Baby&Toddlermotherandbaby.co.uk| April 2020 | 37ZENHelpyourlittleonedevelopcalmingskillsforlifeMEETTHE
EXPERTMarneta Viegas
is the founder of
Relax Kids, which
produces relaxation
CDs, books and baby
mindfulness classes;
relaxkids.com
In his happiest moments your baby may
well be a picture of peace, but could
he really practice mindfulness? As
curious as it sounds, research suggests
the answer is yes, and that introducing
a little zen into his life now could have
positive effects for years to come.
It’s been 20 years since Marneta Viegas first
turned familiar fairytales into meditations for
tots, and her company, Relax Kids, is now
renowned for its CDs, books and classes. ‘Just
last month, I was introduced to an 18-year-old
who’d used our techniques, and he told me he
still uses them today,’ she says. ‘Another little
one is now a well-known West End actress,
and she used them to get through drama
school and auditions.’ In today’s fast-moving
world, Marneta points out, emotional
awareness, resilience and focus are vital life
skills. And that’s where mindfulness comes
in. The NHS, which has long prescribed
mindfulness as a means to boost mental
health, describes it as: ‘Paying more attention
to the present moment – to your own thoughts
and feelings, and to the world around you.’GETTING STARTED
Sounds sensible, right? But the question
remains: can your little bundle of chaos really
achieve this blissed-out state? ‘Mindfulness
is active – it requires energy and focus,’ says
Marneta. ‘What we do with small children is
more natural. It’s about creating conditions
that encourage relaxation, and laying the
foundations for a more active mindfulness
practice as they grow older.’ Do so at an early
stage, she suggests, and they’ll never forget.
‘Typical baby classes are about stimulation,
with songs, colour and movement,’ says
Marneta. Her Baby Mindful classes are quite
the opposite, making use of techniques like
gentle stretching and baby massage to promotea calming atmosphere – for your little one, but
also for you. Because while he may be too
small and too squirmy to sit in lotus position,
you can provide a lot of the zen for him.REFLECT THE CALM
‘Babies and children mirror our own feelings,’
says Marneta. ‘So, if we can learn to model
calm, relaxed behaviour, it really helps them.’
This doesn’t mean you have to be cool, calm
and collected all of the time. Being a mum
sometimes means being on an emotional
rollercoaster, and that’s part of both the
excitement and the fun. Still, for your sake and
his, Marneta suggests learning some practical
techniques. ‘It only needs a few minutes of
your day. Feel the softening of the mind, the
opening of the heart. Children will naturally
start to mirror that back,’ she says.
Marneta’s classes include affirmations, in
which the mums all choose and repeat their
own positive mantra. It might be something
like: ‘I am everything my baby needs’ or ‘My
baby and I are healthy, happy and strong’.
‘They also practice lying down, breathing with
your baby on your tummy. It’s creative, simple
and pressure free,’ says Marneta.
Marneta is keen to bust another myth:
‘People might think you have to have a quiet
baby to be mindful, but that’s absolutely not
the case,’ she says. ‘If your baby’s crying, that’s
fine. It’s about sitting with, acknowledging and
accepting how you’re feeling in this moment,
and how your baby is too. Then modelling
your breathing, slowing your breathing down.’GROWING BENEFITS
As your little one gets older, he may be able
to take more of these steps by himself. Baby
Mindful guided meditations, for instance,
encourage small children to imagine
themselves in relaxing situations, like floating