( Health )
MEDITATION FOR KIDS
A new mindfulness app from Smiling Mind is set to help kids enjoy the benefits of meditation .
e all know the health benefits of
W daily meditation – we ’ re constantly
being told how important it is to take a break from life ’ s noise and just sit . So it ’ s no surprise that it ’ s equally vital for kids to practice meditation . There ’ s no shortage of studies that show children are also subject to stress , and how meditating can positively impact and help them manage it .
The great news is that Australian not-forprofit and app-based mindfulness mediation program Smiling Mind has joined forces with 20 th Century Fox Home Entertainment and DreamWorks Animation , to release a free Trolls-inspired meditation . Aiming to foster positive mental health in children , the innovation is the brainchild of Willow Bailey , an 11-year-old mini-meditator and avid user of the Smiling Mind app .
Willow asked her mum , Sarah , to approach Smiling Mind with the idea to harness children ’ s love of movie characters to make meditations fun , relatable and enjoyable . After watching the hit movie , it was the voice of Walt Dohrn ’ s ‘ Cloud Guy ’ character that captured Willow ’ s imagination . And so this brilliant collaboration was born , ready to spread joy across the nation . more children to build this much-needed skill , which is known to enhance resilience and reduce emotional distress .
‘ Mindfulness and meditation has a huge evidence base now that supports that this practice can aid children in a range of ways including : enhancing well-being , improving sleep quality , improving concentration in class , and increasing awareness and management of their emotions ,’ she says . ‘ Given these benefits , Smiling Mind is always looking for innovative ways to deliver meditations that are accessible and engaging to a wide audience using a positive pre-emptive approach to developing positive mental health .’
Launched in conjunction with the DreamWorks Trolls DVD release in March 2017 , children ’ s minds will be transported to the clouds by the voice of Cloud Guy to help them calm down , relax , and focus on developing contentment and happiness from within , rather than looking to external factors to find happiness .
Scientific research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation assists with emotional wellbeing and is commonly used in the management of mental health concerns , anxiety and stress . Mindfulness helps build resilience and compassion , improves focus at work and in the classroom , and helps with creativity and collaboration . ‘ We have no doubt that this Smiling Mind-first will be the start of a very exciting collaboration that will see children ’ s favourite movie characters come to life in such a positive way ,’ Dr Wootten said . ‘ Children love movies and storytelling and we know the enormous benefits children experience from doing even a short five-minute meditation . So when the idea was presented we thought it would be hugely beneficial to combine the two .’
Smiling Mind , which was developed by psychologists using mindfulness techniques , is already being used in 18,000 classrooms in Australia and internationally , with more than one million students having experienced the benefits .
The DreamWorks Animation and Smiling Mind Trolls meditation on the free Smiling Mind app was launched in March 2017 and will be available until September from iTunes and Google Play .
Smiling Mind CEO and clinical psychologist Dr Addie Wootten said the new recording would inject some laughter into mindfulness meditation to engage
24 OH ! MAGAZINE ( APRIL 2017 )