YH December 2018 | Page 49

A child who is born into a setting brimming with spiritual energy will find the transition out of the womb easier to support. Most souls do not spend much time in the physical body for the first few weeks of life, but they will feel an attraction to a spiritual household. It is beneficial for very young babies to attend meditations and be immersed in a refined space. This will raise the vibration of their energy field, and it will certainly affect their psychological development positively in the long run. In later years, they will recognize the meditative space as one that resonates very deeply within them. Most babies remain calm in a meditative surrounding, and they will easily fall into a blissful slumber. Parents should avoid waking them suddenly from this state. Babies who cry or are agitated can be distracting in a group meditation, and if such behaviours persist, they should be moved to another room. Common sense should be used by the parent in such circumstances. CHILDREN AND MEDITATION It is the exceptional child who will meditate at a very early age. Most children are too restless to achieve the state of physical and mental stillness that is necessary for meditation. They will fidget, or even have a hard time keeping their eyes closed. It is important that they not be pushed into practicing meditation, and that their parents not attempt to impose any expectations in this regard. I find it exciting when children ask me to teach them to meditate. It is often sheer curiosity that motivates them. My nephew once meditated with me when he was six years old, and I admired his determination. I turned to check on his progress after a few minutes, and noticed that he had placed his hands over his eyes. When I asked why, he said that he couldn't keep his eyes closed, so he decided to improvise. Children can easily get into a blissful space without getting into the formality of assuming the meditation pose. They love to chant. Singing is actually a good way to focus them. Having them shake a rattler or bean-stick will channel their restless energy as well. If there is more than one child in the room, they may distract each other. It may then be preferable to get them to play together in another room if adults are needing a quiet space. Children of five or six years will easily adopt the cross-legged position, which they imitate from the adults around them. They may be able to sit quietly for a few minutes at a time. However, their nervous system has not yet developed sufficiently to handle the rising kundalini, so often the high energy atmosphere of a meditative environment will make them restless. As long as their behavior is not too disturbing, children should be given some leeway in this regard. If they experience a sense of freedom and belonging, this will make them more comfortable as they incorporate meditation into their own lifestyle. If it becomes a source of frustration they will get turned off very quickly and they will not have positive associations with the meditative experience. Most children who are exposed to the meditative atmosphere in their formative years, will appear radiant, light, gentle and refined. It is usually after they reach puberty, and the nervous system has matured sufficiently, that they can start to meditate seriously with other people. By about sixteen years of Dec. 2018 www.yogicherald.com 47