Simple meditation techniques done playfully should be introduced initially. Children can imbibe this spirit very easily as they possess sensitivity, perception, clarity and intuitiveness. It is very important to provide or improvise meditation methods with lots of fun and playfulness.

The child cannot or should not be forced to start meditation in a passive, sitting posture, because a child is full of energy and enthusiasm and may not be comfortable with the passive methods. Instead, the child should be given techniques, which have the provision of physical movements and mental expression and the session can be concluded with complete relaxation.

The following meditations are fun and help children in expression, quieting their minds, concentration and getting to understand themselves better. Whereas these meditations have been designed for children they are equally good for adults to do.

Dancing Meditation (age 5 onwards)

Most children love to dance. This is an active meditation, which helps children relax and is particularly good for children who are very restless or anxious by nature. The meditation helps get rid of excess energy and begins to help children to learn how to focus. If you have a child who has a lot of restless energy then this meditation would be particularly useful to do before he/she is involved in any exercise that needs concentration such as homework. This meditation is also useful for beginning to prepare children for sitting meditations. It can also be done with children before a sitting meditation so as to help improve their focus for it.

First Stage: (10 minutes)

Play some peppy music and encourage your children to dance. Allow them to sing, dance, and have total freedom for any kind of body movement.

Second Stage: (5 minutes)

Stop the music. Make them sit down, close their eyes and be as still as possible. Tell them to focus on their nostrils and feel the cool breath they take in and the hot breath that they blow out through them. Tell them that if they have any thoughts coming into their minds whilst doing this they should just bring their concentration gently back to their nostrils. At this time total silence should be maintained.

Third Stage: (5 minutes)

Make them lie on their backs, close their eyes and relax completely. After 5 minutes make them do deep breathing exercises.

Gibberish Meditation (Age 5 onwards)

Gibberish literally means talking nonsense. Most of the time our minds are busy with lots of thoughts going on at the same time. Children, who often have very active minds, need to be taught how to focus their mental energy so they can use it in a constructive and powerful way. In order to be able to do this they need to empty the mind of all its chatter. Introduce this meditation to children as an adventure, which will lead them to discovering their mind, which is one of the most important parts of their body. Tell them why it is important and how if they get to know it they can use it in powerful ways. You could also give them examples of their favorite sports stars and explain how their mind training helped them achieve success.

Explain the first stage of the meditation as an emptying out of the mind, which is necessary in order to be able to train it. In the second stage of the meditation you should tell them that when they are sitting silently if any thoughts come into their mind they should feel like their thoughts are just moving clouds in an open sky. They come into the mind and then float out. This watching of thoughts will help children begin to understand that they have power over their thoughts. After the meditation is over you should discuss how they felt in each of the stages, whether there were many thoughts and whether they were able to let them float out of their minds. Remember that this may be difficult for children initially. Be understanding and tell them that repeated practice is required for stilling and concentrating the mind.

This meditation is also good preparation for a sitting meditation as it helps stills the mind and create focus. Therefore you can also do this meditation with children right before you do a sitting meditation.

First Stage: (10 minutes)

Tell the children to sit, close their eyes and make sounds, or just talk something, even if it is meaningless. They should do this as fast and as loudly as possible, without any interruptions and without thinking of what they should say.

Second Stage: (5 minutes)

Tell them to become totally silent and still like statues and close their eyes.

Third Stage: (5 minutes)

Instruct them to lie down on their backs and relax. After 5 minutes make them do deep breathing exercises.

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