Meditation for small children - by Annamária Kádár

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Meditation for small children - by Annamária Kádár
Meditation for small children - by Annamária Kádár
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During meditation, our nerves calm down, our mind becomes quiet, we exclude the outside world, only the here and now, and we only notice the problems and then let them go. And if it works well for adults, it can certainly have the same positive effect on children.

The only question is how to start; how to introduce your child to the world of meditation. The good news is that meditation can be learned, and with practice it can become a self-evident process that can be invoked at any time, making stressful situations easier to manage.

In the case of children, it can even help them sleep at night and can also be used in overactive states. In fact, during meditation we place ourselves in another world, using our imagination we create a fairy tale world, we create internal images. Just as children create their own fairytale world with the help of their imagination. In other words, meditation is closer to them than many of us think.

shutterstock 374136676
shutterstock 374136676

We already wrote about meditation storybooks before, but now we were mainly interested in practical information, so we turned to psychologist Dr. Annamária Kádár, whose recommendation can be found on the cover of the mentioned storybooks.

Kádár Annamária

Dr. Kádár Annamária was born in Marosvásárhely. He completed his doctoral studies at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of Eötvös Lóránd University, in the Cognitive Development program, and in parallel, he obtained his professional qualification in work and organizational psychology at the Budapest University of Technology. He continued his training in family therapy and relaxation and symbol therapy trends.

Worked as a school psychologist and university assistant professor at the Sapientia Transylvanian Hungarian University. He is currently teaching at the Marosvásárhely branch of BabeBolyai University, majoring in Kindergarten and Elementary Education Pedagogy. Source

If we don't have a meditation storybook, how do we do the teaching? Where can we find material for it?

When one meditates, all one does is to focus one's mind on one particular thing. In fact, conscious introspection, concentrating on one thing, reading a book, listening to a story in a relaxed state of the body are to a certain extent meditative activities.

At what age should children start teaching/practicing meditation?

A pre-school child can already follow the instructions all the way through, you can start practicing with him.

Are there any contraindications to meditation?

None (except for some serious psychiatric cases, e.g. not recommended for psychotics).

In what cases can meditation help children?

The general goal of meditation is to find mental peace and tranquility, it helps children to develop self-control and self-regulation. At the same time, meditation increases self-confidence and self-esteem, our physical self-awareness. Those who relax regularly (4-5 minutes a day) can stay relaxed even in difficult situations.

shutterstock 314692682
shutterstock 314692682

Is there a “best time” to meditate? (morning/noon/evening, before/after eating, etc.)

If the child has learned to meditate and relax, he has acquired a skill that he can use at any time later in his life, waiting for the bus, before an important competition, he can relax at any time, get into a relaxed state, listen to his inner voices and act accordingly. It can be used in the morning, at noon, in the evening, at any time.

What conditions should we create for meditation? Do circumstances matter at all?

It is important that the child does not have any bodily needs (pee, poop, eating, drinking), preferably not sick. The temperature of the place should be pleasant, not disturbing. When we want to meditate, it is good if we are not disturbed by anyone or anything. The child should take a comfortable position in which he will meditate, this can be sitting or lying down. The problem with lying down is that you can easily fall asleep.

You can meditate not only at home, but also outdoors in nature, the main thing is not to be disturbed by loud noises or animals. We can listen to music, but some people are bothered by it, some need silence or the sound of nature. It is good to start practicing meditation at home in calm conditions, but those who already relax and meditate regularly will be able to meditate even in noisy places.

How should we deal with "teaching"? How to lead the child to it?

Meditation is an altered state of consciousness that cannot be created by will. It is like sleep, the more one wants to sleep, the more alert one becomes. The way to children is definitely through play. They are not yet able to take these tasks seriously, let's not expect this from them in the beginning. Let it be fun.

It is important to start from the basic premise that this is not a method that works overnight, it takes a lot of practice to integrate into the everyday life of the parent and child, we have to do it regularly to achieve the desired effect.

For example, in Montessori schools, children sit down on the carpet during the day (in the morning, at noon, at the end of the day) with the aim of becoming quiet, with a candle or a large stone in the middle of the carpet. Children learn to listen, sit quietly and pay attention to what they hear when there is silence (birds, their own heartbeat, rain) and observe how their breathing slows down. All this takes 15 minutes. Children learn to sit down on their own if they are overstimulated.

What's next?

You can teach the child to pay attention to his breathing for a short time. Watch your chest rise and fall, then gradually close your eyes and breathe like that.

Is meditation enough, or should we also do yoga - as adults we learned that these two go hand in hand

In yoga - just like in relaxation and meditation - we turn inward and listen to the small signals of our body and soul. There are two major versions of yoga, one when the exercises are performed for the sake of physical well-being, and when the physical exercises are performed not only for the developmental effects on the body but also on the soul, in which case it can be effectively associated with meditation.

shutterstock 310146146
shutterstock 310146146

When can the child meditate alone, without help?

When practice becomes a ritual, like the evening story before falling asleep.

How to invoke the meditation technique in a tense situation?

As parents and teachers - no matter how much we want to - we cannot protect our children from all stress and anxiety. We can help them develop effective coping strategies for difficult situations. For example, the method of progressive muscle relaxation is based on the fact that there is a connection between our emotional tone and our muscle tone: if our body relaxes, our soul will follow.

Deep breathing is one of the simplest relaxation exercises. In stressful, anxiety-provoking situations, we tend to breathe abundantly and shallowly, which helps us maintain our tense state. If our child learns slow deep breathing, he will be able to calm down more easily, he will be able to control his anxiety and aggression.

What changes can we see in our child if we "do it right"?

When the child pays attention to his breathing, his blood pressure drops, his heartbeat slows down, he becomes calmer, he can concentrate more easily, and he feels less burdened. It makes you aware of your emotions, so you rarely overreact. Stress relief and physical and mental relaxation can be classified as long-term effects. As a result of regular meditation, our cognitive evaluation of stress can change, what we consider a stressful situation.

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