Meditation can be beneficial for at-risk children and teens in several ways:
Emotional Regulation- Meditation helps individual develop mindfulness and emotional awareness, which can lead to better control over their emotions. These at-risk youth may face challenges like trauma, anger or anxiety. Meditation can offer tools to manage their emotions in healthy ways.
Stress Reduction- Many at-risk children and teens face high levels of stress due to living in unstable environments, poverty, or exposure to violence. Techniques like deep breathing and guided relaxation can help reduce the stress response and promote calmness.
Improved Focus and Attention- Many at-risk youths struggle with academic performance, maintaining focus in school because of distractions or difficulties at home.
Increased Resilience- Meditation helps to stay calm in the face of adversity. It builds coping skills to face difficulties more effectively.
Reduction of Aggressive Behavior-Meditation encourages patience, and empathy and reduces tendencies to act out.
Improved Relationships-Meditation can promote empathy and compassion. This helps at risk youth develop more positive relationships with peers, family, caregivers, teachers, and case workers. They can develop a sense of social connection, which is important for well-being.
Promotes Self-Esteem- Meditation allows the youth to become more comfortable with who they are without the pressure of someone telling them what to do.
Better Sleep- It can ease the mind especially before sleep.
Meditation can offer at-risk children and teens a valuable set of tools to build emotional resilience, manage stress, improve behavior and foster positive relationships.
A Simple Guided Meditation for Children and Teens – The Basics
Here is a 5–10-minute meditation to try with the children or teens you work with. Try it with your own family.
- Find a quiet place. The participants can sit in a chair, on the floor or lie down if they are able. Just make sure they are comfortable.
- Tell them to gently close their eyes if they are comfortable or keep their eyes softly focused in front of them.
- Take a deep breath through your nose to the count of 4 – you count as they breathe.
- Hold the breath for the count of 2 – you count as they hold.
- Breathe out of the mouth for the count of 4. You count.
- Do this breathing three more times. Tell them with each breath, they can feel the body more relaxed.
- Body check in now. Ask how they feel and allow a few to tell you how they feel.
- Tell them now to breathe in slowly and relax their forehead. Continue saying the same thing: breathe in and relax your eyes, then tell them to breathe in and relax one at a time, the arms, hands, fingers, thighs, calves, feet. Go through the whole body.
- Tell them thoughts will come, and your mind will wander. Just let the thought come and then let it pass like a cloud going by. Bring their focus back to their breath.
- Now tell them to just be quiet, enjoy the quiet and stillness. Imagine you are in a peaceful place – at a beach, in a garden or a quiet room. Do this for a minute or two.
- Now take a few more deep breaths in and out.
- Now slowly bring your awareness back to the room by wiggling your fingers and toes, stretch your arms up and open your eyes if they were closed.
- Ask them to notice how they feel now. Are they a little more relaxed or calmer than when they began.
Meditation requires practice. If you can do this for 5-10 minutes before the day begins and again at the end of the day, the youth will build emotional resilience, manage stress, improve behavior and will be able to build positive relationships all leading to long-term well-being.