Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. We are not trying to turn off our thoughts or feelings. We are simply teaching ourselves to observe them without judgment. And eventually, we may start to better understand them as well.

Learning to meditate is like learning any other skill. Think of it like exercising a muscle that you’ve never really worked out before. It takes consistent practice to get comfortable. And it’s usually easier if you have a teacher that is where we come in. There’s no such thing as perfect meditation. At times focus will wander or e may forget to follow our breath. That’s OK. It’s part of the experience. What’s most important is to meditate consistently. It’s one of those things where the journey is more important than the destination. It takes time to get comfortable with your mind. There might be setbacks along the way but that’s part of meditating.

Meditation is normally carried out just before relaxation. It is a good way to encourage children to calm down from the class and refocus on the breathing. This is a difficult part of the yoga session and requires encouragement from the teacher. They are done with children sitting, this can be with legs crossed, or in lotus position (or straight legs if necessary). Arms are kept loose at their sides with palms open and facing up in their lap. Ask them to sit nice and tall, with an imaginary rope lifting them from the top of their head.

When we sit to meditate, we are looking after ourselves in ways that might not at first seem obvious. The benefits of meditation are numerous and varied, and supported by science. Many people start meditating to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and to cultivate peace of mind. But there are thousands of studies documenting other less-known mindfulness meditation benefits, which can have a positive impact on mental, physical, and emotional health. The benefits of meditating are:

Improved mental health

Improved physical health

Improved emotional health

The following are two examples of visualizations, but you can adapt these to suit a particular theme too.

Breathing:

This meditation helps to completely focus on the breathing. Once the children are comfortable, ask them to close their eyes. Tell them to focus on their breathing, feeling the air travel in through their nose and back out again. On the next breath, ask them to imagine they are following their breath into their body, down their spines and back up. Repeat this for a few breaths. Then ask them to do the same by themselves (practicing in silence) for a few more breaths. When you are ready to end the meditation, ask the children to run their hands together and make them warm and then cover their eyes. Part their fingers, open their eyes and bring their hands back to their laps again.

White Light:

This meditation is healing and makes the children feel good. With eyes closed, take a couple of breaths in and out through the nose. Then ask them to imagine a bright white light shining above their head. Imagine that white light in travelling in through their head, neck, across shoulders, down their arms and hands and into each finger to the tips. Then ask them to imagine it is travelling through their chests, rib cage and down through their belly, back and hips. Through their legs, feet and each toe. Their whole body is now glowing with the brilliant white light and they feel warm and happy. The light is making their body fresh and clean ready to face their day. When you are ready to end the meditation, ask the children to run their hands together and make them warm and then cover their eyes. Part their fingers, open their eyes and bring their hands back to their laps again.