The word Meditation has been used in connection with many old and new relaxation techniques and traditions.

Let us look at the nature of meditation.

For both adults and children, Meditation is the most natural process initiated by our body to reach a state of relaxation and rejuvenation.

The most overlooked meditation, of course is sleep. This is the most natural way where your body volunteers you to a relaxed state of rest and rejuvenation. (there are times when sleep is necessary, but difficult and I promise to speak of it in another article)

Meditation like state is automatic during all creative moments, writing poetry, playing a musical instrument, artistic expression during dance even sporting events. That would explain why it is very difficult to be creative when tiered.

Natural states of Meditation will also occur during moments of extreme danger, when your focus is necessary, for survival. Even during positive emotion of love and joy, we will have this incredible surge of energy and meditative state.

During these natural meditative moments we often find that time just seems to pass without our noticing it.

“Meditative Story Telling” for children is an integrative approach to learning where stories are presented to teach important social lessons and Meditation is used as a tool to help naturally relax the body and the mind, inevitably improving social interaction and academic progress.

As mentioned above: “The word Meditation has been used in connection with many old and new relaxation techniques and traditions.”

During the Social Science classes, Meditation is a “Quiet Time”. With their eyes closed, the children are encouraged to simply self observe relax, notice their breathing, their thoughts, and simply listen to the natural guidance of their body.

As the children relax they often notice their body naturally guiding them through very unique intuitive stretching exercises, postures and movements (often even naturally guided to the floor).

This natural form of Meditation has been designed promote relaxation and rejuvenation, but has proven to do much more…

Teaching the children the skills of this self regulation meditation at an early age has proven to help them to be more confident, achieve better social skills, to better retain new information, become more creative, show more positive initiative and much more.

We are hoping that soon this meditation tool will be available to all students, in both private and public school systems.

Millions of Children around the world are going back to school. Parents, Grandparents and Children are very exited but often feel added stress during these times.

How can you deal with this stress?

Can Meditation really help?

Do Children even need meditation to be Happy?

Many studies prove meditation to be a valuable tool…

and did you know…

You have been meditating almost half of your life and did not even know it!

Did you know that sleep is a form of meditation?

Your body has an instinctive need to go into an eight hour “self regulation” mode, during which we best recover from the day, rejuvenate our body, mind and even grow. During sleep you often have involuntary movements, visualization even sounding, all as part of a natural instinctive survival mechanism.

As you sleep (forced daily meditation) your body uses available energy, from your day to rejuvenate.

(This Energy coming from proper diet, water, fresh air and exercise. Generally, the better your lifestyle the better your sleep.)

But, regardless of your lifestyle, if you are stressed, worried, your energy is low, than even your sleep is not as productive (you may wake up tired and often you can’t sleep at all).

Modern science does not know much about sleep, but we do know that children sleep much deeper and better quality than adults. (As I often run the parallel between available energy and aging !)

You also know that when you are emotionally stressed, worry, which are indicators of low energy, you often can’t sleep at all.

You can easily observe, that when we are physically ill our body forces us into sleep until we recover. Meditation just as sleep is a form of whole body rejuvenation.

When used properly, meditation does not simply substitute sleep, but enhances the awakened state potential.

The benefits of Meditation have been known for thousands of years, recently modern science has also begun recognizing the benefits of meditation for relief of stress and anxiety, raised physical and mental potential.

As science begins recognizing the power of the mind, and that awakening the bodies own ability, from within, can never be replaced by any external intervention, meditation is now rapidly becoming a big part in many hospitals, work places and now schools as a tool for emotional stability, physical recovery and personal growth.

As we know, Children are very sensitive, this sensitivity makes children vulnerable to all they hear and see at home, at school and in the media. The evidence of high stress and anxiety levels, obesity, allergies, other sensitivity to food and early aging are evident across all schools and communities.

Stress being one of the first responses leads to hyper activity, ADD, diminished creativity, and all academic scores. Stress often causes child depression, which may be expressed in being a bully or even a victim.

When stressed the body’s immune system weakens. Naturally, when losing sleep and emotionally down both adults and children become many times more vulnerable to all viruses and infections.

Children are very bright, and Introducing meditation to the children early, may prove extremely beneficial.

They will naturally be less vulnerable to their external environment and at times when the child may feel the stress and overwhelm they can use what they have learned as a tool for instant relief.

By introducing Meditative Story Telling, even once a week we will give them these tools and hope to be able to also see measurable results, in the over all social behavior and direct benefit in academic scores.

Teaching Children To Relax, Swine Flue Prevention in Schools and Meditation – connecting the dots…

I know, I know, there are more then one question that needs to be answered here.
But I would like to begin with a few timely ideas that could help children and parents cope better with back to school stress and anxiety and may even be helpful in diminishing the risks of exposure and outbreak of Swine Flue (H1 N1 flue) in your child’s school.

First I would like to quote the resent New York Times Article (The Claim: Stress Can Make Allergies Worse)
“In recent years, studies have shown that psychological stress and anxiety — even at slight or moderate levels — can worsen allergy symptoms. Scientists suspect that it has something to do with the way stress affects the immune system, causing elevated levels of compounds that heighten the allergic response and remain unaffected by standard treatments for hay fever, like antihistamines.”

In this article the NYT is referring to a resent study: “One of the most recent and striking studies was published this year by scientists at Ohio State University.”

This study, published under Psychoneuroendocrinology, June 2009, whith the long heading of: “How stress and anxiety can alter immediate and late phase skin test responses in allergic rhinitis.” clearly states that stress anxiety significantly diminishes our immunity.

than I read today’s article “Soothe Back-to-School Anxiety, Teach Kids to Relax”

Where Experts at Duke University, recommend Meditation, to help children transition into the new school year and deal with many academic and social pressures.

Well I will let you connect the dots!

Finally meditation is beginning to receive scientific backing and media attention which one day may lead to an official course in every private and public school.

Meanwhile, thanks to the principle, the teachers, the parents and most of all the great cooperation and the feedback we have received from the kids, We are preparing our second year teaching “Meditative Story Telling” an integration of Intuitive Meditation and Story Telling in Blaisdale Montessori School in Canada.

Following an extremely successful almost six month trial with a group of 23 children, ranging between nine and ten year old during 2008-2009 school year, we will continue teaching Meditation in Blaisdale Montessori in 2009-2110!

We have now designed a program which will be extended to 14 different classes, on over eight Montessori campuses, beginning September 2009.

Our Goal is to make “Meditative Story Telling “Meditation, Relaxation, Inner Growth and mindful program for children available to other children in other schools, educational centers and at homes, where children and their parents could benefit from all around the world.

Erik Valdman