How Can You Integrate Meditation for Kids into Your Classroom?

Are you a teacher looking to integrate meditation for kids into your classroom?

Research shows that by allowing our students the time and space to mediate throughout the school day we benefit their emotional well being and overall academic success.

There are three main ways to integrate mediation: responsive, preparatory and mindfulness. Read on to see what these mean and examples on how to incorporate them into your classroom!

Responsive Meditation

Responsive meditation is used to recenter yourself during a stressful or unforeseen situation.

Notice when you or your students are starting to feel stress or having unwanted reaction to a situation.

Create a space for responsive meditation- this can be as simple as closing your eyes wherever you are. Draw your attention to your breath, body, emotions, then thoughts.

Peace Corner

Create a space in your classroom as your designated peace corner. This is a calming space where students can access the tools they need to help manage emotions during a stressful or unforeseen time.

Each student’s need and reasons for utilizing the peace corner can all be different! By creating a safe and welcoming space for our students, we teach them healthy ways to manage emotions appropriately.

Check out my post on Peace Corners and how you can effectively design one for your classroom.

Preparatory Meditation

Preparatory meditation is used to prepare ourselves for a high-stress situation to help us show up as or best, most confident self.

Check in with yourself, observing your breath, body, emotions and thoughts. Focus on accepting the present as it really is.

Practice breathwork, visualize yourself performing at your best, try a stress reducing mudra. End the mediation with a moment of gratitude.

Test Prep Mediation

Preparatory mediations for kids are great to do before a big test or activity. Before passing out an exam, guide your students through a test prep mediation.

This helps your students to settle themselves and get in the right mindset before a test.

Include affirmations and phrases to empower your students. Help settle their nerves and allow them the time and space to visualize themselves performing their best!

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness mediation is used throughout the day to enhance overall health and well-being.

Set an intention to practice mindfulness techniques throughout your day (when you wake up, while brushing your teeth, taking a shower, etc.) Integrating these techniques into your daily practice will help you to understand the value of integrating these techniques into your classroom as well.

During the meditation, guide your students to observe and accept their present body, breath, emotions and thoughts. Close with a breath of gratitude.

The beautiful thing about mindfulness and mediation is you have the tools with you at all times! The more you practice, the more it becomes your way of living.

Walking Barefoot Mediation

A walking barefoot meditation is a wonderful way to tap into the sense of touch.

Find a soft area of grass. Take your shoes off and ground your feet into the Earth. Slowly wiggle your toes and feel the sensations as you move them. Ground your heels down then slowly begin to shift your weight from your heels to the balls of your feet. Feel each bone, muscle and tendon as you move. Repeat this slowly over and over again.

What sensations do you feel? What textures and temperatures do you feel? Try to focus only on these feelings and nothing else. If your mind begins to wander, direct your attention back to your feet and the Earth.

Guided Meditation Recommendations

Want to incorporate meditation into your class but you aren’t comfortable guiding one? Check out my list of recommended YouTube Channels that offer a variety of guided mediations for children.

Concluding Thoughts

Meditating has so many great direct and long term benefits and serves as a great tool as a positive behavior management strategy in the classroom.

Meditation can be used proactively before a stress-inducing assignment, reactively as a way to calm the nervous system during an unforeseen situation, or mindfully as a way to ground yourself throughout the day. What kind of meditation are you going to start with?