by Shri K. C. Jain
Treasurer, IYA and Managing Trustee, Adhyatm Sadhna Kendra, Delhi

The benefits of meditation are indeed manifold. And increasingly, more and more people are taking recourse to meditation for finding relief from stress in their daily lives, aside from reaping meditation benefits for their overall holistic health. However, a common misconception among most people is that meditation is only beneficial to adults. Kids too can practice meditation on a regular basis to benefit from this age-old practice. There are many benefits of meditation for kids which are as follows:

1. Children who practice meditation on a regular basis will find a marked improvement in their concentration. This is especially beneficial for children of school-going age who find trouble concentrating on the tasks at hand and can also be beneficial for learning disabilities.
2. Many adults refuse to acknowledge that even children can be stressed. Academic pressure, peer pressure and study load, among others can cause children to become stressed. Practicing meditation under a guru can help children manage their stress and lead a more wholesome and fulfilling life.
3. One of the major problems children face at their young age is retention of information. With all the information they are exposed to, they are required to retain a large part of it, for the purpose of their academics and for personal growth. Meditation is known to help children with improving their ability to retain what they learn by making their minds sharper and more focused.
4. Another major benefit of meditation for kids has to do with their creativity. It is not commonly understood that the innate creativity of a child can only manifest when the child has a calm and peaceful mind and can concentrate on the activity they are pursuing. Meditation can help in all these aspects, calming the restlessness in children, enhancing their focus and helping them bring out their creativity in everything they do.
5. As with adults, meditation also benefits kids by improving their overall health, something which is of great importance in their growing up years. The principles of meditation look within for improving mental, emotional and physical health by providing a solution at the hormonal level can significantly benefit children.

The Adhyatm Sadhna Kendra conducts regular Preksha Meditation health sessions and classes for kids to teach them the basics of meditation and gradually take them to the deeper levels of meditation so they can experience the complete gamut of benefits to lead a better, improved, and healthier lifestyle. The Preksha eye yoga sessions on weekends are particularly beneficial for children with eyesight problems.