Our meditation centers have recently begun hosting a free, guided meditation program exclusively for kids, and I couldn’t be happier! Sessions will run every Sunday from 12pm-12:30pm PST for kids ages 8-12. You can RSVP at https://www.event.newyorkmeditation.org/kidsmeditation
Sign up ahead of time to save your spot! Seats are limited to the first 20 participants.
During this period of change and uncertainty, I think it’s more important than ever to make sure we’re not only taking care of our own mental health, but also caring for the mental health of our children. I remember pretty vividly what it was like to be a child; the big emotions, the fear, the difficulty expressing myself, and many times feeling like a prisoner to it all. Don’t get me wrong, I had some pretty outstanding moments as a kid growing up in the beautiful, lush nature of Hawaii island, but even in a tropical paradise, you can only get so far until your mind catches up with you. I was a very imaginative, joyful, and creative child, but on the other side of the personality coin was a lot of sadness, worry, and fear.
I had trouble sleeping for much of my childhood, along with pretty crippling social anxiety. Incidences that other kids seemed to be able to just brush off stuck with me for months and sometimes years. I remember one time hearing about how one of my brother’s friends killed a chameleon after school one day just for fun, and it made me so angry and sad and scared. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why someone would do such a thing. I knew his friend grew up in a pretty rough home environment and got into a lot of fights at our school, but still it was so unsettling and disturbing to me to imagine such a senseless act of violence. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it, and I didn’t even know how to talk to anyone about it.
There were many instances like this throughout my childhood, where I felt so disturbed and upset from something I heard, or read, or saw, usually at school, but also just from things that I saw on TV, or witnessed hanging out with my older brothers and their friends. The thing is, sometimes we just don’t know what our children are experiencing, and can overlook the amount of stress and anxiety they are carrying with them because we’re just not sure what questions to ask or how to ask them. I know for me, I went for much of my life keeping all of this anxiety and sadness locked away in a deep part of myself that I didn’t feel safe talking about with anyone, even my own family. Sometimes we just need a non-biased opinion and a practice to help us let go of this accumulated stress in a safe and fun way.
Cue our new Kids Meditation Program! This is exactly what our program aims to do. Help kids to relieve the stress and anxiety they are carrying in their minds using a very simple and easy to follow method. Our current guide for this program has years of experience with this meditation, and with her happy go lucky personality, she is a natural with both kids and adults alike. Let us help you, help your kids to navigate the uncertainty of this period by giving them the gift of a peaceful mind. In only 30 minutes, once a week, your child will be surprised to find what a difference meditation can make in their lives.
If you as a parent are interested in meditation or know anyone who is, we also have programs specially made for essential works, better sleep, and to help the community at large access an inner reservoir of peace and hope. If you find yourself needing more one on one attention we also offer more tailored memberships at our meditation centers across the country and globe! Don’t wait, peace is calling. Help yourself and your family today.
“Written by Nicky Tait, a current guide, active meditator, & animal lover residing in Berkeley, California. She started this method of meditation in 2016 and hasn’t looked back since. After discovering such a simple and powerful method to unlock her own happiness she decided to become a guide for this meditation to help others to realize their true potential.”
Source: Flushingmeditation.org
