By: MK Craft
Rest is challening for most people and especially for children. Little ones are always on the go whether its school,daycare, rapid & frequent change of environments or exploring their world. Teaching children that rest is an important skill to have and one that takes practice can encourage them to practice and be patient with their own restlessness. Benefits of teaching children meditation & relaxation skills are regulation needed for the nervous system, grounding into their bodies, reoxygenation of blood, balance of the hormonal system and an overall sense of calm and peace. Here are 3 Meditation and Relaxation activities you can practice with children that will keep their attention and help them be present.
Bhramari Pranayama or Bee Breath: This breath practice that calms the nervous system, lower blood pressure and can strengthen the throat chakra. Start in an easy seat, gently close the lips and keep space between your teeth. Let your tongue rest between your teeth and relax your jaw. If this feels safe, you can close down your eyes and use your thumbs to close your ears. Take a big deep breath in through your nose, as you exhale make a low 'hmmm' sound similar to a buzzing bee. Focus on the soothing hum of your voice and practice for at least a minute.
Body Scan Meditation: This is a great guided meditation for children to ground into their bodies and learn new words for their body! In savasana, have student relax their whole body and close down their eyes. Starting at the crown chakra, say relax your head, breath in, breathe out, relax your forehead, breath in, breath out, relax your ears, and so on and so forth. Work your way down all the way to the tippy toes and toenails. 5 minutes minimum recommended for a full body scan.
Glowing Ball of Love and Light: This meditation is great for energy recall, high cortisol levels and empathic children. Laying in savasana, allow children to feel the weight of their body and the mat underthem. Feel the air surrounding you and the hairs on your head. Imagine there is a glowing ball infront of your chest, this can look like a reverse starburst or disco ball. Give children permission to recall all of their energy from places they have been; school class rooms, people they have interacted with, friends and any emotions that they have expressed. Imagine that ball of light growing bigger and bigger as it goes back into your chest and fills your body up with light. Reground into the body and allow children to feel the weight of their own body.
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