Meditation and the awareness of it is growing in Canada and western countries. Many centers, places and groups have been formed to practice meditation in a formal and informal way of improving well-being. With that in mind, wouldn’t mediation done by adults also be beneficial to you? It is well known that keeping your mind quiet and in one place may be harder than landing a man on the moon. Therefore meditation could be a great tool to for you to create calmness in your life; however it does come with some major obstacles. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of meditation, it would be good to give a simple overview of what mediation is:

 Mediation is the just the practice of sitting, lying down in a clam place and watching your breath, thoughts and sensations. It is a way of focusing attentively on the present moment.

Some schools have brought mediation to the classroom. This allows students the time to take a break from all their daily activities. These time-outs have also proven to show positive effect.   Such visible benefits include enhanced relationship with parents, friends and better personal self-esteem.[1] The traits and benefits are long lasting and can provide a great foundation for you to build upon in future endeavors. So getting started early in your life, is a worthwhile undertaking. Suggestions include starting off with just sitting down and relaxing for a few minutes. Afterwards, watch the breath and progress onward from there… There should be a sense of wonder as you learn and try mediation in groups, at school, or with family and friends. If you continue practicing, you may achieve high levels of spiritual enlightenment. In brief, www.iamspirituality.com describes spiritual enlightenment as:

 “The concept of enlightenment implies complete understanding of life and the universe, which usually is accompanied by a detachment of all things impermanent and a complete awareness of everything that is, at the moment that it is.”[2]

 Growing up in our modern society is tougher than ever; you face a number of distractions and challenges. Consequently providing a way to relax and calm your mind through mediation is a great tool. Mediation acts to protect your mind from toxic stress by empowering oneself to be comfortable with your thoughts and emotions[3]. It may not be easy for the young at heart, but through practice and patience, can be a great experience.

References:

[1] O’Connor, B. (n.d.). “How to Get Kids to Meditate.” Retrieved June 7, 2015.

[2] http://iamspirituality.com/top-10-ways-to-achieve-spiritual-enlightenment/

[3] Machado, Amanda. “Should Schools Teach Kids to Meditate?” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 June 2015.