Hanuman Chalisa summer camp - Part 2

It is such a pleasure to present this video, created by Anvita and Ashwath, students of iReikiNow. It encapsulates their perspective of iReikiNow's Hanuman Chalisa summer camp that they attended in July 2018. Enjoy!

Guided Meditation by a child

The proudest moment for a teacher/ parent is to see their student/ child become the teacher.

This video was never intended to be published (the poor quality of the video attests to that). However, the purity and the sincerity of this meditation compelled me to publish this (with permission from this child and parent). I will let this video do the "talking and guiding" for this blog post...

Teaching children Reiki and Meditation

I recently concluded a Reiki Level I and Meditation Summer Camp for children and teenagers. The curriculum included teaching children Reiki Level I, meditation, breathing exercises and brain exercises.

Some of the benefits of Reiki and Meditation are:

• Increases energy levels
• Improves focus and concentration
• Helps the body to release tension and stress
• Promotes creativity
• Aids better sleep
• Creates deep relaxation
• Helps relieve pain

Each child received a Reiki manual on the first day of camp. The class included supervised hands-on practice of all the healing modalities including Reiki, and meditation. At the end of the camp, each child received a Reiki Level I certification from iReikiNow. Those who attended the camp will be able to practice Reiki on themselves and also give Reiki sessions to others including pets and plants. 

Yay! Reiki Level I certified!

Giving Reiki to a tree

Below is feedback from children/teenagers who attended the camp:

Reiki Attunement Experiences

Aishwarya – I felt vibrations and warmth in my body. It was a very calming experience.

Anvita – My body felt tingly. I felt warmth in my hands and then I felt calm and refreshed.

Jahnvi – I felt a warmth come over my body. I also felt warmth in my palms. I felt calm and relaxed. I felt energy passing through me.

Roshan - I was happy to get attuned a second time because I find Reiki very beneficial.  I often give Reiki to myself before an exam or a tournament. It helps to calm me and increases my focus and confidence.

Sanjit - It was so cool. I felt I had the power flowing in my body.

Shibani - I felt vibrations and warmth inside and outside my body. I also felt very calm and peaceful.

Shreya - It was a really nice feeling. I felt warmth inside and around me. I felt a lot of energy coming from your hands. 

Shourya - I felt so relaxed. It was special.

Siya – When you put your hands on my head, I felt my mind clear and my head felt very light and relaxed. When you put your hands on my shoulders and down my arms, I had a tingly feeling and felt calm and peaceful.

Taran - I am thankful I have the ability to give myself and others Reiki. It gets me into a deep state of relaxation, increases my level of patience and willpower but at the same time it keeps me levelheaded.

Class in progress

Certificates awarded on conclusion of camp

Camp highlights – what appealed most to you in this camp

Aishwarya – I liked the brain exercises a lot because they cleared my mind. It was so calming that all the negative thoughts were gone. I am sure I will do the brain exercises that I learned before tests or in any situation when I am not feeling confident. I look forward to next year's Reiki and Meditation Summer Camp.

Anvita – I liked learning about the chakras. It was interesting to know about them because it was the first time I learnt about them and the knowledge that there is energy within my body. It is fascinating to learn that each chakra affects my thoughts, emotions and body parts.

Jahnvi – The thought cycle because it clarified to me why I had certain habits or acted in a certain way in some situations. Now that I understand the thought cycle, I know that I can create and control my thought and therefore my future. I will use this knowledge before my stage performances. All my friends are jealous (in a cool way) that I got to attend this camp :-)

Roshan - The lesson on chakras and meridians was very informative. I liked learning about the seven main chakras in detail. I will use that knowledge to give myself Reiki and to balance my chakras.

Sanjit - I liked the stretching and the brain exercises a lot. I also enjoyed receiving the Reiki Level I attunement as I feel very powerful now. May the force be with me always :-)

Shibani - The thought cycle and types of thoughts was a very interesting lesson because it helped me understand that I can choose my thoughts and my destiny. I hope you will teach us Reiki Level 2 next summer. 

Shreya - I liked the different forms of meditation. I also enjoyed the mindfulness and the brain exercises. I want to come back next year.

Shourya - I liked the breathing exercises and I also enjoyed the snack break :-)

Siya – I liked learning about the meditation 3 step process. It was cool because I learned that I can change negative thoughts into positive thoughts and feel better about myself. I hope I get to learn Reiki Level 2 next summer. 

Taran - The guided meditations were very relaxing. I almost always fell off to sleep. I also enjoyed learning about the discovery, history and miracles of Reiki. Looking forward to the camp next year. 

