children and metaphysics

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Children & Metaphysics (Masters) ©2005 University Of Metaphysical Sciences 1

Children & Metaphysics

Opening Children To Their Spiritual Life

Written by Carolyn Hoppe, M.A.

Young children are already near to the light as they have an intimate and intuitive awareness of the world that

is still fresh. In actuality, it is the children who are our teachers. They remind us of our spiritual selves by being wholly

in the moment. Children are already in their spiritual beingness. They teach by example through their innocence,

purity, and their natural connection to the divine. They are truly in the moment. Their spiritual experiences and

capacities shape their lives as the innate awareness of their own spirituality models for us a reminder of our spiritual

nature. It is not about helping them reach up and transcend, it is more about drawing out the spirituality that is already

there. Our task is to give them space and time to explore their own sacred inner world.

As we make practices to nourish the spirit within ourselves, we teach our children to do the same by

example. We are providing children with an opportunity to develop a connection to a higher power, which

increases their sense of security, confidence and well ‐ being. We are here to help them to see the bigger picture of life

and show them that there is a spiritual place to turn for comfort and protection. At the same time, it is vital that we

be open to being the student and enable the child to be the teacher. There is great wisdom that comes out of the

mouths of babes.

We can create spiritual awareness in our children by using everyday occurrences as teaching moments.

One of the greatest lessons children have to teach adults is the energy of awe, which brings a spiritual attitude to

the wholeness of life. Adults can use some lessons on how to be more open and appreciate life with fresh eyes,

without expectations or judgments. Children learn early to protect themselves from the world, to judge, and

manipulate it. We must encourage them to stay open to the moment as they inspire us to do the same.

A spiritual life includes wonders of delight through the senses. Delight is an affirmation of spirit. It nourishes our

spirit, like taking a daily dose of vitamins nourishes our physical body. Children show us delight effortlessly, as they feel it with their whole body naturally. We can take their lead and join in on the joy of being alive on this planet. This spiritual

awareness unfolds with wisdom in the direction of love, creating moments that open the heart and allow it to tune into spirit.

Activities that celebrate aliveness such as dancing, singing, laughing, and playing can facilitate an

opening of the heart and establish a spiritual dialogue within one’s self and beyond. We can monitor ourselves by

asking: have we had our dose of delight? Taking the time to notice beauty, laugh and sing daily are expressions of

joy and delight. They are the moments that nourish our spirit. Spiritual connections come through these moments of wonder, and set the stage to explore and see beyond the physical realm.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Tobin Hart says in his book, The Secret Spiritual World

Of Children (2003), “Spirituality is an intimate influence of the divine in our lives… Spiritual moments are direct,

personal, and often have the effect, if only for a moment, of waking us up and expanding our understanding of

who we are and what our place is in the universe. It involves an invitation to dwell as near as possible to the

channel in which our light, or spiritual essence, flows.” Spiritual direction is not only of the mind, but is

understood as a matter of the heart.

Spirituality entails reaching from inside oneself to something transcendent. Some come near that light

through service or devotion. Some find incomprehensible oneness in nature. Others find the spiritual in everyday

moments with children. Spirituality may be seen as a worldview and as a process of development. How we

address the answers to the questions of “who am I and what am I doing here?” affect the way we live in the

world. Asking the deep questions can form the core of spiritual identity and one’s purpose in life. The pursuit of

spirituality in these simple and joyful ways empowers our children as well as ourselves.

Spiritual Parenting

The task of spiritual development is to expand our awareness of discovering who we really are. It is a

matter of connecting consciously to a spiritual life by developing interpersonal sensitivity and creating an

environment conducive to spiritual experiences. The way in which a parent provides limits has a profound affect

on this environment. Children learn their boundaries through the parent’s actions, and how the parent

approaches this issue will be central to the child developing a set of values with which to view the world. In this

way, spiritual values are passed from one generation to the next.




This point is detailed in The Secret Spiritual World Of Children (2003) when Hart says, “Our children do not

belong to us; they belong to their own soul and calling. Parents are the host and guide for children to enter and

explore the world.” Spiritual guides come in all forms such as parents, teachers, relatives, friends, and neighbors.

