Meditation allows kids to de-stress when times get crazy...

Stress is not a chronic condition confined to adults. Sadly, our most vulnerable population, children and teens, are also plagued by overwhelming demands on their time and attention. The age of innocence comes to a screeching halt, usually by the time children begin to attend school. Pressure and tension gradually accumulates until it erupts in the early teen years, manifesting as bullying, alcohol/substance abuse, promiscuity, depression, anxiety disorders, delinquency, plummeting grades, diminished motivation and even violence.

Children often find meditating easier than adults due to the fact that the prefrontal cortex of the brain has not fully matured. Their facile, creative brains quickly learn to customize images so they become more vividly reflections of their own internal guiding system. "Relaxation works for all ages," says Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D., attending faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at Norwalk Hospital. It may take the adult brain months to establish a body memory; often it is accomplished by a young brain in a matter of a few days.

As the mother of four grown daughters, I know first hand how stress can impact children. As a licensed professional counselor, I've worked with troubled youth in a residential setting and understand how desperate children and teens are for a sense of stability and feelings of self-empowerment and validation.

I've developed a series of meditation audios and specialized this recording to reach out to children and teens struggling to navigate the turbulent demands of growing up. In a time when "mental disorders affect nearly 12 percent of the world’s population – about 450 million or one out of every four people around the world.." as stated by the World Federation for Mental Health, isn't it time to ensure our children have the tools for staying healthy in body and mind?