Once we’ve discovered all that meditation can do for us, 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 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 as essential as eating well and keeping proper hygiene. Young children aren’t the only ones who can gain by learning meditation; preteens and teenagers can also benefit by acquiring the skills necessary to calm their minds and spend quality family time meditating together.
You may be able to introduce them to the concept of closing their eyes and taking inner journeys by listening to visualization CDs/downloads, or you may be 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 it afterward, you can discover how your child experiences his or her inner world. When you teach children how to create with their minds and how to access the stillness inside them, you’re giving them tools that will help them cultivate the best lives possible.
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