Spiritual friends are role models, listeners, nurturers, and mirrors in which children can find their own reflection,

providing a spiritual day to day relationship to the uniqueness of their soul. Spiritual parenting is truly the work

of a guide to children.

Allow children space to fail. Don’t rescue them from the pain of the lesson. If children don’t have space to

make their own mistakes and learn from those lessons, you are doing them a disservice. Just the way our guardian

angels allow us to make our own mistakes and don’t save us from our lessons, this is how we must allow children the space to experience cause and effect. Be there for them when they have received the repercussions for their

actions and help them understand that it is still OK to make mistakes. This is a valuable part of their growth.

Grounding activities such as exercise, massage, drinking water, eating, deep breaths, big hugs, letting out a

loud moan, singing and just playing outside helps children to fully inhabit their bodies. Show children how to listen to

their hearts by paying attention to their feelings about something. Listening with the heart turns the focus inward in

order to understand, to appreciate, and to love others. Our job is to support, inspire, affirm, respect, and value their

inner life. It is the responsibility of parents to create an atmosphere that supports children in discovering who they are.

Hart details this responsibility by saying, “The greatest task is to understand the child, to hold and

behold our children.” This is facilitated by allowing children the freedom to play and pursue interests, to

experiment, make choices and mistakes, and explore feelings and thoughts. He explains the following method to

really see into your child: “For a moment, look at a child, whether in your mind or face to face… Through the eye

of your heart, stare in the absorbed way that children often stare. Let yourself fall into this child with openness,

curiosity, and simple appreciation. The goal is to see and feel him or her without judgment and just pure

recognition. You have reached into the heart of the child in the only way possible—through your own heart. You

begin to feel the spirit of that child, to see him or her as a perfect, radiant, and mysterious being.”

It is important to create quiet time for the child, as this fosters introspection and creativity. In addition,

the parent can further their child’s creative flow by providing breaks in the mind’s routine. Activities such as

doodling, hopping, running, changing body posture, walking in a silly way, thinking out loud, humming,

singing, taking a bath, or just switching the color of the pen the child is using all have possibilities for creative

variation. Encountering the unexpected or taking a vacation can provide a context for creative action and

interaction. All these things can break the automatic thought process and free the mind to open into the present

moment, where wisdom lives.

Adults can help children to distinguish between their ego desires and their higher self, or between a warning of

the universe and a fear of the subconscious. Framing questions such as: Which choice feels better? What does your heart

say? What do you feel? When you trust your child’s inner sense, you help them to trust and listen to their own intuition.

Hart points out in The Secret Spiritual World Of Children (2003), “At any moment children can listen with

their heart by simply being quiet for a few moments, taking a deep breath, and gently bringing awareness to the

area of their chest.” He suggests that we invite children to find their own source, using imagination as a gateway.

Envision connecting to an angel, or wise healing protector, and ask questions such as: “Is there a place that you

can see in your mind that feels safe? Imagine someone who would be able to help you with this problem, what

would this person do? What might the angels advise you to do? Invite them to call forth something they

appreciate (a favorite moment, a friend, or a feeling of joy). This teaches children ways to turn their attention from

conflict to a better feeling place.”

Mindfulness is an intentional spiritual discipline, and as a parent, it is often necessary to be a non ‐ judgmental witness of the expressions of the child’s thoughts and feelings. In the challenges of parenting, there

will come a time when you hear your own parents’ voices rising within. It generally manifests as a tendency to

withhold love as a message of disapproval. Bringing mindfulness to parenting invites us to pause inwardly, take

a breath, and ask ourselves some simple questions. Hart suggests we ask the following: What is this issue really

about? Is there a better way through this? What’s the real lesson here? Where am I right now? How am I

withholding my love to this child and even to myself? How can I be of service to this child? What is the best I

have to offer? How can I be gentle and loving with my own inner child? These questions will give one cause to

stop and consider the alternatives to that voice of judgment that one learned from the previous generation.




