When her oldest daughter was 3, Katie Krimitsos began playing meditations for the active toddler. “She jumped up and down on the bed most of the time it played. But I just lay down and let the meditation play as she did. Pretty soon, she became accustomed to the routine, and as she got older, she began to lie down with me and get into it.”

Meditation is now a regular part of family life. The nightly routine with her young girls (now ages 5 and 8) inspired Krimitsos to expand her Women’s Meditation Network to include five meditation podcasts specifically for children, each one filled with empowering messages and relaxing visualizations for children of all ages.

Patel Conservatory dancers perform as baby mice in Next Generation Ballet's production of Nutcracker.

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Your guided meditation podcasts for women are hugely popular (140 million lifetime downloads). How do you go about creating new meditations just for kids?

Katie Krimitsos: I simply create loving words and poetry that are affirming and calming, ultimately creating an experience that kids find soothing. Sometimes that’s around a subject like confidence (like in the meditation called “You Be You”) or meditations that can deliver a beautiful visualization that can help them relax deeply (like in the meditation called “The Gentle Raindrops”).

Why is meditation a good fit for kids? Are they even capable of meditating given how hard it can be for a kid to sit still?

Katie Krimitsos: Meditation is such a powerful tool to teach our kids mindfulness and self-awareness. It can help them manage their emotions and get to know themselves. But it’s okay if your kids don’t sit still very easily!

Nighttime is a great way to easily introduce meditation to them. It’ll help them calm down and fall asleep. Then, as they begin to know what a meditation is, you can help them practice meditating in different ways. Meditation is a practice…for kids and adults.

When is a good time to fit meditation into a kid’s schedule?

Katie Krimitsos: Bedtime is a great way to start because it can easily fit into a bedtime routine. Most of our sleep meditations are around 20 minutes long, which seems to be an ideal time to give kids the chance to “get the wiggles out,” calm down and fall asleep.

Morning time is another great time to fit it in. Perhaps starting on the weekends when mornings might be a little more relaxed. Five to 10 minutes is all you need, and you can establish whatever norm feels good for you and your family.

It’s also worth noting that meditation can be something as simple as guiding your kids through a few deep, conscious breaths. This is a great strategy to incorporate it into your lives at any time.

In your research and experience, what are the benefits of meditation?

Katie Krimitsos: For kids and adults, the benefits are incredible. Meditation lowers blood pressure, regulates your nervous system, gives us a tool to use when our “volcano is about to erupt,” (as I tell my daughters), helps our bodies relax so we can fall asleep, helps us deal with stresses, helps us get to know ourselves and listen to our intuition. The benefits are endless.