We’re constantly hearing about how busy and hectic our lives are these days. I probably don’t need to get into the benefits of mindfulness with readers here but what we do sometimes overlook is our kids.

We think we have it busy but we merely embraced smart phones and social media. They’re growing up with it.

But getting your kid to sit on a meditation cushion sans smartphone (or another distraction) for any length of time can seem like an impossible feat. The good news? Your child doesn’t have to twist into the lotus position to reap the benefits because (let’s face it) that’s never going to happen.

“A growing body of scientific research supports what contemplatives have known for centuries: mindfulness and meditation develop a set of life skills that allow children, teens, and parents to relate to what’s happening around them with more wisdom and compassion,” Susan Kaiser Greenland, an author who teaches mindfulness to children, and instructs parents, teachers, and other caregivers to do the same, writes in her book Mindful Games.

Studies have found that a mindfulness practice can help reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety in children. It can also increase gray matter density in regions of the brain involved in emotional regulation. Another study of adolescents found that yoga, which can increase mindfulness, helped improve student’s emotional regulation capacity.

One of the first exercise we teach the kids in our class is mindful listening. We start with the simple act of sitting in the right posture, closing their eyes to reflect willingness and intent. We then chime a bell and invite children to listen to the bell through the whole sound of the bell. They have to listen to the bell through the whole process of chiming: the moment the bell rings till the moment it ends. End as defined: No trace of any sound (Absolute stillness). They are to raise their hands once the sound is completely gone.

Its interesting to watch the stillness in the room, the quiet and the peace that envelopes with all the kids in the room focused on one object. There is something magical about human beings being still and focusing on one thing.

Read more:

https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/mindfulness-kids/



https://www.quora.com/What-is-mindfulness-for-children