The process of questioning one’s parenting methods is vital to the evolution of spiritual values. As we

question our beliefs, we give our children the room to question the meaning of their experiences.

In order to engage in spiritual parenting, it is vital to have a perspective of the bigger picture of life. It is

about maintaining a daily spiritual routine. This can fulfill the soul’s purpose by enabling children, as well as

ourselves, to discover who we really are as spiritual beings. Spiritual parenting is about following intuitive

strategies to facilitate spirituality in children. It is a matter of exploring various ways of connecting to the divine,

which is the essence of nurturing the spirit. Using nature to witness the beauty of life will provide that sense of

connectedness, and creates awareness of the lessons of each moment. On this path, children learn respect and

appreciation for their world as they journey to discover and explore their being.

Spiritual Giftedness

The term “spiritual giftedness” is defined as being gifted in a spiritual way. Spiritually gifted children are

able to quickly learn how to meditate, have knowledge of one s higher spirit, have experiences that confirm an

afterlife, or perhaps they have very strong intuition or psychic skills.

In Where Two Worlds Touch (1990), Gloria D. Karpinski says, “In a society that all but worships the

rational, we are sometimes threatened by an encounter with the unknown. It’s no longer out there, like the

mysteries of space that we trust science will explain one day. When something extraordinary occurs to us, we

often look to our religious leaders to tell us if it’s good or evil… just like when we didn’t understand storms and

thought the Gods were angry.”

Religion does

not

have

all

the

answers.

The

manner

in

which

societies

have

dealt

with

psychically

gifted

people varies between honor, ridicule, persecution, and even death. People with psychic abilities have been seen

as either God’s messengers or God’s enemies. As we all have an IQ, we also have a Psi Q, a psychic quotient,

which is the potential within all humans for perceiving and interacting with nonphysical realities.

The word psychic means pertaining to the soul or mind. Therefore teaching psychic skills will help

children develop and use their minds to a greater degree. Why would anyone disagree with this? It is oft‐quoted

that humans only use about 10% of the brain. What would be wrong with increasing this capacity? Other

purposes of developing psychic skills could be to develop imagination, visualization and creativity. Learning to

tune into intuition can help us to develop and learn without fear.

Karpinski also writes, “A psychically skilled person has receiving equipment that is tuned to information

passing through the ether. The ether is the connecting medium of all life. Thoughts, words, symbols, personal

history, ideals, feelings, it all moves out from us into the ether like waves… Beliefs, strong emotions, even

memories form patterns in the waves. When these patterns meet beliefs and emotions of other people, they do

one of several things: If the wave patterns are alike, they can intertwine with each other and build a stronger

emotion or belief, or they can cancel each other out or produce contrasting and opposing patterns.”

Most of the time we focus on our own personal physical reality, and we are unaware of the waves that

bombard us all the time. We may not know why, but we sense and react to them. Good spiritual training

promotes balance and integration, and leaves us open to the possibilities of the mind. Everything that happens to

us is for a purpose, which brings us to a greater understanding of ourselves.

Crystal & Indigo Children The following is taken from Wendy Chapman’s article “What’s An Indigo Child?” (2006, www.metagifted.org)

Crystal and Indigo are terms given to describe energy patterns and aura colors of a new breed of millennium,

children with an important purpose. They have unique characteristics: intuitive, psychic, clairvoyant, highly

intelligent, creative, physically and emotionally sensitive. The Indigo generation precedes the Crystal generation,

the main difference being their temperament and purpose.

Indigos are approximately age 7 through 25. Indigos have a mission on earth to bring the planet into

ascension. Some characteristics of Indigo children are advanced creativity, intuition, empathy, intelligence and

spirituality. They are the warrior spirits cutting through the old systems and beliefs, and bringing humanity into

a new way of being and thinking. They are here to raise the vibration of the planet. They experience a thinner veil

of separation between the spirit world and the earth. Some display an attention deficit disorder and rebellion

against authority. Most can sense dishonesty and manipulation like a dog can sense fear.




