How to Teach Young Children a Sitting Meditation
From the Child Series
Susan Helene Kramer
Introduction
This website has
information for teaching children a wide range of topics. Look at the top bar
of links, and click on the offerings. Many
pages are for ways adults can teach these subjects to children and teens.
To get you started here is an article on how to teach young children
meditation:
How to Teach Young Children a
Sitting Meditation
Young kids love
being outdoors and pretending, so images from nature for teaching beginning
meditation fit this age group. In this lesson I've included the example of a
puppy for the kids to visualize.
To introduce children to sitting meditation you are going to be the model to
emulate: Everyone sits in a circle with you on a carpet or blanket, facing in
to the center, with legs crossed in, and hands clasped resting in their lap. No
need to stress sitting up perfectly straight or not fidgeting. The perfection
of the pose comes with lots of practice and the maturing body.
Next, ask the children to copy your special breathing. First explain what you
are going to do such as: "We are going to breathe in and out evenly like a
little puppy does while taking a nap. On the first count we breathe in (model
the "in" breath), and on the second count we breathe out (model the
"out" breath). Let's all try the even breathing now (let everyone try 3 sets of evenly spaced in and out breathing)."
If you are working with preschoolers explain that even breathing, like a little
puppy resting, also gives them a rest and time to feel better when they have
been upset or crying.
Now, moving on to the sitting still portion of the meditation practice, ask the
kids to close their eyes and imagine a special little talking dog out in the
yard who is going to tell a story about the world.
The talking dog says that he represents all the animals of the planet, and
wishes all people to live in harmony with each other, the animals, and the
environment, because we all depend on nature for air to breathe, clean water
and food. The little talking dog now sits still, and asks the kids to join him
for a few minutes thinking about how they can be kind and caring with each
other, animals and everything on our planet.
By now, the children are probably quiet and relaxed. When the group begins to
stir ask everyone to follow you by taking a deep breath in, letting it out,
standing up and stretching.
Though this meditation example uses images from nature, if you are teaching in
a particular religious setting you could use those examples. Either way,
spiritual energy flows through everyone and the quiet time of meditation helps
get in touch with our deeper inner peace and calm: our spiritual nature.
Ebooks and books for teaching
children:
- Meditation and
Spiritual Stories for Kids
- Meditation and
Spirituality for Teens
- Rhythms and Dances for
Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Rhythms and Dances for
School Age Kids
- Classical Ballet
Beginning to Advanced
Translations:
- Danse pour
les enfants - French
- Fundamentele
bewegingen voor kinderen met dansjes, meditaties en yoga - Dutch
Email Copyright © 2002-2014 Susan Helene Kramer |
Page updated August 12, 2014