A Lifelong Gift
Family Meditation
Once we have discovered all that
meditation can do for us in our lives, we have the
opportunity to share that knowledge with our children. Since
a child's first experiences take place in the home, what
they learn there provides a foundation of knowledge and then
becomes their basis for comparison as they move out into the
world. Even if we may not feel that we are qualified to
teach, we can plant the seeds that will give them a basic
understanding of the peace and power that lie within them.
There are many ways we can instill the value of meditation.
Since children tend to learn just as much, if not more, by
observation and imitation, rather than by instruction, we
can teach by example. By following our practice, we show
them that meditation is part of daily life. Even if they
appear to resist, they will come to understand meditation's
importance in maintaining their inner health if you treat it
as something that is as important and as essential as eating
well and keeping proper hygiene. Little children are not the
only ones that can benefit by learning meditation; preteens
and teenagers can also benefit from learning the skills
necessary to calm their minds and spend quality family time
meditating together.
We may be able to introduce them to the concept of closing
their eyes and taking inner journeys by listening to
visualization CDs, or you may comfortable enough to guide
them through a visualization of your own. Creating a time of
quiet listening in the middle of guided imagery helps them
know that they can be silent and go within whenever they
choose. You might want to sit together and hold hands,
creating a deep bonding ritual that may become everyone's
favorite part of the day. By discussing afterward, you can
discover how your child experiences his or her inner world.
By teaching children how to create with their minds and how
to access the stillness within them, you are giving them
tools that will help them create the best lives possible.
