How Guided Meditation Can Help Kids Deal with Stress
Nutrition, sleep, and exercise are the main pillars of health. But another important and often neglected component is stress management for kids. Chronic stress, even in children, is considered the root cause of many health problems.
Meditation for kids can help.
There are many stress management techniques that children and their parents can learn and practice together: journaling, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery.
Other mind-body techniques that can help with anxiety, behavior, and mood disorders in children include biofeedback, massage, and music therapy. And there’s also guided meditation and traditional meditation for kids.
Meditation for children is the ultimate stress management tool, and it can be taught to very young kids. And meditation won’t just benefit them. Families that meditate together are often more resilient to stress.
Meditation is an exercise for the mind that can change the body’s chemistry (source). In most types of meditations, the mind needs a point of focus. It’s a myth that we can stop our mind from thinking, but we can give it a point of focus, like the breath or a word, so that it goes beyond the thoughts. Meditation is not a religious practice; however, every spiritual tradition in the world has developed some form of meditation to discipline the mind.
Meditation for kids works as a stress management tool by switching off the “fight or flight” response to stress and allowing the body to switch on the relaxation response. When children meditate, they become less reactive to stress.
Meditation changes the chemistry of stress. Instead of making more stress hormones, like cortisol or adrenaline, the body and the brain start to work together harmoniously to make different molecules and neurochemicals that trigger a relaxation response (source).
There are different types of meditations for kids: sitting meditations, breathing meditation, mantra meditation, walking meditation, guided meditation and mindfulness meditation. I recommend parents experiment with different types of meditations until they find one that works for them and their children.
SITTING MEDITATION
- Find a quiet spot in the house, where you can sit comfortably
- No distractions like pets, phones, iPads, TV, computers
- Sit quietly for few seconds or minutes, breathing normally, with your eyes closed
- Take one, slow deep belly breath through your nose – hold for 4 seconds – breathe out through your nose slowly
- Repeat 3 times
BREATHING MEDITATION
- Start with the “sitting” meditation (see instructions above) and continue to focus your attention on the breath flowing in and out, effortlessly, without trying to change it
- You can repeat “breathing in/breathing out.”
- If you start noticing thoughts or have any feelings in your body or hear sounds around you, gently release them and focus again on your breath
- Start with 10 minutes/day, twice a day, increase slowly to 20- 30 minutes, twice a day
MANTRA MEDITATION
- Start with the “sitting” meditation (see instructions above) then start repeating quietly, in your mind, the mantra/words “SO HUM.”
- Repeat the words slowly, gently, effortlessly
- If you start noticing thoughts or have any feelings in your body or hear sounds around you, gently release them and focus again on the mantra “SO HUM.”
- Start with 10 minutes/day, twice a day, increase slowly to 20- 30 minutes, twice a day
WALKING MEDITATION
- Focus on your heart center, in the middle of the chest
- Start breathing in and out slowly
- Recall a positive emotion or think of something or someone you love
- Start walking while focusing on your heart center, breathing in and out slowly, while repeating phrases like “I am peace”, “I am happy”, “I am relaxed”, “I am joy”.
- (Depending on the age of the child and the location of the walk, an adult may need to accompany the child)
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
• Take a deep breath in and slowly breathe out
• Notice and name silently 3 things that you hear in your environment
• Notice and name silently 3 things that you can see
• Notice and name silently 3 things that you can touch
• Notice and name silently 3 things that you can taste or smell
• Restart your regular activity; repeat as needed, several times throughout the day
MEDITATION FOR KIDS FAQs
These are some of the commonly asked questions by beginner meditators:
For how long should I meditate?
For adults, 30 minutes/day, twice a day; for children: one minute per year of age (ie 6 years old = 6 minutes) twice a day.
Where should I meditate?
While it helps to have a meditation “spot” in your house, you can meditate anywhere – in a park, at the dentist’s office, airport.
How do I know I’m meditating correctly?
There is no wrong meditation. Sitting with your eyes closed, focusing on your breath or word, is a meditation. If your mind wanders, as it often does, gently let any thoughts go and return to your point of focus, word, or breath.
Some of the most common benefits experienced during and after meditation are feeling more relaxed, being able to focus easily, being less reactive, better sleep, better relationships, a feeling of peaceful joy and calm, being more productive.