Crystal children are approximately between the ages of 0‐7 years, possessing distinctive, large,

penetrating eyes that are wise beyond their years. When their eyes lock on you, you feel them scanning your soul.

They are highly evolved lightworkers, delightful, happy and forgiving. They are blissful, even tempered and very

connected spiritually. Their purpose is to bring in unconditional love energy to the earth.

They may have delayed speech, as they communicate so well telepathically. They have been called

incarnated angels as they spontaneously hug and care for people in need. They also have a close relationship with

the elderly, animals, plants and rocks. If you are a parent to one of these special children you have been given a

gift. You have the honor to help them develop to their fullest potential.

Teaching Spirituality Through Daily Life

We can teach children spirituality by explaining to them what the world means and how it works. One

way is by showing them how holding specific thoughts in our consciousness brings it all about. Of course, there is

nothing that teaches children better than by the example that we set. Actions and attitudes speak far louder than

any words ever could. Through the daily activities of life, children can remind us how to open our hearts, love

others, and to be in the present moment. The process, then, is bi‐directional. As the children remind us by their

example, we are also then inspired to live our spirituality with them.

Talking To Children About God

In his book Talking To Your Child About God (1994), psychologist David Heller discusses how we can help

our children make or strengthen their own personal connection with God. He gives some ideas on what we could say when our children ask us about God. If we start with the idea that [children] have some kind of spirituality

when they re born, then what we need to do is figure out how it is growing in them, what God is doing in them—not how we can stuff them with God. Asking open ended questions, such as “What do you think?” will allow

them to further explore what they are feeling and will help them find ways to put themselves in touch with his or

her inner life. The more comfortable they are with their inner world, the easier it will be to commune with God.

Ask your child about his or her view on life and God. Children can explore their feelings by drawing a

picture of their concept of the divine. Their view can undoubtedly be expanded by talking about the different

concepts in various religious persuasions.

Teaching The Spirit Day ‐ By ‐ Day (from Teaching Spirituality: Give Your Children A Lesson They Can Follow

All Year, 2004, by Nikitta A. Foston at www.findarticles.com). “Teaching children about the spirit within them and

how that

spirit

affects

other

people,

their

environment

and

the

happiness

of

others

is

a

lesson

that

can

be

learned

every day... Teach through example such things as integrity, responsibility, and honor…When you help children

to believe in themselves you are teaching them the beginning of faith. As children grow confidence in their own

inner power they develop the faith that they can change the world around them.”

Foston suggests that we teach children about the importance of sharing their talents, time, and spirit with

others. Some ways to accomplish this are to visit someone in need or express gratitude. Foston also recommends

we provide experiences of sacrifice for children by encouraging them to part with something of value.

Compassion

Compassion is willingness to open our hearts to one another. A natural way to express this is through

giving. Mother Teresa said, “To me, God and compassion are one and the same. Compassion is the joy of sharing.

It’s doing the small things for the love of each other—just a smile, or carrying a bucket of water, or showing some

simple kindness…the fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action.”

The following suggestions may help bring more awareness to opening a compassionate heart: Collect stories

of people offering hope. Take children out into the community to look for ways people are involved in helping others.

Share stories of great teachers such as Jesus, Buddha, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., or Mother Teresa. Nourish the

seeds of compassion by uncluttering the mind. Use prayer, guided imagery, relaxation and silence to help clear a

child’s mind. In their imaginations, children can meet God in whatever form speaks to them. The child can talk to

angels, or fly across the world to bring love and flowers of peace where they are needed, or anything they can imagine.

The limitations of time and space disappear in the realm of prayer and holy contemplation.

Look for opportunities to offer compassion. As Albert Schweitzer said, “Open your eyes and look for

some person, or some work for the sake of humanity, which needs a little time, a little friendship, a little




sympathy, a little toil. See if there is not some place where you may invest yourself.” Nurturing this attitude of

compassion puts us in a place of sharing our time in service to humanity.

Gratitude

Express your gratitude daily and out loud to the children in your life more often than Thanksgiving time.

