Teaching your children how to meditate brings on many benefits. As a Mindset Meditation Coach and Author, I have worked with families at a pediatric hospital. I’ve seen first hand how quiet time can enhance a child and parent’s wellbeing.
A young boy who had been taught meditation and guided imagery was faced with a medical procedure that scared him. He told his mom he did not want to do a “PET” scan which may reveal if any cancer had returned. After pleading with him to go through the scan without much luck, the mom asked: “What would Ms. Vicki have you do?” The 10-year-old said, “Go to my happy, safe place.” The mom told me, “That’s what he did and he stayed so calm.” She smiled and reported how the procedure went well and his results were clear.
Research shows Children who practice yoga, meditation and mindfulness build skills of attention and self-awareness. They have better self-control and make wiser decisions. They also learn to be more in charge of emotions and behaviors.
1. Social-Emotional Development
One study found that a social-emotional learning program used with mindfulness was more effective than a classic “social responsibility” program. Kids in the former treatment had greater empathy, perspective, and emotional control, compared to the control group. They were also more “social” and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than in the control group.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT-C) has also been shown to help improve attention and behavior problems, and reduce anxiety in kids who started out with high anxiety levels.
2. Attention and Focus
Grownups are concerned about kids and attention. Studies have shown meditation helps children with Attention Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD. One 2004 study found that children with ADHD who learned meditation with their parents twice weekly in a clinic setting, and kept practicing at home, had better concentration at school, among other benefits. A study in 2013 showed that in boys with ADHD reduced hyperactive behaviors and improved concentration within eight weeks..
3. Self-Awareness and Self-Control
Mindfulness is intimately connected to self-awareness and naturally to self-regulation. If children learn to be more aware of thought processes and reactions in the present moment, kids learn to manage their own internal conflicts better. And the research has backed this up: one study found that kids who learned mindful awareness practices (MAPs) had better executive function after eight weeks of training twice a week.
Children continue to feel stress at home and at school. Our kids deserve to be equipped with tools to help them better cope. As for parents and teachers, raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted children often feels overwhelming. Parents and educators deserve to know and practice mind-body tools, as well.
If you want to learn more about an upcoming online program series for Children, Teens, and Parents, please contact us for a series of programs that begin in the next few weeks. In our next segment, we’ll talk about the benefits of Group Meditation.
Wishing you peace!
Vicki
Vicki Atlas Israel is passionate about helping you and your family stress less, while adding more love and joy. She’s a Best Mindset Coach, Certified in Guided Imagery, a Consultant at a pediatric hospital, and the author of National Bestseller Inner Power NOW: Healing Meditations to Reduce Stress and Pain so Children and Families Thrive. The Foreword is written by Jack Canfield, famous for co-creating Chicken Soup for the Soul® series.
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