The Children’s Meditations In my Heart review.

A little while back I received an email. It began
“Asleep in Minutes… Bedtime the Danish way
How bedtime meditation helps children to sleep”

COUNT ME IN!

We were going through one of those many phases where the children weren’t settling at night and so I was willing to give anything a go.

I read on.

Danish author Gitte Winter Graugaard has created a technique that would not only enable children to fall asleep within minutes but will also teach them the importance of self-esteem and self-love through a collection of meditations read as a bed time story.

Her method involves showing your child that you have the time to be still with them and read without rushing off.
The meditations are then meant to encourage your child to grow their love, resulting in a calmer, happier child who will sleep better and have more self esteem and love.
It sounds too good to be true…

The book contains four meditations;
I fill my heart with love.
From my heart, I send love.
My cloud is full of love.
With the universe, I share my love.

I’ve always been envious of folk who can meditate and be ‘at one’ with themselves.
I am terrible at anything like that. I spend the whole time wondering if I’m doing it right then thinking about what I might have for tea.

The meditations are read as a bedtime story.
Each one has an introduction and ideas on reflection at the end, for folk like me who don’t have a clue.
They are to be read in order, using repetition so your child can learn and utilise the steps themselves.
The meditations focus on a mountain that contains your child’s heart, teaching them they can fill their hearts with love and send and receive love.

It is a lovely idea, taking the time to lay with your child and really be there rather than reading a story as quickly as possible before rushing off to do one of the many other things you need to do. Being present and creating a  calming environment so they can learn to really relax and grow their love.

Does it work though?

I tried with Seth – you know, the ‘spirited’ three year old. We lay on his bed and I started reading in my most soothing voice.
To give him his dues, he duly closed his eyes and breathed.
I tried to get him to visualise a surrounding in his mind
“look over there at the red bird”
He opened his eyes and was looking for the bird.
Then he wanted to look for pictures in the book.

I went to Aoife’s room to try again.
We lay on the bed and I put my soothing voice back on.
She lay with her eyes closed, breathing.
She didn’t fall asleep and I don’t think she appreciated it as a bedtime story but she did settle better that evening.

Gitte says in her book that “Heart meditation has no age limit”
Maybe it has no age limit but I think success may depend on the nature of your child.

The book did make me realise that we don’t create a peaceful bedtime at home.
Both children have bedtime stories but we rush it so we can get on with other stuff.
They’re not actually calmed before bed.
I’m going to persist with the book for as long as the children will let me.

The Children’s Meditations In My Heart is available from Amazon priced £14.95 for a hard copy and £4.97 for a kindle copy. A PDF version is available from www.roomforreflection.com for £5.09.

I was given a copy of Children’s Meditations for purpose of review. This post contains an affiliation link to Amazon, you can see my full disclaimer here.  All opinions, as ever, are my own.