Although meditation can consist of sitting still and quieting the intellectual mind, often by counting until your mind is very focused, with children’s meditation, we use a method called Guided Meditation. In Guided Meditation, a child is guided in what to imagine. These meditations are simple because all your child has to do is listen and imagine, and children are experts at imagination.
When your child hears “now I’d like you to imagine a lovely, warm summer day with the sun shining down and and warming your skin while a soft breeze gently blows and cools you. The smell of summer is in the air and the colors are vivid and bright,” he or she will get a distinct image. If we continue along those lines, we can do therapeutic work to increase self-esteem and self-confidence, decrease stress and anxiety, and give ourselves tools for better emotional management.
This marks the difference between relaxation and meditation. Relaxation is just that – relaxing. It is wonderful and usually the first step in meditating. But meditation gives a child much more than just relaxation. It equips children with the tools to manage childhood stress, to create positive images about themselves, and to heal emotional hurts and calm fears. This is what guided meditation is about.
In my guided meditations, I use vivid imagery to make the scenes come alive for children. My goal is to engage all their senses and create a wonderful experience that they want to relive every night!
When I create these magical stories, I include tools and techniques, as well as a well-crafted story that captivates with sensory words and engages the imagination. The stories create peace and calm and a sense of emotional safety, which, of course all children should feel. Guided meditations help children fall asleep faster and easier because they include relaxation and begin working the creative part of the brain, preparing your little ones for wonderful dreams. They become the bridge to dreamland and very restful sleep.
