Teaching children meditation

Vastmind

This is guided by Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu .......

A video on meditation for children. It's a mixture of meditating on
ideas (like cats, dogs, parents, etc.) and meditating on reality
(sitting, breath, etc.). 12 minutes....

May all beings be happy

Vastmind

Here is part 2 and links to the rest of the series come up at the end
to the right .....

Bunks

Thanks @Vastmind.

My three year old daughter occasionally sits in the crossed legged meditation pose - it is very cute (as is pretty much everything she does)!

When she's a few years older I'll start introducing her to meditations just like those you have kindly embedded above.

karasti

Yay! Thanks!

Another good one someone talked about at our retreat last weekend was a butterfly meditation, where you have the child envision a butterfly on the end of their nose, and when they exhale, they send the butterfly out to bring good things to the world and then bring it back when they inhale.

Kids are really open to that stuff. Our youngest is in preschool (he is 5) and they already teach deep breathing and self-awareness to deal with emotions and conflict and over excitability. It only helps Sometimes he'll even tell me to remember to breathe better if I get frustrated, lol.

anataman

Vastmind said:

This is guided by Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu .......

A video on meditation for children. It's a mixture of meditating on
ideas (like cats, dogs, parents, etc.) and meditating on reality
(sitting, breath, etc.). 12 minutes....

May all beings be happy

Sorry to be a damp squid, I enjoyed it but I was not happy about teaching my children about lesson 2 01:05 - 01:20 - it brings an expectation of a supernatural quality to meditation... No problem with the rest - just a big problem with the 15 seconds of becoming a superman!

how

My daughter used to join me for meditation at various times from 7 -12 yrs of age. Never was sure if it was for her or for me. I was pretty careful to not push it at her.
I think teen years and the same hedonistic streak her dad has, distracted her for 10 years but she's joining my partner on a 11 day Goenka retreat this summer.

lobster

just a big problem with the 15 seconds of becoming a superman!

Sounds like the sort of meditation those of us born yesterday could try . . . think what we can do when we are three and cute . . .

I am a cat. I am a dog. I am an adult. I am a kid. I am superman.

Maybe when I am five, I will be ready for everything . . . and Nothing . . .

Vastmind

I usually do part 1 and 2 with mine...the colors take them over the
edge...hahaha. Then a couple days later, we'll do 3 and 4.
My daughter says "My head feels so light and empty
and when I was thinking about yellow Mommy, the other stuff was emptying
out "...

I love the butterfly idea!