Gratitude is a great healer and brings us out of despair into a higher frequency. It is a prayer to God that helps to

align us with His will. The heart sings as it vibrates with the feeling of appreciation. Think of what you’re

thankful for every morning and ask others what they are thankful for. Think of how a special person or pet in

your life makes you feel. To increase your vibration of gratitude send that person a warm thought of your

feelings of thanks. Express your gratitude through a note, a hug that lasts a little longer, or a prayer that

acknowledges that person’s place in your life. Train yourself to be grateful for each challenge that comes. Hart says, “Gratitude is an energy that works

miracles in all our dimensions… Gratitude releases a tremendous healing power within the structure of our cells;

it is like a miniature atomic explosion… Gratitude actually energizes your prayers and intentions.” As you choose

to be grateful, it becomes a habit that is very empowering by unlocking the power of conscious change.

Forgiveness

For forgiveness to be a purposeful, intentional action, it is best to create a forgiving environment within

yourself. This will enable a parent to teach by example, because only when one has truly found forgiveness can

that parent model the behavior. To begin the internal part of this process, set a time to practice forgiveness in a peaceful environment.

Close your eyes, take a deep, cleansing breathe, and feel your muscles relax. This will allow you to release tension

from the body. Next, place the person you are upset with in front of you in your mind’s eye. Visualize inside the

person’s body, past the offending actions to who he or she really is, a child of God, whole and beautiful. See the

person’s heart at its purest state, radiating the inner beauty and light that is the true self.

Notice what happens to your anger when you focus on the other person’s inner beauty. The feelings of

hurt and anger will begin to melt from your body as your heart softens and you focus on the person’s light

shining through. Imagine your own heart’s light shining brighter now, filling with compassion and unconditional

love. Then, when you feel that sense of forgiveness that is so often experienced as relief, visualize reaching your

hand out, projecting a beam of light that streams from your hand to the other person’s hand or heart. Imagine

your heart’s

light

becoming

brighter

and

more

intense,

radiating

in

all

directions

pure

and

strong.

Allow this light to illuminate this person so that you can look into the soul and see the lesson of love this

opportunity offers you. Perhaps you have a gift of gratitude to offer for this lesson, perhaps the other person has one

for you. Finally, breathe in a feeling of inner peace and calmness. When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes and

bring yourself back into the present moment. To reinforce the permanency of this forgiveness, you may want to

draw a picture of what you imagined, with yourself and the key elements of this internal journey featured.

Your own experience of the forgiveness process provides a very powerful example, even if the child does

not actually see this process take place. It is in the holding of these thoughts that alters our consciousness to

peace. A technique to assist a child in their own forgiveness is to address the circumstance of the child feeling

wronged by another. When a child is upset by another person, you can help him or her to move past the anger,

hurt, and feelings of injustice by asking the child what the other person might have been thinking or feeling. This

helps children move past blame and facilitates the development of empathy. Fostering a forgiving attitude can

bring harmony and peace to a spiritual life. Of course, the exercise just described is an excellent guided

meditation you can do with your child when it is time for him or her to learn the art of forgiveness.

Prayer

Prayer is a gift to and from a loving God. Prayer gives us a way to communicate gratitude and seek

guidance in our lives. It is an act of worship that involves listening as well as talking. Through prayer we can find

guidance and love of the Holy Spirit. The ritual of family prayer creates a strength and unity of the family.

A spiritual family bond can be created by using prayer for things such as comfort, protection and gratitude.

Help children to understand that a divine plan is there and it can bring wisdom to make good choices. The best way

to teach children about prayer is to show them by example and pray yourself!




Sharing with children how prayer has worked for others can increase their faith. There have been studies

that have proven prayer works to improve the healing of patients in hospitals. Names of patients and their

conditions were given to prayer groups to pray for until they were discharged. The study found that these

patients who were prayed over recovered faster and needed less antibiotics.

