| While most people don't think of children when | | | | authors won't mind) and really make it come alive |
| they think of meditation, a good guided meditation | | | | for them. If you are writing a guided meditation |
| script can be just what your kid needs in certain | | | | script for the child to read (as my parents did for |
| situations. Most people think of meditation as | | | | me) you will want to make it as easy for them |
| some highly experienced spiritual master sitting in | | | | to read as possible. |
| the lotus position for hours. While that's not | | | | Another important note is not to try to force it |
| necessarily false, that's far from the whole truth | | | | down their throat. In order for this or any other |
| of meditation. Every child loves a story. Giving | | | | form of meditation or guided imagery to be |
| them guided imagery gives them a story that | | | | successful, they need to be willing to try it out for |
| they can accept and use. Let me tell you my | | | | themselves. If their heart isn't in it, then let it go |
| personal experience with this. | | | | and try to find some other way to help them. |
| When I was little, I had some pretty bad | | | | If your child likes the simple meditation, you might |
| nightmares. When it started really affecting me, | | | | consider writing an "exploration" guided meditation |
| my parents wrote up (in large print) a simple | | | | script, and take them through a more extended |
| guided meditation script for me. Nothing complex, | | | | meditation session where they can run and play |
| and nothing fancy. Considering that this script was | | | | (proverbially speaking) and really get used to the |
| designed to be read by me if a nightmare woke | | | | practice. A steady practice of meditation is |
| me, they didn't need to worry about putting me | | | | beneficial to anyone, but a child is a natural. They |
| in a suggestible state of mind. All they needed to | | | | may come out of the exploration having seen, |
| do was focus on imagery. I don't recall the details, | | | | heard, and experienced lots of things. Encourage |
| but the image of the shining, fiercely protective | | | | them to write it down, or talk it out and write |
| unicorn banishing the nightmare to a realm of its | | | | them down together. This is private information |
| own terror stays in my mind to this day, decades | | | | for the child's eyes only, but this can actually be a |
| later. A few uses of this script, and the | | | | wonderful tool for self-understanding as they |
| nightmares stopped bothering me altogether. | | | | grow older. |
| When preparing a guided meditation for a child, | | | | Kids are people, and they have people's worries. |
| there are a few things to remember. You want | | | | Will that person like me? Am I performing well |
| to keep it short, but interesting. You don't need to | | | | enough at my "job" (school)? Are Mom and Dad |
| worry as much about relaxation, as if you can | | | | happy with me? Life as a kid is rough. A guided |
| get the kid's fascination, they'll loosen up anyway. | | | | meditation script is far from a cure-all, but used |
| Along the same lines, you want to focus on | | | | the right way, it can be a wonderful tool to help |
| simple, yet powerful images. Use symbols and | | | | them through. |
| settings from their favorite stories (I'm sure the | | | | |