What are the benefits of meditation for kids?
Although people most commonly think of the benefits of adults meditating, there are also considerable benefits of kids meditating too. From school to activities and busy schedules, kids need a chance to unplug themselves every day from the outside world by meditating. With so many children having to overcome mental health issues these days, getting your child to sit calmly and meditate can greatly help their mental health in a variety of ways.
Teaching your children to stop, stay focused, and breathe can have a tremendous impact on them and their well-being.
What is Meditation?
Although there are various ways to meditate, at its core meditation is a practice that helps us create self-awareness and practice mindfulness. Meditation is used to calm the mind, body, and spirit.
The authors and researchers of Role of meditation to improve children's health: Time to look at other strategies explain that,
“Meditation is a method of mental training, which has been developed for enhancing and maintaining human wellbeing and life satisfaction…Meditation aims to change thought-based processes, including emotions and mental images, which results in the individual being in a relaxed and calm state when meditation is practiced regularly.”
To have an understanding of meditation, it is important to note that this is just a general explanation of meditation because it can look different for everyone. Meditation comes in all different shapes and forms and can have particular focuses such as stress or non-guided meditations.
Anyone can meditate and practice mindfulness, including kids! Always remember that you, or your children, don’t have to be an expert on meditation to benefit from it.
Benefits of Meditation for Kids
Here are some key benefits of meditation for kids:
1. Meditation Helps School Kids
With high levels of academic stress, researchers have discovered ways meditation can be effective for kids in school. In a study done on 11-12 year old students in the United States, researchers found that practicing mindfulness, specifically self-awareness and breathing techniques, for 12 minutes each day for 6 weeks “resulted in decreases in affect disturbances, suicidal ideation and self-harm.”
From rigorous academics to transitioning back into school from the pandemic and remote learning, children are going through a lot at school. We can do our best to assist them by introducing them to meditation techniques that are appropriate for their age. Using meditation in schools leads us to creating healthier kids and improving their mental health.
In a research article by Alice Walton, a specialist in pharmacy and healthcare, Walton states that some anecdotal and scientific evidence suggest that meditating in school influences children’s academic performance.
One California school district with “high-risk” schools started incorporating meditation into class schedules each day. They found that “schools have reported better attendance and grades, fewer suspensions, and generally happier and less aggressive kids.”
2. Meditation Helps Kids Brain Development
Meditation can have a tremendous impact on our brains for both adults and children. From mindfulness meditation helping ease anxiety for kids to decreasing the mental stress on them, meditating has great neurological benefits for children.
Walton’s research also discusses ways meditation can actually change the brain.
It was found that meditation for developing brains actually has “as much as or perhaps even more promise than it has for adults.” Meditating can help children with internal stress and trauma. As children’s brains are developing, it is important to teach them about mindfulness because it can help them calm their mind, body, and soul and lead to positive behavior.
Studies have shown that meditation can also help children with ADD/ADHD who have trouble focusing. In a research study done on ADHD children that included a 6-week meditation practice program, the researcher’s results found improvements in kids both at home and at school. Kids started to have better sleep patterns and less anxiety as well as have less conflict and being able to concentrate more at school.
3. Meditation Positively Influences Troubled Kids
Parenting children with behavioral difficulties can be challenging for both the parent and the child. It can take a toll on the child’s mental health and cause them to act out and continue to have behavioral issues. However, all hope is not lost for troubled kids because meditation can have a positive impact on their behavior.
Sources
Wilson, N. A., Kenny, M. A., & Peña, A. S. (2021). Role of meditation to improve children's health: Time to look at other strategies. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57(2), 178-181.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpc.15275
Walton, A. G. (2015). 7 ways meditation can actually change the brain. Forbes, February, 9. https://jayshreefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/7WaysMeditationCanActuallyChangeTheBrain.pdf
Harrison, L. J., Manocha, R., & Rubia, K. (2004). Sahaja yoga meditation as a family treatment programme for children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 9(4), 479-497. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1359104504046155