Paula Fellingham says in Solutions For Families (2000) that Dr. William Nolen, who had written a book

questioning the validity of faith healing, acknowledged, “If this is a valid study, we doctors ought to be writing

on our order sheets, Pray three times a day… Some studies have shown that a simple “Thy will be done” was

more powerful than specific results held in the mind. In many experiments, a simple attitude of prayerfulness, an

all pervading sense of holiness and a feeling of empathy, caring and compassion seemed to set the stage for healing… Prayer is a reminder of our unbounded nature, the part of us that is infinite in space and time. It is the

universe’s affirmation that we are not alone.” The process of prayer affirms that healing is part of the divine plan.

Worship & Music

Worship is an act or feeling of adoration or homage. The thing we worship in life is what we adore,

admire, love, and show devotion to. Ways to worship are prayer, meditation, music, and expressing gratitude.

Formal worship service allows us to gather in beloved groups to share in the divine spirit.

The worship service also gives children an opportunity to bond with others through the vehicle of music.

Children respond very well to music. The rejoicing done provides an experience of sharing in a way that brings

the connectedness of each other into the forefront and present moment. For many, it is a formative experience that

creates a

reservoir

of

emotions

that

will

be

the

basis

for

the

development

of

their

spirituality.

Through music children can explore their feelings and emotions. Different songs allow them to compare

their intuitive perceptions, and what the songs evoke for them. In this way, children can discover how melody

can connect them to the divine in themselves.

Meditation

Meditation is a way to relax and to cope with stress. By taking time for contemplation and reflection, one

can intuitively find solutions to the challenges they face. Children respond well to visuals, so it is very easy to

meditate with children by guiding them on visualization journeys. They won’t get bored with this technique.

Keep it around 10 or 15 minutes since their attention span is shorter than that of adults.

Here is an example for one of the harder tasks, which is getting children to focus and have a still mind:

Invite children

to

find

a

comfortable

place

to

sit.

Ring

a

bell

three

times

to

signal

the

beginning

of

the

exercise.

This can add to the power of ceremony that helps mark this as a special time. Take a few deep, slow, clearing

breaths. Let your body release and relax. Let any parts of you that need to wiggle or stretch do so. Feel the gentle

pull of gravity and allow the chair you’re sitting on and the floor beneath you to support you without any effort

on your part. Just let go and allow your mind to be silent and not do anything for a few minutes.

Focus only on your breathing, allowing it to flow in and out without effort. If you find yourself thinking,

distracted, working on a problem, don’t fight it, but don’t get stuck in it either. Just allow your attention to be on

your breath. Perhaps you can imagine those thoughts or concerns floating up like bubbles from under water.

When they reach the surface they simply burst and disappear. When you feel done, ring the bell one more time to

indicate that the exercise is ending. As you gently come back to the room, notice the sensations of peace and

clarity within your body.

Nature

Nature can be a powerful classroom setting to contemplate the divine interconnectedness of things. There

are so many lessons in just observing the flow of Mother Nature. Make time to be in nature and point out the

beauty. When a child is upset, standing barefoot in the grass can quickly ground him or her. The following

activities are created by Tobin Hart in The Secret Spiritual World Of Children (2003).

Go on an awareness walk and focus on listening with the heart. Be conscious of what is going on all

around you. Use all the senses to feel nature in your whole body. Notice the sounds and smells as well as the

visuals. You could express what you notice. Take a moment to close your eyes and be in silence, opening your

heart and breathing in the wonder and beauty of Mother Nature. You could pretend that you are an explorer

from another world experiencing earth for the first time.




Share your experience of what you heard, smelled, saw, and felt. You can also draw your experience.

Notice if there is a flower, rock or tree that has a message for you. Children can write about the life experience of

this object in nature they have chosen. Another exercise that can cultivate appreciation and being in the moment

is to take a bite of some fruit and savor the taste and texture slowly, noticing the experience in your mind.

Practical Applications

The following list gives specifics in incorporating the spiritual principles discussed above. Victor M. Parachin

gives excellent direction in his article Ways To Build A Stronger Spiritual Life from the online magazine Vibrant Life.

