A practical guide for parents and teachers
Is meditation the new 'time-out' for children? As yoga and meditation become prevalent in Western culture, teaching meditation to children is becoming commonplace. Many children's meditations employ visualizations or guided imagery, others aim to improve the child's ability to focus. How do we know these practices are safe and beneficial for kids? What does science tell us about the long-term effects of meditation on children? Should meditation be used to create calmness in the classroom?
Contents
• Has meditation been
practiced successfully by children?
• What is the effect of
meditation on brain development?
• Transcendental Meditation
found to help children with anxiety
• At what age can a child
learn to meditate?
• ADHD and Meditation
• Detroit school deals with
classroom stress
As meditation becomes more and more popular among adults, teaching meditation to children is being promoted as a way to create centeredness and focus at a tender age. Yet many teachers and parents recognize the difficulty of teaching a young child to try and silence the mind and sit still. As a result, a variety of “children’s meditations” are being invented that
often use imagination, focusing on the breath or trying to find stillness within. Often these methods are being employed in an attempt to create calmness in the classroom. Unwittingly, these practices have been introduced to children without any track record of success and little, if any scientific research on the effects they may have on a child’s brain and development.Parents may wonder: should children be taught to discipline their minds
or channel their imagination for specific purposes? At what age is it
appropriate for my child to meditate? What kind of practice is safe and
effective for children? Is there any tradition, precedence or scientific
authority behind the practice of children’s meditation? Is meditation something
I should teach my child, or do along with them?
The ancient, venerated Vedic Tradition of meditation prescribes
different practices at specific stages of development in the child’s life.
Because very young children are still integrating their inner world with the
outer world around them, they may find it difficult to practice a meditation
that requires them to sit still or inhibits their natural inclination to know
and discover. Attempts to settle a child through directing their attention to
breathing, engaging in creative visualization or trying to achieve inner
silence can instead cause strain and frustration for the exuberant, growing
child.
Has meditation been practiced successfully by children?
One technique of meditation that has been successfully introduced to
many middle and high schools throughout America and around the world is the
Transcendental Meditation technique. Based on the broad spectrum of scientific
research on the effectiveness of the TM technique for students and adults [1],
educators have felt confident that the Transcendental Meditation program is a
safe and reliable practice to help children cope with stress and improve learning
ability [2] and behavior [3]. Over 140,000 school children around the world
have learned the TM technique in the past three years, and the TM technique has
been successfully used in the classroom for 40 years.
What is the effect of meditation on brain development?
Science has looked at what happens in the brain during the practice of
the TM technique. Findings indicate the onset of a healthy state of coherence
and balance throughout all parts of the brain, with increased activation of the
pre-frontal cortex [4], the part of the brain responsible for discrimination
and higher reasoning. Notably, this type of holistic brain functioning is not
found while a child is studying, playing, watching TV or listening to music;
nor does this balanced, holistic brain functioning come about through other
types of meditation exercises, such as mindinfulness, watching the breath,
visualizing, or guided imagination; all such activities activate specific areas
of the brain. Only the meditative state associated with ‘transcending’ during
TM practice has been found to activate the entire brain in this holistic way.
Moreover, research shows that twice daily practice of the TM technique develops
a healthier, more efficient style of brain functioning for people of all ages.
Practice of the TM technique for 10 minutes twice daily not only stimulates
brain development and learning ability in children, but also provides natural
relief from stress, anxiety [5], depression [6] and fatigue.
Transcendental Meditation found to help children with anxiety
“One of the best-documented ways to address anxiety in children is to
teach them to deeply relax themselves. Children and adolescents often encounter
stress at home and at school,” says Dr. William Stixrud, clinical
neuropsychologist and faculty at the Children’s National Medical Center in
Washington, DC. “If you can effectively treat a child’s anxiety problems, you
significantly decrease the likelihood that they’re going to develop depression,
addictive behaviors or other kinds of mental health problems. Transcendental
Meditation becomes a very important tool, not only in the treatment of children
with anxiety problems, but also in the prevention of anxiety disorders.”
Reducing stress [7] and increasing inner happiness increases flexibility,
social abilities and self esteem. Children who naturally find self-approval
from within, rather than seeking it mostly from the outside, are less
influenced by peer pressure. When properly practiced, meditation is a valuable
tool for a child to use as she matures, better preparing her to meet the
stresses and challenges of adulthood.
At what age can a child learn to meditate?
What is the appropriate time in a child’s development to sit and
practice eyes-closed meditation? According to the tradition of the
Transcendental Meditation program—the Vedic Tradition—no sooner than ten years
of age. Starting with just a few minutes morning and afternoon, children ten
and older find the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique easy to
master because it doesn’t require focus, concentration or that they sit still.
Even children with ADHD are able to practice this meditation successfully [8].
What about children under ten? A special practice appropriate for the
developmental stage of early childhood is the Maharishi Word of Wisdom
technique. This eyes-open meditation can be learned by children starting at
ages three to four. This practice strengthens the mind and stabilizes the
emotions of the young child. The children’s TM technique is practiced a few minutes
each day with eyes open, while the child is quietly engaged in easy, natural
activities such as walking or coloring. The children’s technique has been found
to promote balance in mind and body and integrate the child’s nervous system.
[9] The child grows in stability in relation to the outer world and does not
become introverted or withdrawn—as may occur through use of adult meditative
practices that would be unnatural for them.
Children benefit most from meditation when their parents are also meditating. A family that meditates together typically finds that their home life grows more harmonious and blissful. There’s more time for nourishing interactions when stress is released during meditation, instead of through outbursts and arguments.
