Tips to Build a Meditation Practice that Lasts!

We all struggle to keep up with new habits, even if they are good for us. And meditation is no exception. In fact, it can seem harder on some days than the others, even if you and your little ones are completely committed to it.

Here are some tips and tricks to establish an effective meditation practice with your little ones-

1. Keep the purpose of meditation in mind. Be sure to engage in mindful practice with children in positive situations, and never use it as a disciplinary tool. The children should never feel that they are meditating as a punishment for something they have done wrong. Else they will always relate to it negatively.

2. Set a daily routine for meditating to make sure you incorporate it. Open ended timings would generally imply you would end up never doing it. Just as you set aside time for their homework, playtime etc, it is very important to set aside time for meditation in the beginning. Later it becomes a part of everything you do, so there would be no need to set aside time for this wonderful practice.

3. Prepare the environment for successful practice. Move the furniture around if needed and make the spot very enticing for your little ones. Make sure the lighting and the space is very comfortable for them. To start, always pick an activity that they love to do. Slowly ease into the others later.

4. Another way to make meditation exciting could be to involve your children in the setting- up process. If you are dealing with more than one child, you can perhaps designate a different child each day to alert the class when it’s time to meditate or help set up any tools or props. That way they get the feeling of being helpful and look forward to the process.

5. Share your own experiences with the kids. This will help them understand how meditation is applied and practiced in everyday life. Feel free to share how you redirect yourself when you feel distracted during a meditation session. In our programs, we have also included a few stories on meditation using playful characters. While listening to the stories the children can relate to the character and learn meditation enthusiastically.

6. Encourage the children to share their experiences as well, whether they were good experiences or experiences in which they got distracted. Maybe each session can end with a few students sharing how it went for them. Which parts they loved and which they didn’t like so much. Reflection from them is also very important for us, as parents or teachers, to understand the little ones even better and to improve the sessions to make them more engaging and interesting for them.

7. Practice every day. The more you embed meditation into your daily routine, the easier it is to engage, and the more you will be able to reap the benefits of this amazing practice. However, do not bombard them with it. They will be repelled by it then.

Hope these tips help you create a fun and effective meditation routine for your little ones!

If you are looking to start your little ones on a meditation path early, try our meditation programs that are based on the play-and-learn methodology. Explained through animations, stories, worksheets, guided imageries and music, these programs would help kids manage negative emotions like anger, stress, anxiety, fear, jealousy, insecurity and at the same time develop positive emotions like empathy, love, compassion, gratitude and kindness. Help your kids lead a happy, joyous and fulfilled life! Start early!