1. Identify blessings . Too often we go through life oblivious to the good that comes flowing into our lives.

Try this spiritual exercise for one week: At the end of the first day, identify a blessing that came to you

from a family member. At the end of the second day, a blessing from a neighbor. Third day, from a

friend. Fourth day, from a work colleague. Fifth day, from a stranger. Sixth day, from a child. On the

seventh day, a blessing that came from an enemy.2. Be like Moses, speak words of blessing . One of the most beautiful and compassionate passages in the

Bible contains these words of blessing pronounced by Moses:

May the Lord bless you and protect you.

May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.

May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace (Numbers 6:24‐26). Get creative with language, and speak words that will uplift, encourage, hearten, and bless other people.

As you

build

them

up,

your

own

spirit

will

get

stronger.

3. Nurture a shared prayer life . Increase the amount of time you spend in prayer by sharing in prayer with others.

4. Take a step of faith. Today, make time to heal a wounded heart, to extend kindness to someone who

really needs a friend, or to help gather up pieces of a broken dream. Today, do whatever you can to

radiate God s unconditional love.

5. Be a grateful person. Start every day with a morning prayer of gratitude to God for the gift of a new day.

Do this even if the day ahead appears ominous. Conclude every day with an evening prayer of gratitude

to God for the gift of the preceding hours. Do this even if you ve had a very tough day.

6. Share the journey. Hook up with one other person who is seeking to grow spiritually. Agree to meet

once a week for a period of time to study and reflect on spiritual matters.

7. Serve. Look for ways to serve the community, especially tasks that promise no reward, such as picking

up litter on the streets. Read and reflect on the action of Jesus in John 13:1‐5. 8. Cultivate a little solitude. Solitude makes us tougher toward ourselves and tender toward others; in

both ways it improves our lives. Set aside a few minutes to be alone—just you and God. In quietness we

turn our minds away from the problems of life and fix our thoughts on the mind of God.

9. Fast and pray . Prayer linked with fasting was often done by people in the Bible. Ezra 8:23 reports: So we

fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. The next time you

are asked to pray urgently for someone in difficulty, consider combining your praying with some fasting.

10. Turn worries over to God . This is a clear teaching of Scripture: Give your burdens to the Lord, and he

will take care of you (Psalm 55:22). Do this each time a worry comes up.

11. Spread love wherever you go . That is the advice of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who advised: Spread love

everywhere you go: First of all in your own house... Let no one ever come to you without leaving better

and happier. Be the living expression of God s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes,

kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.12. Strive for excellence . The Bible tells us: “Whatever you do, do well. (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Be the best that

you can be at whatever station in life God has placed you.

13. Meditate on scripture . The Bible is loaded with verses of comfort, encouragement, and wisdom. Make it a

habit to read and study your Bible in a regular, disciplined way. Highlight verses that speak to you. Meditate

on those words. Memorize some of the passages so you can recall them from memory at a future time.

14. Be reliable . Do what you say you will do—whether it s convenient or not. Follow through on all of your

commitments, large and small. By your actions, show others you are a person who can be trusted and

counted upon.




15. Ask God to make you a blessing today . A great way to grow in wonder and amazement is by asking

God to turn your life into a blessing. Do this each morning before your daily activities. Offer a short,

simple prayer like this one: Dear God, on this day make my life a blessing to someone, somewhere.Then pay close attention to every person you encounter during the day, as God will honor your prayer,

sometimes in surprising ways.

16. Spend time in nature . Nothing gives darshan (blessings) better than nature!

Questions About The Nature Of Life And Its Meaning

Questions that look at the inner world of thoughts, feelings and values help to define who we are. Invite

children to find their answers in prayer and contemplation. Here are some questions from Childre Doc Lew’s

Teaching Children To Love (1996) to ponder together.

What would your favorite wise person do?

What is happening in your body when you feel angry?

Make a drawing of what your body is sensing

Something I want to remember when I grow up is…

Something I have trouble with…

When I am at my best, I am like…

Something I want to remember about today is…

What do you think about God?

What would

make

your

school,

the

world,

your

parents,

the

universe

better?

How do you know what’s the right thing to do?

What would you do if you were the president, the principle, the parent?

What is the most important thing about being you? What’s the most fun? If you weren’t you, who would

you like to be?

