Childhood as a place of meditation

There have been some very interesting experiments lately with introducing meditation to children.  Some of the news reports are showing quite positive results. Other reports see it in a somewhat mixed  way. One perspective that might be considered, is the way in which behaviours in childhood act in a number of different ways in adulthood:

• they create a sense of identity for us - the who we are;
• they tell us about how we connect with others as well as ourselves;
• they intrigue us about what does and does not work;
• they tell us how to cope with adversity which is linked to our resilience;
• as well, they tell us about situations and patterns that make us feel better or worse.

There are certainly lots of other things that childhood experiences lay down for our adult life. The neuro-biology of the brain gets significantly wired in childhood. It remains changeable, but it is much harder to do in adult years after about age 25 when the brain is seen as "fully" developed.

These childhood experiences are pathways in adulthood that help us develop a coherent story of our life. When childhood is dangerous, fearful, chaotic or lonely, then the story tends to be less coherent and comforting. Thus, in adulthood when we meditate, we are often drawing upon emotional territory that first came to light in childhood. 

Let's take an example. Sit quietly for just a few minutes. Ask which experience in childhood really stands out for you. As you recall this, focus on how your body is responding. If the event was happy, you might experience a smile on your face, feel your pulse quieten, or muscles relax. The reverse might be true if the memory is unhappy or disturbing. These show the legacy of childhood. 

In meditation, when positive or negative emotions from childhood arise, stepping back, observing and letting the emotion pass, permits truth to be known without it becoming "the story" of who you are. At the same time, observing (not attaching) to these emotions permits us to understand why we react certain ways. When the adult behaviours create upset or attachments, we can use meditation to observe, let go and still teach such that, the next time we behave in a particular way, we can take three simple steps:

1. Observe the emotion knowing that you have seen it before - it is familiar;
2. Acknowledge that it is there; and
3. Let it pass shifting attention to the next experience that arises. 

Our past does not define who we are now but it certainly influences it. Bearing that in mind helps us to see the value of helping a child to learn meditation.

Eight years old

Breakfast done

Toast and peanut butter

Two wheels

Off with my buddy

Ravines

Sand dunes

Railway tracks

First smoke

Export A unfiltered

Last smoke

Learned the word fuck

Tried it on mom

Told to wait

Till dad got home

Lecture endured

Fish and chip Friday

Dinner over

New book

Hardy Boys

Great day

© Peter Choate, 2016