September- back to school?

Even though my children are grown and are now having kids of their own, I still remember the barrage of emotions my kids went through in August/September. They would be excited for school to start one day and worried and anxious the next. Many times I woke up at night to find one of them standing by my bed wanting to know; who their teacher would be? Where was the bathroom? Who would be in their class? Would their friends be there? And many an August afternoon we would all walk down to the school to get a tour so they (and me) could sleep through the night.

Kids get anxious, worried, upset, angry, sad and stressed just like an adult. Their emotions can feel exaggerated or small to us compared to work issues, mortgages and bills. But to a 7 year old knowing where the bathroom is is very important piece of information for his/her peace of mind. When under stress, angry or anxious, we can think straight and we make poor decisions. This is because about 70% of the blood in our forebrain-the thinking part of the brain- leaves to supply extra blood to our limbs so we can run away from the ‘danger’.

Studies have proven that meditation is an easy and effective way to calm the stress response in children. Plus it helps a child to develops a beautiful coping mechanism that can be brought with them into adulthood. What more could a parent ask for?

Mediation does not have to be complicated. It’s about calming the mind and staying in the present. It’s not about sitting still for hours and hours trying to empty our minds. Our bodies are made to move and our minds are made to think...we have 60,000 thoughts per day. How do we stop that in order to meditate? We don’t...we accept the thoughts and go back to focusing on our breath.

In my book, Pudge Learns to Meditate, little mindful meditators learns to see thoughts as clouds and just watch them float by. They learn how to alternate nostril breathe to release anxieties and fears. They learn to focus on just their breath to help bring peace and calmness to their minds.

“If every 8-year-old child learned to meditate, world violence would be eliminated in one generation” Dalai Lama

Now that would truly be amazing. Begin the change, learn to meditate with your children.

Nameste

Kimberly a., Reiki Master

“Pudge Learns to Meditate”

Available at Spiritki Healing Center

705-499-7975