Breathing & Mindfulness Exercises To Do With Kids
Numerous scientific studies support the range of lifelong benefits that result from practicing mindfulness and meditation with children - from developing skills such as concentration, patience and resiliency, to emotional regulation (especially in the face of stress and anxiety - two of the top challenges of our time), and the cultivation of self-awareness and compassion for oneself and others.
Helpful Hints:
Kids can usually sit for about as long as their age. For younger kids age 4-6, doing a series of 5 minute exercises is best
Visualization exercises are very powerful and soothing for kids
Use language they understand to explain concepts – superheroes, animals, nature are great ways to relate and bring meditation into their world
Make it a Family Affair! Breathe with your kids first thing upon waking up, at bedtime, or when someone is upset. When you participate with your children it shows them that you are as devoted to being calm and peaceful as you wish them to be
Meddy Teddy is a soft & fuzzy way to introduce meditation: www.meddyteddy.com
Short and simple breathing exercises listed below are a great precursor to having an object of one’s attention and training the brain to place attention where you want it
Breath Buddies: Take 5 Breath
Our breath is the ultimate, unconditionally supportive buddy! It’s always available, 24/7, to support and nourish us. We are always breathing but most of the time we pay very little attention to our breaths. Learning to connect to it at a young age is an invaluable skill. For the next few minutes, we going to feel, notice and observe our breath as it happens. Try “Take 5” breath where you inhale for 5 and exhale for 5, using your fingers to count. As you slow down your breath, the mind and heart will also slow. Ask your child: Can you feel your belly rise and fall as you inhale and exhale? What does it feel like as it enters your body? What kind of sensations do you feel in your nose and chest?
Darth Vader/Mermaid Breath
This is a fun one for kids. Breathe in deeply through your nose and exhale deeply through your nose with your mouth remaining closed while you make a Darth-Vader type noise in the back of the throat. Another way to explain is to pretend to fog a mirror, and then repeat the breath with your mouth closed. If your child is not into Star Wars, you can also call it Mermaid Breath and describe the sound as the sound of the ocean. Kids can also place their fingers in their ears as they exhale to further experience the sense of being underwater.
Superhero Meditation
Help your child awaken their inner superhero. Talk to them about their favorite guardian of the universe, and then ask them to imagine that they are that superhero – Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Batman, etc. As they inhale, guide them to breathe in strength and as they exhale, tell them to breathe out stress or anxiety. On the next inhale, breathe in courage, and then breathe out any fear. You can tailor the meditative affirmations to their needs and favorite superhero’s innate strengths.
Body Scan
Body Scan meditations are one of the basic practices in mindfulness education. Ask your child to lie down on their back on a comfortable surface and gently close their eyes. Ask them to squeeze every muscle in their body as tight as they can – squish their toes together, and balling their hands into fists. Make their bodies hard like a stone, or stiff like a mummy. Then ask them to release all of their muscles and relax for a few minutes. Talk to them throughout the activity and encourage them to share how their body is feeling.
Jumping Jacks & Heartbeat Exercise
This is a great way to connect mind, body and heart, especially if your kids are more active and energetic. Ask them to jump up and down, dance in place, or do jumping jacks for one minute. When the time is up, have them sit down and put their hand on their heart. Ask them to close their eyes and pay attention to their heartbeat and their breath. See if they can count their heartbeats and/or breath over the next few minutes.
Loving Kindness
This is a great meditation to help kids cultivate compassion through sending well wishes to themselves and to others. Ask them to sit in a comfy spot – they can lie down if they would like. Have them gently close their eyes and imagine they are happy, peaceful, and calm. Then ask them to pick someone in their life that they love - that make them smile. It could be a person (parent, grandparent, teacher, friend) or even a pet. Help them to really visualize this person, and once they’ve chosen, ask them to bring their hands to their heart and imagine they are giving this person or pet a warm hug. Then guide them to silently repeat three kind thoughts to this person – it can be simple as wishing them happiness, safety and love. When you send kind and loving thoughts, your heart expands and it fills up with so much love that it feels like it might burst. Now guide them to take that love in their heart and send it out to the person or pet. After you can talk to your child about how that felt for them. Oftentimes children feel more at peace and happy. Encourage them to notice how it didn’t take that long to experience that feeling. Then tell your child it is time to send those kind and loving thoughts to themselves. For younger kids, it might start as a hug. Then guide them to silently repeat well wishes such as “May I be happy. May I be peaceful. May I feel calm.”