Day 10: Opening Activity – Meditations for Morning Circle with the Child with Special Needs
Adapt/ Modify Activities
This is a post out of the “31 Days of Morning Circles for the Child with Special Needs”. You can find the main page for this series here.
Calm the mind and settle the soul with a short but powerful meditation in your morning circle.
After you have welcomed the morning, the sun, and your child(ren), take a few moments to breathe in the day. Don’t let the word “meditation” frighten you. You can think of it as a reflection or quiet time. I list some ways you can enjoy a brief moment even with the most distracted child.
Contents
A short meditation allows your child to:
- build a deep connection with you
- receive deep pressure input
- ground his body, calm his mind and prepare for the day’s activities
Adaptations for meditations for the child with special needs:
- keep the meditation short — especially when first getting started – then, increase the amount of time as your child is able to remain in that state for longer
- meditations can be done sitting up, laying down on a mat, or even standing against a wall, if possible
- use a weighted lap pad to help ground your child
- don a blanket over the shoulders or legs to keep warm
See additional general adaptations for morning circle here.
Ideas for morning circle meditations to welcome the day:
Select one of these ideas at a time, but test them all to see which your child responds to best.
- ring a gentle bell to indicate the start of the meditation
- listen to instrumental music or nature sounds
- repeat mantra or sound (ex.: humming)
- listen to a song with reflective lyrics
- tap rhythm sticks without speaking
- keep eyes closed, if possible
- maintain silent eye contact with your child, even if just briefly
- slowly but rhythmically tap a body part (ex.: palm to the upper chest)
- stand face-to-face holding hands without words
- hold hands and sway without speaking
- deep breathing (exaggerate the breath and see if your child can imitate)
- set a timer and listen to it tick for one minute
- shake a snow globe and watch the snow settle
- recite a chant
- diffuse or sniff essential oil of lavender, if your child can handle scents well
How can you incorporate meditation in your morning circle?