My experience as a "Reiki and Meditation for kids teacher" - 

Children are pure. They almost always live in the moment, are less inhibited, accepting of energy and benefit tremendously from Reiki and meditation. When explained the importance and advantages of self-care and healing techniques, they are quick to imbibe it. Yes, they might forget it occasionally, but once the seed is sowed, it stays with them, and with love, guidance and support, they will ultimately use these life skills to their great benefit. I am proud to see my students use these skills before a test, a game, a musical performance or even before they venture on new and unfamiliar experiences (be it a ride on a roller coaster or learning how to drive a car). The results are usually better grades, fewer medications, calmer and more confident personalities, and absolute happiness.

It was an honor and privilege to help equip these youngsters with coping mechanisms, healing techniques and to teach them Reiki. I feel truly blessed to be a part of their life journey and to be able to contribute to building their character. 

Overcoming fear in children - A guide for parents

The famous Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, once wrote, "Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most." If you find yourself in this position, quailing on the threshold of something new, take heart, for you are not alone in your fear. Be inspired by the knowledge that others have conquered fears before you. Venture bravely into the unknown.

Dostoyevsky's words are relevant to all age groups but are increasingly even more apt for children.

Fear and anxiety is not uncommon in children especially with the start of a new school year (as mentioned in the article below)

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/features/school-stress-anxiety-children

Here are five suggestions for parents to help their child deal with fears and anxieties:

1. Address fear and anxiety - Sometimes children are afraid of situations or objects that adults don't find threatening. Encourage your child to face his or her fears and not run away from it. They need to be reminded that, "What you resist, persists." Instead of resisting the problem, acknowledge it's presence and label the fear. If a fear can't be articulated, it can't be conquered. 

2. Analyze the fear - Help your child to identify the trigger or cue for a fear and action that feeds to the fear. Where does it come from? Is it triggered by a specific object/ situation? Additionally, help your child recognize his or her body symptoms and help the child understand the connection between mind and body. Very often, analyzing the fear may loosen it's grip on your child.

3. Don't cater to the fear - Help your child by taking their fears seriously and by encouraging him or her to talk about his or her feelings. But do not cater to their fears lest they will be reinforced. 

4 Empower children with coping mechanisms - Brain storm with your child to see what calms him or her. Try out various methods to cope such as deep breathing, guided imagery, visualization meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, a silent walk to introspect. Train your child in positive self talk so that he or she feels empowered to take control of the situations life brings along.

5. Build self confidence and esteem. - Do not solve the problem for your child. Instead, validate your child's emotions, understand and empathize with your child's experience and help your child to problem solve. Encourage your child to act in spite of the fear and take it as a challenge for personal growth. All along this journey, remind your child that you've got his or back and be your child's biggest cheerleader. 

The key is to help your child face his or hear fears. As Robin Sharma said, "The fears we don't face become our limits." Let's aim for a limitless world for our children.

Why should kids meditate

If there is one gift you can bestow on your child, it should be meditation.

The ability to stay calm and positive irrespective of the challenges life throws at you, is a lifelong skill. It is also a skill that your child will use in every facet of life, be it sports, academics or any other extra curricular activity that the child partakes in. Meditation will help your child to approach things positively and to appreciate the beauty that life is. But most importantly, your child will learn to value himself/ herself and to love himself/ herself. Only when you love yourself, can you give love to others. 


In the time I have been meditating with kids, whether, they are 4 year olds or 12 year olds, what strikes me the most is their purity and their natural virtue of love and happiness. Somehow, along the way, with family and self imposed pressure, sensory overload, and with the need to fit in, kids begin to lose their ability to see themselves as the bundle of virtues that they truly are. They start to develop  stress and anxiety. Their confidence level plummets, they feel insecure and they develop strong emotions such as fear and frustration. Hence, the need to meditate.

Benefits of meditation:

It creates a strong brain - A study on "The structure and neural patterns in the brain" published in NeuroReport in 2005 show thicker cortical regions related to attention and sensory processing in meditation practitioners. There was evidence of increased activation in a region of the brain correlated with positive affect. 


It creates a strong immune system - Studies show evidence that the immune system would react more robustly in antibody production after meditation training. 


It reduces anxiety and stress - Meditation has been proved to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. Stress is known to create long term physical and mental health problems. A study conducted in Australia shows significant improvement in Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with children who were taught to meditate. 50 percent of the children who participated in this study either stopped taking medication completely or reported an improvement in their ADHD symptoms. 


It improves inter personal relationships - Self control, respect for others, and compassion increases  in children thereby contributing to their confidence, self esteem and building stronger inter personal relationships.


It supports healthy emotional development - Meditation helps kids to deal with emotions such as fear, frustration and acceptance. The participants of a study reported less anxiety, depression, and anger  after a few weeks of meditation training.


It aids in academic success - Working memory, clarity, focus and attention span improves. There have been numerous studies that show that meditation contributes to better math, reading comprehension scores and overall academic performance. Children (and adults) perform better when they are not under stress.

It is our perception which makes the world what it appears to us. Our thoughts are powerful; they can either make things/ situations look beautiful or ugly. Empower your child. Let him create beautiful thoughts and a beautiful world.