Instructional &
Informational Posts
Those people in the yoga advertisements looking perfectly zen sitting in lotus position next to a lotus flower? Good for them, but that’s not your life, is it? You have a cell phone, you have kids, you have noise in your life. But you also (we swear) have time to meditate. Join us for a weekly meditation you can incorporate into your life, anytime, anywhere.
As kids get closer and closer to the first day of holidays, their attention dwindles. You probably remember this from your own school days. Those last few days of school are a write-off, with more time watching the clock or the clouds outside than the chalkboard.
Today, kids live in sensory overload most of the time and this can continue well into the summer months. Rather than waiting until they hit adulthood to discover meditation, why not introduce them to it yourself?
Children have minds that are just as busy (if not more so) than an adult’s. We can help them to harness their “monkey minds” by introducing them to short meditations that allow a break from constant activity.
First of all, practice what you preach. Kids follow what you do, so while you meditate, invite them to join you.
Ask them to lie on their backs.
Let them choose their favourite stuffed animal and place one on their belly. Ask them to breathe a breath so big that they can feel their stuffed animal move. Tell them that they are rocking the stuffed animal to sleep using their belly.
As your kid gets older, he or she can participate in meditation techniques that adults enjoy too, like counting the breath. Start small, but practice often to help them to prepare for challenges ahead with calmness and control.
There are lots of hours to wile away in the summer. Let’s have some of those hours dedicated to starting a lifelong journey of mindfulness.
--
Courtney Sunday is a writer, yoga teacher, Pilates instructor, spinning instructor and Thai massage practitioner. She teaches corporations in Toronto the fine art of breathing deeply, and travels too much for her own good. She likes to cook meals from scratch using ingredients from her garden, and would mill her own flour and make her own butter if she had more hours in the day. Find out more about her at www.courtneysunday.com.
