Meditation for Children!
Young children are incredibly inquisitive and also extremely sensitive. When my niece was around 4-5 years old, she used to sometimes sit in my room while I meditated. Occasionally she would camp outside the room on her sleeping bag and waited until I finished meditating. Although she did not understand what meditation was, she sensed that it was something good.
How does one explain meditation to a child? In the short video below, Maharishi answers that very question. He uses the example of a rose; on the outside of the rose we see petals, leaf, and stem. On the inside, there is the unseen sap—one guiding element for the whole flower. This is analogous to our selves as well. On the outside of our body we see the eyes, nose, hands, feet, etc. Inside we have consciousness, which is not apparent from the outside, but which is the guiding force for all the activity of the body.
Maharishi also explains that both outer and inner values of life are guided by the unified field of natural law. In meditation we experience the deepest, most silent level of our consciousness, which Maharishi equates with the home of all the laws of nature.
Maharishi explains to children what Transcendental Meditation is:
These points may seem advanced for a young child, but I have learned that children are smarter than we think. Maharishi ends the short talk by saying that Transcendental Meditation is like the simplicity of a child’s nature. Anyone practicing the technique will automatically settle down into their own silent level.
Meditation for children as young as 4 years of age is possible. Children can learn a walking meditation, and at 10 years they can learn the Transcendental Meditation technique, in which one sits with eyes closed.
Additional Resources:
– Honoring All Mothers
– Fathoming the Infinite Depths of Love
– Enlightened Health Care—Self-Care
– Questions about Meditation for Children
