
Meditation #1: SMELL THE ROSES (For children ages 3-5)
Make sure the child is in a comfortable sitting position with hands resting on his/her lap. Pinkies and thumbs should be connected on each hand, forming two “buds” or “flowers.” Tell the child about these two flowers that grew from the earth and are reaching to the sun. Ask the child to close their eyes and take a breath in the flowers deeply, and then to slowly exhale. How does it smell? Continue the conversation while the child is seated with closed eyes. What does this scent remind you of? We can ask the child to take a deep breath and slowly exhale between each question. What can you tell me about these flowers? How do you feel after smelling the flowers? You can continue with a few more questions before finishing the meditation.
This meditation will ground your child and have a calming effect, teaching him or her to express emotions and feelings.
Meditation #2: HEART BREATH (For children ages 5 and older)
The child should be in a comfortable sitting or lying position, with one or both hands placed over the heart. Ask the child to close his or her eyes and take a deep breath. After a few breaths, ask the child to follow the airflow as he or she inhales. The air enters through the nostrils, it travels to our throat, then our chest, and finally enters our heart. And from the heart, it travels to the rest of the body. Ask the child to follow the airflow, and to listen to his or her heart as the air enters it. As we breathe in, we bring relaxation to our heart and to our body. As we exhale through the heart, we exhale sadness and anger from our body. Direct the child’s focus and attention to their heart breathing for a few minutes. The time needed will be different for each child. Let the child describe what his heart is telling him or her. What kind of emotions does he or she feel? Does he or she feel any sensation in their hands?
This meditation will reduce stress and anxiety, have a calming effect, and stimulate the heart-mind connection.
Meditation #3: WALKING MEDITATION (For children that have a hard time sitting still)
This meditation must be done while walking. You can walk in the park, mall, gym, or even on a treadmill. During the walk, the child focuses on counting steps in time with breathing. Make sure the child is walking at his or her normal pace. Inhale during four steps, exhale for the next four steps. You could count steps for your child to make it easier. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. Depending on the age and personality of the child, you can adjust how many steps to take to inhale and how long this meditation will take.
This meditation will reduce stress and anxiety, have a calming effect, and stimulate the body-mind connection.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
With love,
Roman
November 2019
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