Meditation is the buzzword of the moment, but for good reason! The benefits of meditation are endless. Regular meditation can help to reduce stress, anxiety, promotes emotional health, reduces memory loss, and lowers blood pressure just to name a few!
But if you’re anything like me, meditation can feel like this secretive, ‘guru only’ practice. What I’ve learned as a Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner, is that it doesn’t have to be that way. As a mom of two young boys, I get that it may feel hard to start a meditation practice but even short meditations every day will help to shift your energy and perspective.
Meditation shouldn’t be an adult only practice. Especially right now, your kids may be feeling sad that they miss their friends and frustrated with their new school situation. Meditation acts as an escape from the worry and brings a sense of peace into their world.
Kids of all ages can meditate.
Below are a few meditations that any age can do. Allow them to do these meditations for as long as they want. Don’t put pressure on the length of time, just tell them to sit with these for as long as they need to feel better.
- Have them sit in a comfortable position. Hold up their hand and breathe in to count each of their fingers. Then breathe out for each of their fingers. So it’s an in, in, in, in, in and then out, out, out, out, out. Using something they can focus on like their fingers help them to forget whatever it was that was upsetting them.
- Have them lie down with their hand on their heart. Tell them to feel their heart beating. Tell them to feel their lungs expand and contract with every breath. Having them focus on their heart allows them to grow and expand their love for themselves and others. It’s a great way to calm them down when they’ve been upset.
For the parents, it may be harder to get out of your head and relax into meditation. Our stress levels are at an all-time high and it can start to show in our physical and emotional health. Meditation, even if you don’t feel like you have the time, is crucial to shifting into a more positive state. Especially right now, I strongly recommend guided meditations. They help to focus your thoughts on relaxation rather than your long to-do list. Guided imagery meditations are my favorite way to clear my mind.
Another way to clear your mind is by nature meditation. Take some time to be out in nature and just be. So many times we go outside and bring our phones with us. Then we get sucked into social media and replying to emails. But, I challenge you to go outside without your phone for a short time each day. Sit and listen to the sounds around you. Nature has a way of taking away our stress and replacing it with peaceful energy. We spend so much time inside, this shift in our routine is a great way to calm ourselves.
I just want to let you know that you’re doing a good job. We are all in uncharted territory right now. It’s ok to not be as productive. It’s ok to relax a little more. It’s okay to be enjoying this time with your family.
It’s okay to just be.
If you want my support to dive into meditation and relaxation to balance your mind, body health…here are the ways I can help:
- Grab my meditation album “Chakra Meditations / to relax your mind + body + soul”. All the meditations are between 5-10 minutes long, perfect to squeeze into a busy schedule.
- Join me in my Aligned + Well Membership group … a safe space for women to talk about chakras, meditation, energy, crystals, and spirituality.
About the Author
Nickole Swensen is a Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner and owner of Be Well Be Happy. She specializes in alignment mind, body, and soul through the chakras. Nickole lives in Des Moines and is a wife and mom to two boys (ages 8 + 11) and a rescued fur baby.
