Mindfulness and meditation practice was not something that existed in my world as a child – I suspect the same story for most of us.
It would be a very different world for us all personally and collectively if we had that influence in our lives at an early age. Since life is happening here and now, it’s what we choose to do now that matters.
Children pick up on our vibes and energy.
If we are nervous and anxious, they will be too. In recent times, staying composed is no easy task.
As a father of two young children, I think it’s critically important to incorporate mindfulness meditation into my children’s lives and serve as a role model for them. Monkey see monkey do.
Initially and quite often still, they resist mentally and physically, but typically at some point during the practice, there is a release and a calm stillness. My son often says “I feel better now Daddy”. I’ve noticed both of my children now mindfully using their breath to self-regulate without any prompting from me.
Abigail, Jaxen, and I have been doing 2 Live Mindful Kids sessions over the past 9 weeks on @city_shred @city_shredkids to help inspire other families to incorporate mindfulness into their lives.
On Monday May 25th at 8:20 am we will be on @cp24breakfast to share our story and discuss the benefits mindfulness for kids! Please tune in and check it out.
All of the kid’s practices are in a language that children can understand but remember, that it’s us grown-ups that need this practice the most! It may seem odd to think of children as calm, nonjudgmental, and mindful, but ultimately, children can achieve mindfulness and thereby practice meditation more easily than adults can.