Annaka Harris

Stories

By Annaka Harris

I had attempted my own version of meditation many times as a child.

While attending my first meditation retreat, I kept thinking: Why don’t we teach meditation to children? I reflected on the times during my childhood when I experienced physical or emotional pain and remembered that when I became curious about the pain and paid closer attention to the present moment, I felt a sense of relief. In fact, it’s common for children to discover states of mindfulness and meditation on their own as I did, but receiving proper instruction and support from an experienced teacher transforms what would otherwise be a fleeting experience into an invaluable tool.

Children are naturally curious, and when directed to the magic of being in the here and now, they will begin to focus on their moment-to-moment experience on their own, in an effort to find relief from difficult emotions or out of a curiosity about their own minds. A steady and informed meditation practice would have eased much of the suffering I struggled with throughout my life, from migraines to anxiety, and it was this realization on retreat more than 25 years ago that inspired me to volunteer to teach meditation to children in schools.

Mindfulness will always be important.

Mindfulness tends to increase one’s wellbeing in almost every area of life. It helps us cultivate the ability to focus, experience a sense of wonder and curiosity, and make meaningful connections with others. As human beings, we continuously face challenges even in the best of circumstances. We all experience frustration, sadness, loss, illness, pain, jealousy, disappointments, anxiety, and on and on. If we’re not in the midst of a struggle, the next one is always just around the corner.

The basic aim of mindfulness meditation is to be aware of whatever one is experiencing and feeling in the present moment, without judgment, and simple prompts can help children begin to exercise their “mindfulness muscle.” For example, asking children to notice the feeling of breathing during different moments of their day can be a very powerful exercise, training them to return to their experience in the present. What does your breathing feel like when you’re running? What does your breathing feel like when you’re brushing your teeth? When you’re falling asleep? On your way to school? When you give someone a hug? When you’re drawing? When you’re eating? This type of prompt not only teaches children to pay attention to the present moment throughout the day, it gives them information about how they are feeling in their bodies and minds.

Children can practice meditation.

When I was teaching meditation to children, I noticed that while games and play are important, children can understand the same meditation instructions that we give to adults. In some ways, they are able to follow meditation instructions more easily because they have developed fewer habits of mind. Realizing this inspired me to produce my Meditation for Children sessions. All my recordings are appropriate for ages six to ten, but anyone can use them.

The sessions include simple meditations that focus on the breath, sights, and sounds, as well as instructions for walking meditation. There is also more advanced guidance for those who develop a practice and are ready for longer sessions. Additionally, I’ve created tracks with guided imagery specifically for cultivating compassion and loving-kindness (metta), which we call “Friendly Wishes,” in addition to imagery that focuses on being with difficult emotions and meditations to support relaxation and sleep. Please review the Instructions and recommendations I’ve provided before sharing the meditations with children.

A final note:

In addition to my guided meditations for children, I published a children’s book called I Wonder, illustrated by John Rowe and co-authored the Mindful Games Activity Cards with Susan Kaiser Greenland, which are both good companions to the series on Waking Up.

I Wonder is a book for parents and children to read together and encourages conversations about the mysteries that surround us. It also gives children the confidence to say, “I don’t know” and celebrates the feeling of “not knowing” as the source of wonder and awe.

Mindful Games Activity Cards offer clear, step-by-step instructions for more than 50 activities Susan Kaiser Greenland and I developed for children, teens, and families, making them easy to use at home or in the classroom.

Annaka Harris