C
hildren’s mental health is a real
concern these days because
of near constant stimulation
and other pressures. Whether
at school or on social media,
it can be a very competitive, results-driven
environment, fuelling higher stress levels.
Children want to do well at school,
please their parents and their teachers. The
family often projects their desire onto the
children to do well and this can result in
more anxiety.
This is where meditation or mindfulness- a focused awareness on the present
moment – comes in. It offers important mind
exercises that can be taught in schools to
ease away stresses and anxiety.
When children participate in meditation
they develop greater focus and learn to
better regulate their emotions. Richard
Davidson, a neuroscientist, states: “Simple
meditation techniques, backed up with
Mindfulness for children
Children stand to benefit just as much as adults from
mindfulness, says Dipa Trivedi
modern scientific knowledge of the brain, are
helping kids hardwire themselves to better
pay attention and become kinder.”
Visualisation practices, matched with
mindfulness, help children be more in tune
with themselves and learn to follow their
gut feeling when it comes to choosing an
educational path, friend circles or behaviour.
And children with issues such as ADHD can
also benefit from mindfulness as it makes
them more aware of what is happening now,
using the breath as a technique of focus
and relaxation.
Scientists have proven that brain functions
change with regular meditation; and this is
even stronger for children as their brains
work at a higher rate than adults. Children
are more receptive, they become happier
faster, and in a way that lasts. This is so
important because it can help them cope
with what is a now highly competitive
schooling system; it trains them to be kind,happy and peaceful future leaders of our
society.
If sitting still for a period of time sounds
like a difficult task for children, it gets easier
with practice. One step to bring stillness to
children’s minds is to have them explore
their senses in a quiet environment and
through visualisation. This can be done using
grounding visualisation with breath focus in
the classroom to make children attentive
and calm, or sound meditation and guided
imagery (for example, a beach with a shell,
or an object of their choice, and sounds
such as ringing a bell or a singing bowl).Dipa Trivedi is a yoga teacher and wellness
expert offering mindfulness to children and
in the corporate world. She also runs free
yoga teacher trainings to teach children
aged 6 to 15 in state schools around the
world via the Rohan Yoga Education. Find
out more at: yogamuni.comYoga & mindfulness special