What is meditation?
Meditation is a particular way of practicing mindfulness. You can be mindful of whatever you are doing over the course of the day. Meditation, however, is about spending a period of time intentionally focusing your attention on something specific as a way of strengthening your "mindfulness muscle."
Meditation is not only for adults. Explicitly teaching children to meditate can give them a head start on accessing the many benefits of meditation. Even though today's young people exhibit elevated levels of stress and anxiety and many struggle with difficulty focusing their attention, the percentage of American youth who meditate is quite small– only 1.6%, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Recent studies suggest that students who practice mindfulness, including meditation, have increased self-control, better attentiveness in class, and greater feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Meditation may help students who experience challenges to learning such as ADHD/ADD, anxiety, and stress.
Isn't meditation a religious practice?
While meditation is found in almost all world religions, it is not a religious practice itself. It is a simple mental technique to go to the source of thought. Out of respect to the sensibilities of all our families, at Bodymind Learning we teach meditation using a secular approach that combines kid-friendly exercises with training in sitting meditation, body awareness, and mindful movement. Some families do choose to integrate their religious or spiritual background into their home meditation practice. The mental techniques students learn with Bodymind Learning are universal.
Meditation Classes for Youth
We are pleased to offer our signature Meditation for Youth 10-class series, designed to give young people a deeper understanding of the body-mind connection. Depending upon demand, we offer separate practice groups for children (3rd - 4th grade), pre-teens (5th - 7th grade), and teens. Classes meet on Sundays in Park Slope or Boerum Hill/Carroll Gardens. Please contact us to receive updates on classes forming in October.
Private Meditation Instruction
If you don't think your child would be great in the group setting of one of our series, or if the current schedule just doesn't work for you, there is always the option of private lessons which will give your child a customized experience.
Read More:
3 Kid-Friendly Meditations Your Kids Will Love – The Chopra Center; www.chopra.com; Melissa Eisler, author
Just Breathe: The Importance of Meditation Breaks for Kids – American Academy of Pediatrics; www.healthychildren.org
Meditation Helps Kids Chill Out, Reduce Impulsivity – ABC News; www.abcnews.go.com; Liz Neporent, author
Science Shows Meditation Benefits Children's Brains and Behavior – Forbes; www.forbes.com; Alice G. Walden, author
