By Sudha Bhadriraju
I’ve always been fascinated with how our breath and mind are connected. I studied the anatomy of breath for years as a pulmonologist. I started meditating regularly during my medical training to combat burnout, which saved my sanity when COVID hit. But when I became a mom, I had much less time to be alone with my thoughts and my daily meditation practice waned. I never imagined that my 7-month-old daughter would be my portal back to my inner Self.
One mundane rainy afternoon at the library, I was rummaging through a bin of beat up board books when I happened upon ”Monster Meditation: Being Patient with Cookie Monster”. It was a book about teaching Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster to mind his senses while he waited for his cookies to bake. It was adorable and brilliant. My daughter loved it! I then tumbled down an Internet rabbit hole to discover a nascent universe of songs, books, videos, and apps that peddled mindfulness and meditation to kids. I learned that I could share the power of meditation with my daughter at a much younger age than I thought.
At its simplest, mindfulness means to focus only on what is happening in the present moment. Meditation trains a human mind to filter distractions and become mindful. Studies have shown that meditation can improve memory and concentration, promote emotional regulation and resilience, and reduce anxiety even in young kids. Toddlers have a natural inclination towards being meditative as they can intently focus on what they observe. However, to formally teach them mindfulness, we have to present routine practices in kid-friendly packaging. The following are some ways you can introduce these concepts to your young ones.
Meditation Books
Here are some examples of books that teach meditation to toddlers and young kids.
Sesame Street x Headspace’s “Monster Meditation” Series and accompanying YouTube videos
“Slumberkin’s Books,” especially the Yeti Series
“Mindful Tots” Series, by Whitney Stewart
“Mindfulness Moments for Kids” series by Kira Willey
Meditation Games
You can do these simple exercises with your young ones or as a family.
“Gratitude”: Make a daily ritual of naming three things your toddler feels thankful for. Help them recall these things when they feel upset
Annaka Harris’ “Mindful Games Activity Cards”: propose simple guided activities such as deep breathing while watching a stuffed animal rise and fall on your belly.
“Five Senses”: Ask your little ones to notice their breath. Then ask them to name five things they can see, four things they can feel, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste.
Body scanning
Body scanning can bring awareness to how a child’s body and emotions feel.
A two-minute example:
1. “Sit down and close your eyes.
2. Let’s start with your head. How does it feel? Do you feel calm?
3. Next let’s go to your eyes. Do you feel tired or awake?
4. Notice your breath coming in and out of your nose. Is it fast or slow?
5. Relax your shoulders and neck.
6. Now notice your belly. Is it soft? Are you hungry?
7. Let’s move to your arms and hands. What do you feel there?
8. Now let’s finish with your legs and feet. How do they feel? Do they feel heavy”
Meditation Songs and Stories
Songs are a great way to incorporate meditative practices into bedtime or morning routines.
“Breathe A Children’s Song for Self Regulation” by Music for Kiddos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DV-qxbwUo8
“Be the Pond- Kids Mindfulness Videos” by Cosmic Kids Yoga:
https://youtu.be/gIXP_-lfG2k?si=pxdUfv7wkm-Bhy9l“Calm Body Calm Mind” Mindfulness Song for Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3obMfpcU80
Meditation Apps
Ironically, distracting smart devices can also function as tools to explore mindfulness with our kids.
Insight Timer has some free and paid meditations for kids.
Headspace has a paid subscription.
Moshi Kids is specifically for kids.
Mightier helps kids manage their emotions.
Waking Up from Sam and Annika Harris has kids’ meditations for free.
The Mindfulness Teacher (YouTube)
Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube)
Teaching our toddlers mindfulness through short, regular meditation practices can lay the foundation for sound mental health as they grow. Hopefully, it will also inspire us to be more zen through our parenting journeys.
Sources:
https://upliftkids.org/blog/teach-meditation-to-kids/
https://annakaharris.com/mindfulness-for-children/
https://www.beginlearning.com/parent-resources/meditation-for-kids/
https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-for-kids/#meditate
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Pages/Just-Breathe-The-Importance-of-Meditation-Breaks-for-Kids.aspx
Sudha is a Pulmonary Critical Care Physician at Mills Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame. She spent the last 3 years on the front lines of the pandemic and now takes her first go at motherhood in stride. She enjoys Indian music and dance, cooking, and traveling, and is still trying to find room for hobbies.