Teens Find a Sense of Belonging with Meditation
Leah Valcourt recently participated in my online Child Meditation Facilitators training from Calgary, Canada. Not long after our series concluded, Leah was asked to lead a beginner’s meditation class to a local group of Girl Guides (Girl Scouts).
At the start of her class, the eleven teen girls sat comfortably on yoga mats, nestled among blankets and pillows. Although Leah had considered offering a sophisticated ice-breaking activity, she dove in with something goofy and fun, yet oh so powerful. Leah was pleasantly surprised to see her class respond well to the Hokey Pokey. In this version of the song and dance, the students pretended they were holding something they wanted to let go of and then, again pretended that they were placing it into the circle. I have facilitated this same warm up activity with children who often choose to let go of “homework” or “cleaning my room.” However, no matter what they choose, I always remind them that whatever they let go of is not “bad”, it is just something they don’t want to think about at the moment. Leah put into the circle the song “Roar” by Katy Perry, which helped the girls feel free to throw in whatever it was that they wanted to release.
Later Leah led a discussion about the benefits of meditation. Her students came up with advantages, such as reducing stress and recovering from a bad day. Leah then explained to her students that meditation also helps us feel whole and gives us a sense of belonging—important benefits for teens. Then she led the girls through the Grounding Cord meditation in tandem with the Fudge Swirl meditation.
Leah also facilitated two outstanding concluding activities. First, she guided the teens to create meditation jars. As mentioned in my training and in Kerry Lee MacLean’s book, Peaceful Piggy Meditation, meditation jars are containers filled with water and another material such as dirt, sand, baking soda, or glitter. Children of any age love to shake these jars and watch the glitter fall to the bottom, knowing that this settling down is what also happens in their minds when they meditate.
Next, Leah asked each of her teen students to choose a stone heart, which she provided. Then Leah said, “Place your heart in your coat pocket and whenever you touch your stone heart, remember that you matter. And also visualize your bubble filled with your favorite things, just as you did in your meditation today.”
Leah Valcourt is a student of Classical Chinese Natural Science : Five Element Healing, Natural Healing Arts Practitioner (Shamanic Healing Methods and Shamanic Aromatherapy), Reiki Master and Tutor, RMT, Certified Indian Head Massage Practitioner and Teacher, Lightarian AngelLinks Facilitator.
Visit her website at: http://www.silverwindhealing.ca
Article written by Sarah Wood Vallely Copyright 2014 Sarah Wood Vallely
At the start of her class, the eleven teen girls sat comfortably on yoga mats, nestled among blankets and pillows. Although Leah had considered offering a sophisticated ice-breaking activity, she dove in with something goofy and fun, yet oh so powerful. Leah was pleasantly surprised to see her class respond well to the Hokey Pokey. In this version of the song and dance, the students pretended they were holding something they wanted to let go of and then, again pretended that they were placing it into the circle. I have facilitated this same warm up activity with children who often choose to let go of “homework” or “cleaning my room.” However, no matter what they choose, I always remind them that whatever they let go of is not “bad”, it is just something they don’t want to think about at the moment. Leah put into the circle the song “Roar” by Katy Perry, which helped the girls feel free to throw in whatever it was that they wanted to release.
Later Leah led a discussion about the benefits of meditation. Her students came up with advantages, such as reducing stress and recovering from a bad day. Leah then explained to her students that meditation also helps us feel whole and gives us a sense of belonging—important benefits for teens. Then she led the girls through the Grounding Cord meditation in tandem with the Fudge Swirl meditation.
Leah also facilitated two outstanding concluding activities. First, she guided the teens to create meditation jars. As mentioned in my training and in Kerry Lee MacLean’s book, Peaceful Piggy Meditation, meditation jars are containers filled with water and another material such as dirt, sand, baking soda, or glitter. Children of any age love to shake these jars and watch the glitter fall to the bottom, knowing that this settling down is what also happens in their minds when they meditate.
Next, Leah asked each of her teen students to choose a stone heart, which she provided. Then Leah said, “Place your heart in your coat pocket and whenever you touch your stone heart, remember that you matter. And also visualize your bubble filled with your favorite things, just as you did in your meditation today.”
Leah Valcourt is a student of Classical Chinese Natural Science : Five Element Healing, Natural Healing Arts Practitioner (Shamanic Healing Methods and Shamanic Aromatherapy), Reiki Master and Tutor, RMT, Certified Indian Head Massage Practitioner and Teacher, Lightarian AngelLinks Facilitator.
Visit her website at: http://www.silverwindhealing.ca
Article written by Sarah Wood Vallely Copyright 2014 Sarah Wood Vallely
