If you want to teach your child mindfulness skills, but you’re not sure where to start, consider enrolling them in a mindfulness class or workshop – or even a summer camp with mindfulness programming. Classes are typically available in a variety of venues, from private studios to county recreation departments.
Mindfulness offers many benefits, including reduced stress, increased focus, healthy self-esteem, the ability to regulate emotions and more. Yet, to realize these benefits, regular practice is key. Just as someone needs to practice regularly to train their fingers to play piano, they need to practice regularly to train their brains to be mindful. This is where taking a class comes in, as it helps a child establish a framework for regular practice.
Children’s mindfulness classes are tailored to their abilities, offering them age-appropriate activities. One such activity is “teddy-bear breathing.” With this technique, a child holds a teddy bear on their belly and notices the toy moving out and in with each breath. Since developing awareness is key to the practice of mindfulness, holding the stuffed animal offers a fun and tangible way to notice the movement of the breath.
Yoga offers an alternative way to learn mindfulness skills. Yoga is considered a moving meditation, rather than a meditation sitting still. For fidgety children, yoga allows them to be mindful in action. Plus, developing body awareness is an accessible way to quiet the mind, as the body typically responds to instructions more readily than the mind will respond. For instance, if you tell yourself to walk more slowly, your body will likely follow your directions. But if you tell yourself to think more slowly, your mind likely won’t comply.
There are many different ways to teach a child mindfulness skills. Even regular sports programs help a child become mindful, since sports activities teach focus, a key to most mindfulness practices. Pro golfer Scottie Scheffler explains his success by attributing the training of his mind and his ability to focus fully on the present, rather than getting caught up in thoughts about what has just happened.
If you’re wondering what type of class to choose, try to enroll your child in a class that aligns with their natural inclinations. For some that might be sitting quietly and practicing teddy-bear breathing or learning to do a headstand in a yoga class. For others, it might be learning to spin on ice skates or learning to throw a ball into the strike zone. Just remember, there are many classes and paths to mindfulness. In whatever way your child learns to become mindful, these skills will serve them now and in the years to come.
Joy Rains is a corporate mindfulness trainer and the author of Meditation Illuminated: Simple Ways to Manage Your Busy Mind. Learn more at joyrains.com.
