Stress affects both children and adults, and can take a toll on family life; in fact, 54% of people claim that stress is the cause of fighting with someone close to them. Practicing meditation helps control stress on a physiological level, making for happier individuals and more peaceful home. Building a daily meditation practice in your home gives your family a chance to spend time together in a meaningful and spiritually nurturing way. Through meditation, your family will learn to better stay in the moment, manage the pressures of daily life and strengthen your connections with one another.

Slowing Down to Appreciate Life

There are hundreds of different meditation techniques, developed by different cultures throughout the world. Al forms of meditation aim at focusing the mind to achieve a sense of inner peace and clarity. Designating time out of each day to sit down as a family and eliminate distractions will help you stay present and get the most out of your time together. Finding the right form of meditation to meet your family’s needs can be a fun experimental exercise in itself. Mindful meditation works to engage the senses and improve awareness of the body. Breathwork also helps bring your focus inward to release the negativity of stressful life events. Kundalini yoga, focusing on a mantra and transcendental meditation are more guided approaches your family may want to try.  Your family can join a class, watch online tutorial videos or read an instructional book together to determine how you want to develop your practice.

Creating a Refuge from Daily Stressors

Whether it’s work, school, money or relationships, there is no way to eliminate the reality of external pressures. You can, however, control your reactions and find healthier approaches to managing stress. Helping your child cope with stress early on will improve their academic performance and social skills, and set them on the path to a healthier adulthood. Reducing your own stress also allows you to parent more effectively. A home meditation practice should provide a safe space and calming ambiance. Integrate sensory elements like aroma and fragrance, visually appealing objects, relaxing sounds and comfortable seating to make your meditation space feel like the sanctuary it is.

Connecting with the Self and Connecting with Each Other 

Meditation helps improve empathy and compassion by giving you the tools to reflect inward and see yourself more clearly. When you have a stronger sense of your own inner world, it helps you better understand all of humankind. You can set an intention at the beginning of each meditation session to become more compassionate and kinder. Meditating together as a family emphasizes that you are a part of something greater than yourself and that you also contain within yourself all elements of the universe.

If you’re looking for a healthy and productive way to spend time together as a family, begin learning and practicing meditation. While getting started on creating your family meditation practice may initially take some work, it will soon become something your whole family looks forward to. After a few weeks of practice, your family will begin to see the benefits of meditation in their personal lives and in their relationships with each other.