Introducing Night Time Meditation To Help Your Kids Relax Before Sleep
We love meditations and mindfulness at Bullionite. We all find these practices to be the “secret weapon” of sorts for handling rough days and just being more present in our lives. Though we love using these tools in our daily lives, for the most part we all discovered meditation and mindfulness as adults, but what about children? Children can benefit greatly from these practices. Not only will it help them learn how to have a meaningful relationship with their emotions, it will also give them the toolkit to be better adjusted adults. But how do we introduce these exercises to kids? We offered 4 tips for mindfulness in a previous article last month here so now we are offering guided meditation for your kids.
The best part about starting these practices with children is that they are already halfway there. Their imaginations are still strong and they lack a lot of the distracting concerns that adults have that can lead to us being detached in our daily lives. To help your child start the practice of meditation we find that guided meditations work best. Try reading a guided meditation to your kid at bedtime like you would a bedtime story and tell them to imagine everything you are describing. Not only is this a great exercise to learn how to meditate, it will also help your child become relaxed and ready for bed and can quickly become a beloved ritual to prepare them for sleep.
To begin this meditation first get everything done for bedtime. PJ's, teeth, shower whatever the routine is and get your child in bed comfortably. Make sure they are at a nice temperature and are comfortable before beginning. Tell your child to shut their eyes and to imagine everything you read to them in the story. The following script is written by Melissa Dormoy of ShambalaKids.
“Close your eyes and take in a nice deep breath. Allow your tummy to fill up like a balloon, and then exhale slowly. Do this five times to really relax your whole body completely.”
At this point let your child breath for as long as it takes them to do their calming breaths. If they need help or are experienced in more advanced breathing techniques, this is a great time to teach them or allow them to practice their new techniques.
“Your body begins to feel deeply relaxed and sinks down further and further into your nice, soft bed. Your legs begin to feel very heavy. Your arms begin to feel heavy and relaxed. You enjoy every moment as your body continues to relax with each word.”
Pause here and look for cues that your child is participating in the meditation. If they are squirming or laughing, allow them a moment or longer to relax before continuing. Know that the first few times, you may not be able to get through an entire meditations script and that is ok. Every child progresses at different rates and while some children will take to this very easily, others will have a harder time.
“Now as your body relaxes, imagine you’re a beautiful butterfly fluttering high in the sky. You see the lovely green valley below you with lots of colorful flowers, just waiting for you to enjoy. You feel the wind blow against your delicate wings.
As the wind touches you, it gently blows away any worries, any stress you feel. Feel how wonderful it feels to be free. Your mind is clear and calm. You have left any worries far behind now. You are completely peaceful. You are beautiful as you allow your true happiness to shine through. The sun touches your body and warms you. The big, puffy clouds floating in the sky remind you how relaxed and calm you can be whenever you want, just by thinking about it.
The earth is a patchwork of color and you enjoy each moment here, gliding along feeling so joyful and peaceful. You spread your wings in a huge stretch. It feels so good. Your body is calm and your mind is peaceful. You can fly around as long as you’d like – exploring or just floating gently on the wind. Take in a deep breath now and exhale slowly.”
Let your child have a few deep breaths here.
“Give your body a big stretch. Reach over your head and stretch as far as you can!”
Again, allow for your child to finish their stretch here.
“You are ready for wonderful, peaceful sleep tonight. With a clear, calm mind, say these words to yourself: I am peaceful and I am calm, ready for a wonderful adventure in dreamland. Good night, little one.”
Have you tried our mindfulness and meditation exercises with your kids? How did they react to them? Reach out to us at info@bullionite.com with your questions and comments.