Meditation for kids
Why teach Meditation for kids?
In our society there are many causes and conditions not supportive of good physical and mental health. Just as the lack of physical activity and consumption of processed food creates physical problems and illnesses, the lack of understanding and improper management of our minds and emotions creates many mental and emotional imbalances.
In children, as the mind is developing, it is easiest to instil habits and ways of training the mind positively that have lasting impact. As we age it becomes more difficult. When the mind becomes accustomed to developing healthy habits, our actions will be healthy and the likelihood for calm and happiness is improved.
The foundations of the program are based in teachings of the Buddha. While the Buddha's teachings may be perceived as a religious belief system, this is not the case. The teaching of the Buddha is a pragmatic teaching on the nature of our mind, emotions and how to be happy.
The benefits of meditation & Buddhist philosophy are vast and varied. Here are a few contemporary articles;
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/12/buddhism-and-neuroscience/548120/
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What is the content of Meditation for Children workshops?​
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Paramita Centre regularly offers Meditation Sessions and Activities intented for children from age 7 to 12 principally. In the context of these workshops, we introduce children to Meditation, the mind, emotions and positive life values such as compassion, respect, humility, love, wisdom, concentration, mental calm, altruism, tolerance, sharing and joy. For this purpose, here is the general content of the proposed workshops:
1. Meditation practice: using the calm-abiding mind poster (see image below) with different symbols, we explain the meditation techniques and practice it together. We explain the posture, the breathing exercises, etc. We also use the signing bowl as a tool for starting the practice. Positive benefits include building resilience in daily activities, ability to manage stress etc.
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2. Emotions: we explain the different categories of emotions and how they affect the mind and our reality: tolerance – letting go – wisdom – joy – humility etc. Increase confidence and emotional inteligence.
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3. Explanation of actions – positive actions vs negative actions – body, speech and mind. How do our actions contribute to our happiness and suffering? How do our actions affect our relationships with our friends, family etc.
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4. Songs and mantras to help focus the mind and develop our positive qualities: for example, the Om mani peme houng – 6 letters – 6 positive emotions (happiness – love – wisdom – sharing – joy – humility)
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5. Use of Arts and Crafts to help children integrate the meaning of positive behavior and attitude that support developing skills such as concentration, mindfulness, letting go: paint, drawing, colouring, mandala art with sand or paint, etc.
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6. Using stories coming from the Buddhist tradition which aim at developing positive attitudes and values.
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A secular approach is available to private groups upon request.
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Organizing an event for your school or organization​
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If you are a school or another organization and would like to visit our Centre with a group of children to introduce them to meditation or want someone from our organization to visit your school, please contact us to make an appointment. Workshops are available in French, English, Spanish or Vietnamese.
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Meditation for Children Teacher Training
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Paramita Centre offers Teacher Training for Educators, Parents or Teachers who would like to learn how they can introduce Kids to Meditation. If you are interested or want to plan a teacher training for a group of parents or educators, please contact the Centre!
