A few weeks ago I saw Deepak Chopra on television talking about meditation and toddlers. I was fascinated because I’ve been working with my almost 4-year-old grandson, Xander, with different techniques to help him calm his mind. Chopra’s recommendation is to have the child repeat a word or phrase for several minutes. With his grandchildren he suggests the word “happy.” So I shared this idea with Xander.

One day Xander was upset about something when we were in the car and I was driving. I asked him if there was anything he could do to “turn things around” - (another concept we’ve been working on.) His immediate reply was, “I could say ‘happy’ over and over.”

Another day I was helping him get ready for bed. He sat in his mother’s meditation chair, and I lit a candle. He watched it flickering, (while I supervised, of course.) After a minute, he said “I’m done watching the fire.” We read a story and he went to bed without a struggle.

One more story: Several days later Xander was having "quiet time" instead of napping. I was aware that it was really quiet - usually I can hear him moving around upstairs. When he announced he was done with quiet time - an hour or so later - I asked what he had been doing. He said, “I read some books, played with my cars and then sat in Mommy’s chair and meditated.”

Even if such simple meditation techniques don’t always work, or seem to work, I’ve come to believe that offering them to children is worthwhile. Kids are so creative, they’ll find a way to use them that makes sense to them.

As a mental health professional, an owner of a fitness studio, a writer and a wife, mother and grandmother, I have found meditation to be helpful in every aspect of my life. To find out about my meditation classes this fall, contact me at susanmmorales@yahoo.com or check out my Web sites: susanscottmorales.com and bodiesinbalancefitness.com.