Meditation for Families
By Vidhya
Shailesh
SoulCentre Certified Meditation Teacher
22nd August 2018
SoulCentre Certified Meditation Teacher
22nd August 2018
Meditation is called the science of Freedom and Power. It is a
science as it is logical, step-by-step and guarantees results when practiced.
It is often misunderstood as a practice meant for those who wish to shun their
responsibilities or those that wish to live in solitude. The truth however, is
very different.
Meditation has been around for centuries and has withstood the
test of time for a simple reason – It Works! Meditation is a way of life. The
wisdom of meditation not just rewires your mind; it also rewires your life for
the better. Why then would it be reserved for the select few? Ancient masters
knew and understood the effects that meditation has on the human mind and hence
prescribed it in one form or the other to every single person that approached
them. Be it a child who wishes to develop deeper focus and concentration, or a
teenager trying to manage their emotions or an adult who would like to create
their life by choice. Meditation works for everyone, whatever stage of life
they might be at or whatever state of mind they might be at.
As families, it is one of the best investments you can make in
yourself. Learning to meditate together, or simply following and living by some
of the wisdom and teachings of meditation, drastically improves your quality of
life individually and together as a family. Meditation helps you develop
greater focus and clarity. It helps you become more compassionate and loving.
This inner state of wellbeing and peace finds expression even in your external
life and in your environment. You find that your relationships become more
harmonious. And no matter what happens in your life, you always have a way of
handling it well. Meditation helps you become a solution seeker rather than
being a problem seeker. Family meditation practices can help reduce anxiety and
stress and promote health and happiness in busy parents and children.
Storms are the nature of the sea. Similarly storms in life are
inevitable. The wisdom of meditation helps us to keep our balance and sail
through the storms with ease. Be it a child, or a teenager or an adult, the
wisdom applies to one and all. A family that meditates together is grounded in
wisdom and more supportive of each other. Life has the ability to throw us off
guard. In all the ups and down of life, it is necessary for us to have the
right balance. Meditation gives us the wisdom, tools and the techniques to find
this inner balance. It gives us the right mindset to sail through life.
Meditation teaches us to keep our focus and have greater clarity on what we
would like out of our lives.
Masters live by choice, not by chance. Meditation helps us
become the masters of our own lives. When parents are well anchored in wisdom
and meditation, they can guide their children well through their growing up
years. Conditioning is often handed down from the parents to the children. A
healthy meditation practice helps us break down conditioning and beliefs that
do not serve us. It helps us instill the right skills and belief systems in our
children. Each generation serves as teachers to the next. It is therefore wise
to invest in ourselves so we can become better teachers for our children and
the generations to come.
Here are a few ways to embrace meditation as a family:
1) Learn and practice together. Even if it is a short practice
sit and do it together. Talk about how it feels and your observations.
2) Let your children watch you practice. As they watch, they
will get inclined towards practicing it themselves. Talk about how you apply
the wisdom on a day to day basis. Be dedicated to an everyday practice.
3) Create a little corner for meditation or set a routine
perhaps a bedtime one where you meditate for a short period of time before you
fall asleep each night. Simple breathing exercises, reflection on the day gone
by, gratitude for what life offers are all great ways to start.
4) Start with short periods of time and gradually increase the
time you sit for meditation. Expect some resistance but don’t give up. With
some practice, it becomes easier.
At SoulCentre, we teach Meditation at all levels from beginner
to advance. Our sessions are short, easy to learn, practical and produce
results right from day one. When learnt properly, you will develop a love for
the practice as you can see the results unfold in your own life. Learning to
meditate is the best investment you can make for yourself.
