Meditation for children: a powerful tool for well-being and learning

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Meditation for children isn't just a fad. It's a powerful tool for cultivating calm, mindfulness and well-being from an early age. It's not just a practice for adults. More and more studies are demonstrating its benefits for emotional well-being, concentration and stress management. Today, this discipline is recognized by neuroscientists as an effective method for calming the mind and improving cognitive abilities.
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Why wait until adulthood to learn how to cultivate inner calm? The earlier a child discovers meditation, the more naturally he or she will be able to integrate it into daily life and use it whenever he or she feels the need. Whether at school or at home, it only takes a few minutes a day to see positive effects.
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Today, we know that mental and physical health are closely linked. A relaxed, confident child learns better, sleeps better and interacts more serenely with others. By promoting mindfulness, meditation offers children an effective tool for growing up in balance.
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In the bilingual schools of the Esclaibes International Schools network, this practice is an integral part of the pedagogical approach. As a complement tocaring education, it helps to establish a calm climate, conducive to children's learning and development.
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5 benefits of meditation for children

The school and family environment plays a key role in a child's development. Yet the accelerating pace of life, exposure to screens and pressure from school can generate stress and anxiety from an early age.

When faced with these issues, mindfulness meditation is an invaluable tool. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment, without distraction or judgment. It involves paying conscious attention to our sensations, thoughts and environment, without seeking to modify them. It can be practiced through simple exercises. It is one of the central principles of many forms of meditation.

Thanks to regular meditation exercises, children will :

1. improve their concentration and focus;
2. reduce stress and anxiety;
3. learn to better recognize, understand and regulate their emotions ;
4. boost their self-confidence and self-esteem;
5. promote their well-being, their enjoyment of learning and their love of school.

When children are relaxed and emotionally balanced, they learn better. Meditation creates conditions conducive to memorization and creativity. It enhances their school experience, both in terms of learning and the environment, which is naturally more serene.
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‍Meditationand the brain: what science says

‍Thesebenefits have been measured in numerous scientific studies. These have demonstrated the positive impact of meditation on the brain, stress management and learning abilities. For example, a 2015 randomized controlled trial on the impact of mindfulness on children showed that students who followed a meditation program for four months saw their cognitive functions and math grades improve. They demonstrated better cognitive control, memory and cognitive flexibility.

Another study of elementary school children in Korea revealed that, after eight weeks of meditation, they were less aggressive and anxious, and were able to lower their stress levels.

And there's nothing like lower stress levels and better concentration, for effective and enjoyable learning. At Esclaibes International Schools, we have integrated the practice of meditation into our international schools of excellence. It helps create an environment where children feel calm and secure, and learn better.

Neuroscience and neuroimaging in particular have confirmed the effects of meditation and mindfulness techniques on brain function and structure.

The practice of mindfulness-based stress reduction leads to structural and functional changes in several brain regions, notably the prefrontal cortex, an area linked to emotional control, the cingulate cortex, the insula and the hippocampus.

In parallel, theamygdala, involved in stress and emotion management, shows reduced activity. It offers better connectivity with the prefrontal cortex, and deactivates more rapidly after emotional exposure.

Children who practice meditation develop better emotional regulation. Meditation stimulates cerebral neuroplasticity, i.e. the brain's ability to create and strengthen new neuronal connections.

A child accustomed to mindfulness will be better able to manage frustration, stress and impulsive reactions. They will also be better able to concentrate on learning and improve their ability to memorize.

‍How topractice meditation with children?

‍Mindfulness meditation, in particular, involves training the mind to stay anchored in the present moment, often with the help of the breath or an object of attention (sounds, sensations, thoughts).

While meditation is a formal practice (sitting, in silence, with directed attention), mindfulness can be experienced at every moment: while eating, walking, listening to a conversation.

Mindfulness is a state of mind, and meditation is a structured exercise for developing this capacity.

This being said, for a child to adhere to meditation, it needs to be short, simple and fun. Far from being a rigid discipline, with children it can be integrated naturally into daily life through games, rituals and shared moments.

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Meditative approaches for children

Here are a few child-friendly methods:

• Conscious breathing
  • The "candle and flower" exercise invites you to breathe in deeply as if smelling a flower, then blow out slowly as if flickering a candle flame before gently extinguishing it.
  • The aim of this exercise is to help the child refocus and soothe his emotions in a matter of seconds.
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• Guided meditations
  • You can suggest that your child listen to short meditations (5-10 minutes) on themes such as self-confidence, calm or gratitude. You can find some in the book Calme et attentif comme une grenouille by Eline Snel.
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• Mindfulness moments in the classroom or at home
  • You can start the day with a minute's silence, attentive observation of an object (a leaf, a pebble, a candle flame...) orlistening to the sounds around you to refocus your attention.
  • You can also encourage the child to eat mindfully, paying attention to textures and flavors.
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• Body exercises and relaxation
  • Meditation can be combined with the practice of yoga. This discipline anchors children in the present moment while mobilizing their bodies. The book 100% yoga des petits: Bien dans son corps, bien dans sa tête, by Elisabeth Jouanne and Ilya Green, is one of the most practical books on the subject.
  • Use body scans to help the child release tension before a school activity or before bedtime.
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Some playful exercises to develop meditation skills in children
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• The breathing balloon game: imagine a balloon inflating in your belly as you inhale and deflating as you exhale. This helps to regulate breathing and calm anxiety. Or place an origami paper boat on your belly and watch it sail with the waves simulated by your belly inflating and deflating. You'll find other activities in the book Temps calme! Quand la méditation aide les petits à se concentrer : 50 méditations et exercices simples et amusants pour les enfants, by Gilles Diederichs.
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• Express body scan: lying down, the child closes his eyes and explores each part of his body mentally, concentrating on sensations. They can be asked to imagine a small point of light circling their body. Your voice accompanies the movement of this point of light. In this way, the mind-body connection is developed. It's a relaxation exercise that helps release tension before a school activity or bedtime.
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• The emotion cards Emotion cards: the child picks a card illustrating an emotion and takes a few seconds to observe how it manifests itself. In this way, they learn to put their feelings into words.

By incorporating these little exercises into your home or classroom, meditation becomes a natural habit rather than a constraint.

‍Meditationfor children and active pedagogy: the Esclaibes schools approach

‍Inthe Montessori Esclaibes bilingual schools, meditation is part of a global pedagogical vision focused on well-being and caring education. It complements practices such as :

• yoga, which helps channel energy and promotes concentration;
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• the philosophical workshops for childrenwhich develop critical thinking and emotional management skills and are led by teaching teams trained by Marie Robert;
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• caring education, which emphasizes respect for children's rhythms and listening to their needs.

From kindergarten onwards, children acquire tools for emotional balance and academic success.

Meditation for children is not a fad, but a practice with scientifically proven benefits. It improves concentration, reduces stress and enhances emotional well-being, all of which are essential for quality learning.

‍Learningin a serene environment means learning better. By integrating meditation into their daily lives, children develop a valuable skill: that of cultivating calmness and self-presence, assets that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Meditation for children is much more than a simple relaxation exercise. It gives them invaluable keys to managing stress, cultivating self-confidence and improving concentration.

‍Bylearning these techniques early, they develop a lifelong beneficial habit. At school, at home or before going to sleep, a few minutes of mindfulness can transform their everyday well-being.

‍Learningto meditate is learning to know ourselves and better interact with the world around us. A precious gift for the future.