Meditation for Youngsters 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 after I met the Zen Grasp of meditation.
On the time of this retreat, within the West, the main focus had been on adults studying meditation. However this retreat for educators, therapists and professionals centered on serving to them to share aware expertise with younger individuals. On the time it was seen as pioneering. Thankfully, it’s turning into extra commonplace in houses 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 assets which will provide help to in your journey.
Seeds of Peace
The retreat attendees had been (at first) focussed on studying particular methods that may very well be carried out into their lessons. The topic of difficult behaviour in younger individuals was a key matter.
However the expertise was a lot greater than data or studying new expertise. 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 search out peace inside.
It turned clear that to share this ‘North Star’ of peace may solely occur if adults related to their inner supply of non-public mindfulness, peace and pleasure first.
Maybe you already understand how a lot tougher it’s to convey peace right into a classroom or a house if you’re ateacher or mum or dad who’s feeling overwhelmed with work or private stress? And maybe you’ve noticed how younger individuals sense the stress of these others round them after which react to it?
To show meditation and provide youngsters peace, we first observe and connect with our personal interior, useful resource.
Watering Our Seeds of Peace
I used to be fascinated to study a lot extra on this retreat. I had practised meditation usually for years and had change into uncertain that I’d study one thing new. However I felt the numerous advantages from the easy steps we had been proven to entry our interior peace. This concerned:
- Conscious consuming and noble silence
- Singing songs of mindfulness for kids
- 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 signify the grownup. The 2nd related to household and the third represented work. By means of 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 endure.
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 seen that every day I discovered my proportions turning into smaller as I recognised the indicators from my physique telling me what I actually wanted and after 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 seen how the meals felt in my mouth – the totally different flavours of watercress and the moisture of cucumber.
Along with smaller proportions of meals, I began to get pleasure from consuming mindfully. I discovered myself taking a second to look at my meals earlier than I began consuming simply to be inquisitive about what was on my plate. The totally different colors, shapes, textures – it was lovely.
As I ate, I’d 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 palms in Namaste (prayer place), eyes closed and feeling gratitude for the meals I needed to eat. My eyes stuffed with tears, and a stupendous 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 Youngsters
After this expertise, I recognised how adults fear about what and the way a lot youngsters eat. It will possibly convey stress to a household meal or faculty supper time that might provide a unique expertise if we took the time to provide 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 may faucet into youngsters’s interior Zen Grasp?
We may introduce the chance for them to observe some mindfulness earlier than consuming. Listed below are a number of sensible solutions.
For those who can’t do that ever day, attempt to intention for as soon as per week and construct from there.
House observe
- 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 totally different textures and flavours and why they get pleasure from 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 inquisitive about 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 pay attention, really feel the meals they’re consuming and see what occurs.
- And basically, you observe alongside them and be inquisitive about watering your private interior 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’ – Practising Mindfulness with Youngsters)
- This meals is the reward 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 individuals on the market and the cooks.
- We solely placed on our plate as a lot meals as we are able to eat.
- We need to chew the meals slowly in order that we are able to get pleasure from it.
- This meals provides us power to observe being extra loving and understanding.
- We eat this meals so as to be wholesome and glad, and to like one another as a household.
Faculty lunchtime – Conscious Consuming Apply
If you want to study extra about aware consuming practices for faculties, please join with us (beneath) and we’ll share a aware consuming observe that may be integrated into faculty lunchtimes.
Conscious Consuming information
We’ll be releasing extra data in our subsequent weblog publish in regards to the totally different methods shared on this retreat. Please subscribe to our mailing checklist or observe us on social media to be stored knowledgeable.
For those who want to study extra about serving to youngsters study meditation please try our Linked Youngsters Program.
Be taught to show youngsters meditation
Mother and father/carers course
Practise meditations assist
