Any adult can sit still for a few minutes but can a child? Absolutely YES~~~Once a child has tasted the stillness they can return to it again and again and it becomes a useful strategy in learning their own self-regulation. Mindfulness isn’t just a way to get fidgety little ones to be quiet for a while; it serves as a means for them to be in charge of themselves—to learn to calm themselves and modulate their thoughts, behavior and emotional responses to their environment.
Here’s why kids need time for stillness & contemplation:
Silence is the ground for creativity.
Having time for quiet makes us happier.
Stillness helps us see what actually matters.
It helps us be more attentive in our relationships.
Contemplation can center us in a sense of love and purpose.
To the quiet mind all things are possible
This is especially true for kids with low selective attention skills, as they struggle to process what they should focus on and what they should ignore. As well, the practice of quiet journaling, coloring, drawing has been shown to reduce a child's inner critic, opening the way to take creative risks they might not otherwise take. So where do our inner critic start at young ages~ our parents- our influencers- our teachers (not necessarily at school either) just thru life.
Have you ever heard your child say something like: “I’m not good at this,” or “I’m so stupid,” or “It’s all my fault,” or even “I shouldn’t have even tried.” Perhaps some kids don’t say these things out loud, but maybe they refrain from doing certain activities or speaking up in school, in public, even at home because they’ve already convinced themselves that they’re not good enough. Over time, these behaviors can grow into what we all have come to know as the inner critic.
When we teach mindfulness to kids, we equip them with tools to build self-esteem, manage stress, and skillfully approach challenges.
And here goes my Practitioner side coming out to tell you just how being silent and still even for ten minutes a day can help your child's health!!!
~>Practicing silence significantly increased the oxytocin levels, I will explain as well as include some interesting links to follow.
The oxytocin (OT) system, critically involved in social bonding, may also impinge on spirituality, which is the belief in a meaningful life imbued with a sense of connection to a Higher Power and/or the world regardless the age!
But with children:
Oxytocin has the ability to undo cortisol's effects and restore the body's balance, improving immune function and your odds of fighting off viruses and infections.
Oxytocin influences the autonomic nervous system and the immune system.
Enough of the medical side, I think you get it 'cause this is just the beginning of the benefits... So speaking from my psychology education
In closing: A large body of longitudinal data ( show that kids who have a better capacity for self-regulation at age 4 or 5 do better in life. If we can teach those skills early in life—and we can—they will have multiplicative effects as the children develop.
Silence, the silent healer
When we are not busy talking, our mind takes a rest. Our heart becomes more available. The silence outside helps us to find the still place inside. This is our silent retreat, the vast quietude of the heart. A few days of simple peace and we feel new again, heart centered, grounded, more whole. The silence is the doorway into our own spirituality, truth and wisdom.
... Hence, the healing effects of silence
Sanctuary of the silent healing power ~We all need to experience it but especially the little ones.
