Meditation for Children and the Work of Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh handed away in January 2022, however I used to be lucky to attend an educators’ retreat with him and his monastics in 2012 which led me to share ‘Seed of Peace with Thich Nhat Hanh’.
This weblog describes a life-changing expertise once I met the Zen Grasp of meditation.
On the time of this retreat, within the West, the main target had been on adults studying meditation. However this retreat for educators, therapists and professionals targeted on serving to them to share aware abilities with younger folks. On the time it was seen as pioneering. Fortuitously, it’s changing into extra commonplace in properties and faculties all through the world.
I share my takeaways from that retreat – each private {and professional}. And I intend to convey seeds of hope and peace to you and your youngsters, together with sensible steps and helpful sources that will assist you in your journey.
Seeds of Peace
The retreat attendees had been (at first) focussed on studying particular strategies that may very well be carried out into their lessons. The topic of difficult behaviour in younger folks was a key subject.
However the expertise was a lot greater than data or studying new abilities. It turned clear for a lot of, that this retreat would provide the potential of a life-changing expertise. Thay, and the Buddhist nuns and monks who work with him, launched easy strategies that each one directed us to the identical ‘North Star’ – to seek out peace inside.
It turned clear that to share this ‘North Star’ of peace might solely occur if adults linked to their inside supply of private mindfulness, peace and pleasure first.
Maybe you already know the way a lot tougher it’s to convey peace right into a classroom or a house if you’re ateacher or guardian who’s feeling overwhelmed with work or private stress? And maybe you’ve noticed how younger folks sense the stress of these others round them after which react to it?
To show meditation and provide youngsters peace, we first apply and hook up with our personal inside, useful resource.
Watering Our Seeds of Peace
I used to be fascinated to be taught a lot extra on this retreat. I had practised meditation commonly for years and had turn into uncertain that I might be taught one thing new. However I felt the numerous advantages from the easy steps we had been proven to entry our inside peace. This concerned:
- Conscious consuming and noble silence
- Singing songs of mindfulness for youngsters
- Physique rest
- Conscious strolling
The primary Dharma discuss that Thay gave was “Having fun with our Time Collectively”. He drew 3 circles.
The primary circle was to characterize the grownup. The 2nd linked to household and the third represented work. By this he helped us perceive how we should first maintain ourselves in order that we’re sturdy sufficient to assist our household after which our work.
If I select solely to assist household and work, I undergo.
I’m step one.
All through the retreat, we practised a number of mindfulness actions as listed above – and the impact on me was superb.
Seed of Peace – Conscious Consuming
At first, I discovered it actually difficult to eat mindfully. The meals was delivered in by self-service so aware consuming began from the second I crammed my plate.
I observed that every day I discovered my proportions changing into smaller as I recognised the alerts from my physique telling me what I actually wanted and once I was full.
We’d sit down at tables with each the nuns, monks and different retreat attendees. Initially I felt embarrassed sitting at a desk with strangers but not speaking to one another as we practised aware consuming in silence. I used my consciousness to acknowledge this sense and settle for it as I stored returning to the meals I used to be consuming.
I discovered that I used to be greedy my knife and fork while chewing, so I selected to put them down till I completed a mouthful. Then I observed how the meals felt in my mouth – the completely different flavours of watercress and the moisture of cucumber.
Along with smaller proportions of meals, I began to take pleasure in consuming mindfully. I discovered myself taking a second to look at my meals earlier than I began consuming simply to be interested by what was on my plate. The completely different colors, shapes, textures – it was lovely.
As I ate, I might take into consideration all of the power that created this meals. The power of the weather: the solar, rain, wind and earth that helped it to develop. I used to be curious in regards to the power of those that had harvested this meals and ready it from there to my plate.
On the final day, I sat at breakfast and with my arms in Namaste (prayer place), eyes closed and feeling gratitude for the meals I needed to eat. My eyes crammed with tears, and a ravishing rush of power flowed via me. I felt blessed and a deep sense of peace to be in that second, caring for myself.
Conscious consuming with Kids
After this expertise, I recognised how adults fear about what and the way a lot youngsters eat. It will probably convey stress to a household meal or faculty supper time that might provide a unique expertise if we took the time to offer youngsters the selection of aware consuming.
As an alternative of attempting to hurry youngsters via their meals (as we fear about boredom, meals going chilly, portions they eat) – maybe we might faucet into youngsters’s inside Zen Grasp?
We might introduce the chance for them to apply some mindfulness earlier than consuming. Listed here are a couple of sensible solutions.
If you happen to can’t do that ever day, attempt to purpose for as soon as every week and construct from there.
Dwelling apply
- Contain them within the preparation of meals. Mindfully chat in regards to the power that was used to create this meals, the odor and sound because it cooks.
- As they lay the desk, invited a aware chat about completely different textures and flavours and why they take pleasure in these and the way it makes their our bodies really feel?
- Focus in on the sense of contact, odor and sound as they lay the desk – wiping it clear, laying forks and knives down.
- In case you are having meat at dinner, invite them to really feel gratitude by saying ‘thanks’ to the animal that gave its life so they may eat and be wholesome.
- Invite them to be interested by how the meals on the plate appears – the colors and shapes and the way it’s organized.
- Once they take a aware, invite them to shut their eyes and hear, really feel the meals they’re consuming and see what occurs.
- And basically, you apply alongside them and be interested by watering your private inside seed of peace increasing with each aware second as you eat collectively.
Conscious Consuming: Meals Contemplations
(An excerpt from the e book ‘Planting the Seeds’ – Training Mindfulness with Kids)
- This meals is the present of the entire universe: The earth, the sky, the rain, and the solar.
- We thank the individuals who have made this meals, particularly the farmers, the folks on the market and the cooks.
- We solely placed on our plate as a lot meals as we are able to eat.
- We wish to chew the meals slowly in order that we are able to take pleasure in it.
- This meals offers us power to apply being extra loving and understanding.
- We eat this meals with a purpose to be wholesome and glad, and to like one another as a household.
Faculty lunchtime – Conscious Consuming Follow
If you want to be taught extra about aware consuming practices for faculties, please join with us (beneath) and we’ll share a aware consuming apply that may be integrated into faculty lunchtimes.
We’ll be releasing extra data in our subsequent weblog put up in regards to the completely different strategies shared on this retreat. Please subscribe to our mailing listing or comply with us on social media to be stored knowledgeable.
If you happen to want to be taught extra about serving to youngsters be taught meditation please try our Related Children Program.
Be taught to show youngsters meditation
Mother and father/carers course
Practise meditations assist
