmental
connection on multiple levels.
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Meditation Tips And Techniques for Kids Lets
face it kids learn differently than adults
do. So an effective approach for kids to
meditate often differs from the way adults
approach it and thats completely fine. Kids
learn by watching, observing, and really soaking
in the moment. All eyes are on you, so be sure to
set a solid example of how to incorporate
meditation into your daily life. You can start
by dedicating a special area in your home or
school for a regular meditative practice, one
that is comfortable and free of
distractions. Children learn well with games and
fun exercises, so you can start by playing a game
of who can be the quietest, or breathing
exercises that incorporates following a fun
rhythm or with playful music. You can also show
children how beautiful and interesting silence
can be how quiet time can give perspective and
help us reflect on what were truly thinking or
feeling. Since children often have a set
routine, schedule daily quiet time so they can
anticipate incorporating meditation each day.
You can start with just 5 minutes per day and
gradually increase from there. In time, and with
a dedicated practice, kids will start to look
forward to this calming space of quiet and
relaxation. Top 10 Guided Meditations for
Children If youre new to meditation yourself, or
you simply want more guidance to help your child
start a regular meditation practice, simple
guided meditations can ease your child into
getting the full benefits of meditation
anytime, and anywhere.
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Below are our top 10 favorite guided meditations
for kids . Start off by meditating with them.
Remember, kids are highly visual, so allow them
to follow your lead. In time, once they get the
hang of it, encourage them to try these guided
meditations on their own. And for best results,
have your kids try these guided meditations with
headphones!

• Snowman Relaxation For Kids
• Time 7.5 Minutes
• Enjoy this free meditation for kids during
  bedtime or any moment they need to relax and find
  stillness. This winter- themed meditation is
  guided by an enthusiastic female voice, making it
  almost story-like. Your kids will imagine
  themselves as snowmen warming up and relaxing as
  the sun warms and soothes the tensions and
  worries they have.
• Childrens Rainbow Meditation
• Time 5 Minutes
• This 5-minute meditation is perfect for
  pre-school kids who are are trying meditation for
  the first time. Bird imagery, visualizations of
  the colors of the rainbow, a soothing female
  voice, and calming music makes it easy to find
  peace and calm.
• Mindful Breathing for Kids (Full Version)

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• Time 6 Minutes
• Annaka Harris has created several guided
  meditations for children ages 6-10. In this
  6-minute mindfulness meditation, Annaka guides
  kids towards heightened self-awareness and
  relaxation through simple breathing exercises. A
  bell is rung every 10 seconds to help kids notice
  the first moments of breathing, catching the
  breath right when it starts.
• You dont need to do anything at all. Your body
  will breathe all by itself, and you can just pay
  attention to it.
• Mindful Breathing for Kids (Short Version)
• Time 4 Minutes
• This shorter version of the mindfulness audio
  meditation by Annaka Harris above focuses on the
  breath and self- awareness for quick access to
  inner peace and stillness. Annakas simple
  guidance make this an enjoyable meditation when
  kids need a quick mindful awareness check-in.
• Mindful Hearing For Kids
• Time 5 Minutes
• Annaka Harris guides kids in this audio
  meditation to pay attention to surrounding sounds
  and what it feels like to really listen and be
  in the moment. After two minutes, Annaka uses a
  simple bell exercise to heighten their auditory
  senses to achieve full-awareness of themselves
  and the environment.

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• enjoyment and curiosity of where it would lead
  you to? This audio meditation guides you to
  achieve full awareness and mindfulness by using
  a special visualization exercise of following a
  bouncing ball. Kids will love it. This audio can
  also be used for sleep to lull your child's mind
  into a deep slumber.
• Magic Forest Meditation
• Time 12.5 Minutes
• Visit magical landscapes and animals in this
  meditation adventure for a much needed mental
  vacation. Kids can select their preferred
  imagery to enhance their experience. This is a
  fantastic audio meditation, especially for kids
  who love animals and nature!
• Whirly Burly Snow Storm Meditation
• Time 4.5 Minutes
• Modern day living can often make kids feel like
  they are caught in a snow storm where in the
  thick of things, they feel stress and cant
  think clearly. This guided meditation is great
  for kids age 3-7 who need a quiet moment to feel
  peaceful, secure, and relaxed. Calm the snowstorm
  by having your child tune into beautiful sounds,
  breathwork and visualization techniques.
• We need to settle the snow storm with our secret
  trick our breathing.
• Meditation Music For Kids

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• Sea Relaxation Deep Meditation Music For Kids
• Time 55 Minutes
• Enjoy the relaxing sounds of the sea in a
  stunning backdrop of a beach in Sardinia, Italy,
  to access deep stillness and calm. This YouTube
  video is excellent if your kids have a full hour
  to unwind and meditate.
• Meditation Music For Kids Chakra Healing
• Time 2 Hours 15 Minutes
• This 2-hour meditation track is comprised of
  soothing wind chimes and vocals, and the sounds
  of a gurgling stream. Youll be lulled into a
  blissful, deep, meditative state perfect for
  bedtime or as you sleep.
• Deep Meditation Music for Kids
• Time 31 Minutes
• Inspiring orchestral music enhances all types of
  meditation in this 31 minute meditation music
  track. The moving music is reminiscent of your
  favorite movie soundtrack and allows you to
  access a deep emotional and contemplative state
  of mind great for practicing gratitude and
  mindfulness.
• Quiet Music For Learning Relaxing

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• Celestial and trance-like, this music for
  meditation can be used for enhanced focus (i.e.
  when studying or learning), or to take a moment
  for mindfulness and self-awareness. Momentary
  sounds of crashing waves and bubbles, coupled
  with space-like tones, almost makes this
  meditation music other-wordly.
• Calming Music For Children
• Time 5 Minutes
• Have your kids enjoy a moment of calm and
  relaxation with this beautiful meditation music
  track. Rich nature imagery and soothing sounds
  instantly brings the mind to a state of peace and
  serenity.
• Calming Baby Sleep Music
• Time 9 Minutes
• Calming music is an excellent way to help calm
  the mind and rest the body, and can be enjoyed by
  everyone of all ages even babies. This
  lullaby-like meditation music is perfect to play
  during your babys bedtime in the crib, or in
  your arms.
• Pereehali by Dmitry Evgrafov
• Time 3-5 Minutes (Each Track)
• Even a couple minutes of peace and tranquility
  can bring a whole new wave of relaxation,
  perpsective, and positive mind-set. Gentle
  modern classical piano music by Russian composer,
  Dmitry Evgrafov, can be enjoyed as seven
  individual 2-3 minute tracks or in its entirety
  as an album.

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This meditation song will instantly put a smile
on your childs face (and on yours). Especially
good for times of stress or anxiety, its a
quick song, but its a sure way to lift your
spirit and your soul. Do your kids practice
meditation? Are you a parent or teacher who
currently helps incorporate meditation in your
kids' lives? If so, comment below. We'd love to
hear about any tips or suggestions to help get
kids adopt a daily meditation practice!
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