To meditate. To focus on one's own "self". To drive away stress, fears and anxiety, restoring a proper harmony with ourselves and with what surrounds us. If meditation is a precious practice, especially in these fast-paced and anxiety-inducing times of ours, why not teach meditation to children, helping them from an early age to become aware of their own individuality, but also of their deep connection with the surrounding world? Two scholars of meditative practices, two holistic practitioners who work on wellbeing through the teaching of this most ancient discipline, have given it thought: Marina Panatero and Tea Pecunia. With their latest book – Giochiamo a rilassarci – i bambini imparano la meditazione, edito da Feltrinelli – the two authors map out a path dedicated to the very young, to teach them not only meditation, but also relaxation and better emotional management.

"Meditation taught to children becomes a training of their mind in mindful attention," explains Marina Panatero, "and it is a kind of exercise whose aim is to pay attention, voluntarily, to a given object." The practice of meditation with children responds to a twofold aspiration: the desire for serenity, inner and outer, and for mental and physical calm. "Children nowadays," adds Tea Pecunia, "often appear to us stressed, scattered, anxious, agitated, and, while this was not always so evident in the past, they are now frequently expected to achieve excellence and efficiency in their academic performance and in their sporting and recreational activities."

Meditation and children

In children, what meditative practice primarily aims to stabilise is attention. "It is the five senses," Tea Pecunia points out, "that is, sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing, that play a by no means negligible role in learning attention. And meditation refines and enhances this sensitivity, expanding the self and the perception of what surrounds us, and improving self-esteem and creativity." Among the benefits associated with practising this discipline, the first and most evident is an improvement in learning and academic performance. "The mind," say the authors, "finally capable of remaining focused on the task at hand, does not allow itself to be distracted by the tumult of thoughts, daydreams, emotions, memories and expectations. Children realise, in this way, that the developed concentration makes them more efficient in their everyday activities, but creativity also increases, and with it the capacity to propose and devise a path of study and learning."

Meditation and emotions

And there is more. For all destructive emotions, meditative practice is of great help: it contributes to lightening and dissolving them, providing the mind with a centre on which to focus. "For moments when a child finds themselves facing anxieties or particular emotions," Pecunia explains, "there is a very effective technique. It involves visualising a peaceful place, which can be accessed whenever one wishes in order to enjoy its tranquillity. We have called this type of guided meditation 'my corner of peace' because for many children it is important to know they have a secret place in which to relax and be free to let themselves go." The Dalai Lama has said: "If every child were taught meditation, we would be able to eliminate violence in the world within a generation."