“I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.”
― Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking
They don`t need to know how. They don`t need a special place or special clothing. They don`t need to cover their eyes. But they need to feel safe to stay with their eyes closed, so stay close by. Make them feel loved and secure. Let them be there for 2 seconds and reward them with a big smile when they open their eyes. It`s a process. You can start anytime, and you can take as many breaks (days, weeks, months off) as children require – just come back to it. Meditation at the end is nothing else, just being with ourselves.
Where to start?
If you are not sure how to start, just sit down with them, close your eyes and stay quiet. I usually stay just a little longer than my son would like to stay, so he learns that we need to respect each other’s silence. It`s ok to just be. It`s ok to focus inwards, especially when everything seems too chaotic and busy. Children still remember this state, but we need to remind ourselves that for children everything happens a little faster. They need less time to warm-up and they need less time to stay with their eyes closed.
Most importantly what they need to learn is the process. Nothing happens from one day to another.
When to start?
The sooner they learn self regulation, the easier it will be for them to accomplish inner peace later on in their lives.
Similarly to adult yoga, in our children yoga classes we also have to get to the meditation part. This means, we move and stretch our bodies. We balance on one leg, so we can balance the difficult situations in our lives. Once we made sure that all the muscles and the joints in the body are ready to relax, we lay down on our backs, and we enjoy a break. Sometimes we listen to music, sometimes we just listen to our breath.
Allow your children to try new things, to experiment, to fail, to try again and to succeed. It`s all just a matter of time. And patience…
This little girl on the picture started coming to my children yoga classes when she was 2 years old. We have been practicing together for over three years now. It was also a process.
Your practice will become their practice
Over the years I have taught many children and many adults. My favourite class is still the mommy/daddy & children yoga class. Because yoga is about unity. Creating a common place and energy with our loved ones. We all know that children learn by imitating, so when you show the example, it will be more natural for them to do what they have seen from you. Let them try something new and they might love it.