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Meditation with her child: a success!
No less than 502 copies sold in France for “Calm and attentive like a frog” (ed. Les Arènes) by Eline Snel, 000 for “Philosophizing and meditating with children” (ed. Albin Michel) by Frédéric Lenoir… Children’s meditation books are a hit in bookstores. “Over-stimulated by screens and activities, many toddlers have problems with restlessness, attention problems or difficulty falling asleep”, underlines Dutch therapist Eline Snel.
Meditating with your children, the solution!
Secular, mindfulness meditation – or mindfluness – developed in the 1970s by the American biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn, appears more and more as THE solution to help them feel better.
“Through simple and fun breathing exercises of 5 to 10 minutes, we learn to stop and observe what is happening in ourselves, what we are experiencing, what we feel, here and now, without judgment. . “
Meditation is practiced from 4-5 years old
The benefits are multiple: from 4-5 years old, children can strengthen their concentration skills, tame their stress, develop their empathy and gain self-confidence. As long as you train regularly. The ideal? Practice 5 minutes every day.
Five parents and a sophrologist provide feedback on their meditation sessions with the children
“It saves us an annoyance. “
“At 7 years old, Anaïs began to do meditation on her own with a CD, in the evening before a meal and after brushing her teeth. It made it easier for her to fall asleep, and to be less stressed. One day, I joined her, then Capucine followed. Today, the three of us practice when the need arises: when one of us gets angry or has a difficulty. Sometimes (not always), it saves us anger, and that is priceless. ” Evelyne, mother of Anaïs, 8 years old, and Capucine, 10 years old.
“We have found calm and serenity. “
“For a year now, my husband and I have been meditating with the boys after school every night for 5 minutes. Previously, this moment was a high time of discharge and aggressiveness that we had trouble managing. Samuel took nearly two months to fully experience the experience, even though he still bitched at times when it came time to do it. Benjamin, who usually does not stay still, immediately joined. As we practiced, we found calm and serenity for our ends of the day. ” Karyne, mother of Samuel, 7 years old and Benjamin, 4 and a half years old.
“Children rediscover their five senses. “
“Sophrologist, I practice meditation with children aged 5 to 11 in my office and in 1-hour recreational workshops. This technique helps them focus on their body and on the present moment, releasing muscle tension. During the exercises, they rediscover their breathing, their five senses, better understand their emotions … The method also works very well with teenagers to alleviate anxieties, work on their self-confidence, but also teach them to know themselves, to concentrate and relax. ” Caroline, mother of Hugo, 15 and a half, and Élise, 13.
“Coping with the various stresses of life. “
“I have Isée practicing about four times a week at the time
bedtime. The idea is to teach him a technique to help him cope with the stresses encountered throughout life and to find serenity easily. It is a fabulous weapon for its future. ” Christelle mother of Isée, 5 and a half years old.
“Over time, his fears subsided. “
“My son has not slept for three years because of the famous night terrors. Bedtime was becoming a source of anxiety for all of us. I ended up suggesting that he close his eyes and take a deep breath, thinking very hard about someone he loved. This solution did not have an instant effect, but over time his fears subsided. ” Marine, mother of Elia, 7, and Luca, 4 and a half.
“Meditation is demanding. “
“During the first confinement, I looked for a way to reduce the stress of my children linked to the anxiety-provoking situation. I tested meditation and cardiac coherence with them, a noise-guided breathing exercise. They liked the second one, but had more trouble with the more demanding meditation.
and asks to be connected to oneself. ” Sandra, mother of Nathan, 12 and a half, and Elona, 8 and a half.