The Fruits of Meditation:

Christian Meditation is proven:

 To make children calmer and more relaxed

 To create a sense of wonder in children
 To create a sense of community
 Allows children a chance to be silent and experience God in the silence
 Allows children a chance to enter into the present moment

Christian Meditation is Prayer

Christian Meditation is simple
Christian meditation is a journey
Christian Meditation is experiential
Christian Meditation is supported by the Church

GUIDELINES - MEDITATION WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

What we are doing in teaching the young is sowing seeds.

Where:

 Schools
 Sunday Schools

When:

 Once a week

Size of Group:

 Context dependent, but in our experience small groups are optimal – back to back if possible
with young ones.

Teachers:
The optimum situation to be worked towards:

 Meditator (preferably with experience of teaching young children)

 Other teachers only after in-service training
 Meditating parishioners
 Meditating Sunday School teacher
 Importance stressed of teacher meditating with the children.

General considerations:

 Young people are naturally able to meditate.

 They have a yearning to experience the spiritual/Christ within.
 Build up their self-esteem by affirmation and validation, respecting them and their
contributions.
 Listen carefully to them
 Be patient with their journey
 Meet the children where they are.
 Be aware of development stages, psychological, social and spiritual.
  Remember the learning is effortless: ‘caught not taught’

The following suggestions should be modelled in any in-service training

Environment:

 Importance of creating a ‘sacred space’ with icon, candle and nature treasures as focus and
explain significance.
 If possible meet in a dedicated area, which will distinguish it from usual R.E. lesson.
 Sitting in a circle or behind desk, whichever is possible.
 Quiet music playing upon entering.
 Importance of clear ways of starting and finishing the session.
 Singing Bowl as start and finish of silent period.

Preparation:
Use preparation as aid to becoming focussed:

There are various possibilities to be chosen according to age group and context:

 chanting (simple Taize chants) – explain difference from singing.

 awareness of breath: watching the breath, coming in cool at the nostrils and going out warm.
 relaxation exercises (See ‘The Centering Book’)
 walking meditation.
 Use stories with gospel values, which relate to them and are appropriate to their age.
 Be aware of development age in selecting stories to meet them where they are.

Stress that this is a slow process: regular practice is needed, as with sport and music.

Approach to the discipline:

 Explain importance of paying attention.

 Emphasize silence and stillness: ‘in the stillness God can find us’
 Explain link of meditation with their usual way of prayer, talking and asking.
 Stress meditation is ‘listening’ prayer.
 Stress no thoughts, images or daydreams.
 Start with 5 minutes only, then add over time one minute for each year of age.
 Use ‘maranatha’ as mantra right from the beginning.
 Explain the importance of being patient with themselves.
 Be patient with them.

After meditation:

 Short time for questions coming from children

 No other follow-up

Grade Level Recommended Length of

time for Meditation
Pre-School 5 minutes
Grade 1 6 minutes
 Grade 2 7 minutes
Grade 3 8 minutes
Grade 4 9 minutes
Grade 5 10 minutes
Grade 6 11 minutes
Grade 7 12 minutes
Grade 8 13 minutes
Grade 9 14 minutes
Grade 10 15 minutes
MA-RA-NA-THA
John Main recommends choosing one mantra only and
never changing it throughout life. That way the mantra
can become rooted in the heart; it eventually becomes
part of us.

For this program to be successful only one mantra is

used for each grade level. We believe it is possible to
successfully introduce the sacred word Maranatha in
Preschool.

It is important for children not to think of the Mantra as

a magic word but rather as a way to stop other images
filling the mind.
It is important to say the mantra mentally throughout the entire meditation period. As John Cassian says,
“The
mind should unceasingly cling to the mantra until strengthened by continual use of it.” The Cloud of
Unknowing
concurs: “Fix this word fast to your heart so that it is always there come what may. With this word, you will
suppress all thoughts.” Many beginners to meditation are astonished that something as simple as praying
with
a mantra can actually bring us into God’s presence. John Main had the same experience in his own life.
 Teachers’ comments:
"It helps to calm them down straight after a stressful lunchtime. Some children smiling and
mouthing the words with the CD e.g. 'I am loved.' 'I am relaxed.'"

"Children are much calmer, ready to learn, more focused."

"The children have been stunning – some of the most unlikely children have become highly
engrossed. One boy with ADHD is now able to sit quietly through the CD."

"The use of this CD is fully embedded within the school. Children really enjoy doing the
meditation, some of the 10yr old boys in particular enjoy the ‘Heart meditation’ – considering
sending group of them down to lower year groups to meditate with younger children to act as
positive role models."

"Nice clear instructions that pupils can understand and follow."

Pupils’ comments:
'Makes me feel relaxed.'
'My troubles go away.'
'Very relaxing+ good when you’re stressed.'
'It’s a good CD because it relaxes you; there are less fights and tantrums because you forget
about everything.'
'It’s good because you can’t hear anything outside the classroom.'
'The ’love’ makes you feel very special.'
'You can empty your mind & know you are loved.'

It consists of 7 deep guided meditations for children.

Benefits for students include decreased stress and stress-related disorders, reduced substance
abuse, increased intelligence, increased learning ability, improved memory, improved academic
performance, and improved standardized test scores. Benefits for teachers include decreased
stress and stress-related disorders, decreased anxiety, reduced substance abuse, increased
creativity, improved job satisfaction, improved interpersonal relationships, and reduced health
care utilization and costs.

positively affects emotional development in early adolescent African-American children in a school

setting where its practice is supported by the administration.