Teaching meditation, mindfulness practices, and positivity to children is fun and fulfilling. Children bring a sense of wonder and innocence to everyday practices that remind adults of the magic and smiles that come with connection.
As a parent, it is wonderful to guide your children with simple practices throughout the day and watch how they connect with their breath, feelings, body, and environment.
In my new children’s book, My Body Is A Rainbow: The Color of My Feelings, I present colors, words, and breath to give children a fun, interactive way to explore their body, mind, and spirit. Here is the simple exercise:
For more tools for the whole family, explore the Family Well-being category in the Chopra App. Help kids learn to use breath, the body, and affirmations to feel safe, empowered, and connected to the universe in Be You: Meditations for Grounded, Happy Kids, a four-part series with Mallika Chopra, available now.
As a parent, it is wonderful to guide your children with simple practices throughout the day and watch how they connect with their breath, feelings, body, and environment.
Here are some tips on teaching your kids practices for positivity and connection:
- Teach by example, not just words - role model how simple practices affect you and share your feelings. When you are frustrated, take a deep breath to calm down. Express gratitude throughout the day. Demonstrate ways to be kind. Children are always watching and learning from you.
- Make every interaction fun - bring in humor, laughter, tickles.
- Never force your child to meditate or do a practice. Teach them simple tools and then let them experiment and see what works best. For many children, movement works better than trying to slow down or be still. This is normal, natural, and age-appropriate. (The Just Be Series has dozens of easy practices for children and the adults in their lives.)
- Use positive affirmations and phrases to remind kids that they are strong, creative, and powerful.
In my new children’s book, My Body Is A Rainbow: The Color of My Feelings, I present colors, words, and breath to give children a fun, interactive way to explore their body, mind, and spirit. Here is the simple exercise:
- Sit comfortably and take a deep breath, in and out.
- Feel your bottom and imagine the color red around you.
- Breathe in and out. Say, “I am safe.”
- Put your hand under your belly button and feel orange.
- Breath in and out. Say “I am creative.”
- Put your hand on your stomach and feel yellow.
- Breathe in and out. Say “I am strong.”
- Put your hand on your heart and feel green.
- Breath in and out. Say “I am loved.”
- Put your attention on your neck and throat, and feel light blue.
- Breathe in and out. Say “I am unique.”
- Imagine a dark blue spreading across your face.
- Put your hand between your eyebrows. Breathe in and out. Say, “I am wise.”
- Now imagine purple at the top of your head spreading above you and into the skies.
- Breathe in and out. Say “I am.”
- Last but not least, take another breath, in and out.
- Feel your favorite colors all over your body.
- And, smile!
For more tools for the whole family, explore the Family Well-being category in the Chopra App. Help kids learn to use breath, the body, and affirmations to feel safe, empowered, and connected to the universe in Be You: Meditations for Grounded, Happy Kids, a four-part series with Mallika Chopra, available now.
