The society today is distraught, and the fabric of our human civilisation is torn apart. People want instant gratification and the value systems are lost. It is imperative to look into grooming children’s personalities for the better evolution of mankind. Those were the days when there were the gurukuls where the Ramas, Krishnas and Arjunas were groomed. Let’s bring those days back. If not a gurukul, at least through systems and processes that lead them towards transformation and towards evolution.
‘Grow Taller’ module for children
In the age of the millennials, children and youth are extremely talented in their own rights. They are multifarious personalities, forever looking at assimilating and enhancing their knowledge. They have ideas for a better tomorrow. They are constantly on their feet with their thinking hats ‘on’, forever dreaming of working towards their cherished goals. The seeds of heroism are ingrained in their personas. They grow up believing in their abilities. Technology and the fast pace of life is further driving their growth momentum.
In the hustle and bustle of life, while they are turning out to be super humans with great intellect and abilities, too much importance is given to their education so that they can make a great career for themselves.
Children are constantly reeling under the pressure, stress and anxiety. They are pushed to perform better and better.
Under three broad categories, we will be highlighting these values and how to ‘up the ante’ for our children:
1. Grooming: A person becomes ‘whole’ when groomed to evolve to his/her full potential. The need of the hour is to ensure that children are well-groomed with the right tools and wisdom.
2. Character: Character plays a vital role in shaping one’s personality and future. The art of teaching children the values to enhance their characters such as truthfulness, honesty, empathy, sympathy, respect for adults, respect for learning and development — are the real benchmarks to turn them into achievers and future leaders.
3. Personality: Children are like sponges who absorb learnings from others and imitate them in their growing up years. What we need to do is become their role models and teach them the best ways to enhance their personalities.
Wellness, the need of the hour
Wellness is the biggest integrating force. Through it the mind, heart and soul of the child can pulsate and celebrate together. The journey starts creating optimal movement therapies, which help and serve the purpose of re-creation.
‘No.1 Ranking’ has become the most cherished goal for these ‘hungry for attention’ children. With their non-stop busy schedules right from morning school time to tuition, extracurricular activities, homework, hobby classes and preps for exams, they have little time for themselves. They are always worried and seem to lose their confidence and self-esteem. Life appears to have become mechanical for them. Many children are facing emotional imbalances and psychological issues owing to the mounting challenges and pressures in their day-to-day lives. So, how can they turn into future leaders while maintaining their equilibrium, sense of purpose, conviction, peace and sense of worth?
It is noteworthy to learn from our ancestors who instilled the values in their children in their lifetimes. ‘Atithi devo bhava’, ‘Matru devo bhava’, ‘pitru devo bhava’, ‘acharya devo bhava’… these were the core tenets which our ancestors used to teach children in their growing up years. What drove them to become whole human beings? It was primarily the love and respect for everyone around them!
The discipline of yoga, breath work, meditation and prayer can give them clarity from confusion and vision out of fogginess.
Sleep and relaxation are just as important as exercise and food. They complement one another and we should ensure children rest adequately in order to regenerate, revitalize and to have an overall healthy disposition.
Extensive research confirms that emotions, state of mind, and thoughts affect the energy body and vice versa. Yoga mitigates anxiety and enhances the cognitive functions of children. Yoga has proven to synchronise the brain after regular practice.
Yoga can bring an overall improvement in health, emotional stability, mental clarity and provides access to creative and intuitive powers and makes children calm. It also helps in enhancement of short-term memory, selective attention, visuo-spatial ability and academic performance among children.
Exercises help them to balance their brain energies in the right and left hemispheres. This balance of energy in the brain contributes to the enhancement of their physiological and psychological well-being.
Breath and meditation can give them clarity from confusion, vision out of fogginess and patience, tolerance, resilience, tenacity. thereby leading to mental clarity and enhancement of their creativity and intuitive powers, improving concentration, confidence and memory in children.
According to Gottman, if children learn to stay calm under stress, they will be less likely to misbehave as the prefrontal lobes are free to engage in higher level tasks of thinking, which helps them to pay more attention, concentrate and solve problems, be creative, learn and remember.
Other than food and exercise, children also get nourishment from our environment. With the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, and through a feeling of heart, they are constantly absorbing the elements that directly touch the core of their existence.
Smelling beautiful flowers, watching the sunrise and sunset every day, hugging parents and siblings, listening to the chirping of birds, watching the waves of the sea going up and down, feeling the breeze and feeling the grass in the garden activates the feel-good hormones within them and energizes them.
Spontaneous Breathing exercise
Anytime during the day be aware of your breath
Pay attention to inhaling and exhaling
Watch your emotional state
Take in deep breaths, release gently
Breathe in strength, breathe out weakness
Breathe in joy, breath out sadness
Breathe in prana, breathe out exhaustion
Breathe in trust, breathe out despair
Breathe in hope, breathe out anxiety
Breathe in faith, breathe out insecurity
Breathe in security, breathe out fear
Breathe in energy, breathe out fatigue
Children should practice aware-halation as many times in a day as they can. Expert help is recommended for breathing exercises in case they are absolute beginners.
The Polarities Meditation
Sit down in a comfortable position
Observe your thoughts
Is the thought related to the past?
If it is, just observe it and drop it; Choose to be in this moment
Is the thought coming from the future?
If it is, just observe it and drop it; Choose to be in the moment
Is the thought about some other place than this?
If it is, just observe it and drop it; Choose to be only here
Choose to be in the here-now
Child Development Maximized, Get Mickeymized!
(Mickey Mehta is a global leading holistic health guru and life coach; website: www.drmickeymehta.com)
