A Guided Meditation Script for a Child?

[elvira wright]

While most people don't think of children when they think of
meditation, a good guided meditation script can be just what your kid
needs in certain situations. Most people think of meditation as some
highly experienced spiritual master sitting in the lotus position for
hours. While that's not necessarily false, that's far from the whole
truth of meditation. Every child loves a story. Giving them guided
imagery gives them a story that they can accept and use. Let me tell
you my personal experience with this.
When I was little, I had some pretty bad nightmares. When it started
really affecting me, my parents wrote up (in large print) a simple
guided meditation script for me. Nothing complex, and nothing fancy.
Considering that this script was designed to be read by me if a
nightmare woke me, they didn't need to worry about putting me in a
suggestible state of mind. All they needed to do was focus on imagery.
I don't recall the details, but the image of the shining, fiercely
protective unicorn banishing the nightmare to a realm of its own
terror stays in my mind to this day, decades later. A few uses of this
script, and the nightmares stopped bothering me altogether.
When preparing a guided meditation for a child, there are a few things
to remember. You want to keep it short, but interesting. You don't
need to worry as much about relaxation, as if you can get the kid's
fascination, they'll loosen up anyway. Along the same lines, you want
to focus on simple, yet powerful images. Use symbols and settings from
their favorite stories (I'm sure the authors won't mind) and really
make it come alive for them. If you are writing a guided meditation
script for the child to read (as my parents did for me) you will want
to make it as easy for them to read as possible.
Another important note is not to try to force it down their throat. In
order for this or any other form of meditation or guided imagery to be
successful, they need to be willing to try it out for themselves. If
their heart isn't in it, then let it go and try to find some other way
to help them.
If your child likes the simple meditation, you might consider writing
an "exploration" guided meditation script, and take them through a
more extended meditation session where they can run and play
(proverbially speaking) and really get used to the practice. A steady
practice of meditation is beneficial to anyone, but a child is a
natural. They may come out of the exploration having seen, heard, and
experienced lots of things. Encourage them to write it down, or talk
it out and write them down together. This is private information for
the child's eyes only, but this can actually be a wonderful tool for
self-understanding as they grow older.
Kids are people, and they have people's worries. Will that person like
me? Am I performing well enough at my "job" (school)? Are Mom and Dad
happy with me? Life as a kid is rough. A guided meditation script is
far from a cure-all, but used the right way, it can be a wonderful
tool to help them through.