What do you think the world looks like through an ant’s eyes, or a Martian’s? What do you think your

parents think about when you’re not around?

What would you do if you had a week to live? Draw what you think a terrorist looks like on the inside

and why. When the children are done, ask them to hold up their pictures to show one another.

Prime Time (Childre Doc Lew, Teaching Children To Love 1996) Purpose: to bond and reinforce primary relationship of love.

Do a two minute heart lock in, sending love and appreciations to each other. Each person in turn talks

about the highlights of their day—what went well and what was challenging.

1. Give each other a long hug.

2. Share qualities that you appreciate about each other.

3. Read a favorite story together or make up one together.

4. Learn the words of an inspiring, short poem.

5. Be quiet for a few moments and send heart energy together to someone who needs love or compassion. Go

deep into your heart and make a heart wish for something that you would like to happen in your lives.

6. When either of you is stressed out or had a hard day, have the other person just listen with compassion,

and then mirror back the words and feelings. Sincere listening is caring in action. Each of you share five

things that you appreciate about your life.

More Spiritual Activities For Children:

(from Teaching Children To Love 1996, by Morgan Simone Daleo)

Heart Lock (learn how to connect with the power and strength of their own hearts)

1. Tell the children that you are going to lead them in a “Heart Lock‐In” to build the power of their hearts.

Explain that a heart lock ‐ in is like putting a key into the lock of your heart and opening the door of your

heart so more love can come in. Then you can send more love out to your parents, friends, animals, flowers.

2. Instruct them to imagine that there is a door in their heart with a lock on it. By focusing on your heart,

that place where you feel love (put your hand on your chest to demonstrate) then pretending that you are

breathing through you heart, you can turn the key and unlock the door. Now, each time you breathe, you




can feel the door of your heart opening a little wider to let love and sunshine in. Each time you breathe

out, you can send your love and sunshine to someone you care about. Demonstrate the breathing, close

your mouth and put your hand on your chest. Gently breathe in and out and pretend that you are

breathing through the heart area in your chest.

3. Have them close their eyes and tell them that closing their eyes shuts out distractions so they can focus

more inside their hearts.

4. Remind them that as they let love into the heart as they breathing, the door opens a little wider to let

more sunshine in. It might feel so good that it makes them want to smile. When they breathe out and

send their sunshine and love to someone they care about, they might see the sunshine getting brighter, or see rainbow colors, or even see the sunshine in the hearts of the people receiving their love.

5. Play relaxing music for two minutes.

6. Ask if they would like to share their experience.

Appreciating Your Day

1. At the end of the day, have everyone write, draw or verbalize at least one thing they appreciated about

the day. Next, ask everyone to write, draw, or verbalize one thing they want to appreciate about the

upcoming day. Post everyone’s papers in a central location.

2. Set a time to get together the next day to revisit the list.

3. Talk about how everyone did. Did you appreciate what you thought you would? Did you forget? Did

you appreciate more things? What were they? Add the new things you appreciated to your paper.

4. Even when you are grumpy, making an effort to appreciate something can help offset feelings of upset or

stress. Ask if this happened to anyone.

5. Repeat the process every day for one week. Save all the appreciation sheets.

6. Collect the week’s appreciation sheets in a scrapbook. You could review it at the end of the week.

7. Talk about what the game meant to each person. If the game has been fun, you might want to do it for a

month and get together at the same time each week to update and review the scrapbook.

Freeze ‐ Frame Pictures

Purpose: draw a picture of how to deal with a stressful event. Divide the paper into three sections.

1. Explain the story has three parts requiring three drawings. 1) Something that made them feel bad which

they need to freeze ‐frame, 2) then an image of something or someone that evokes heartfelt feelings, 3) and

then a picture of how they can remove the stressful situation. They can add fun cartoon ‐ like comments.

2. Ask the children if they felt bad, upset, or stressed out recently over some event or personal problem they

need to freeze frame. (Someone got mad at them, a toy broke, got into a fight, etc.)

3. Next, guide them to recall a wonderful heartfelt experience evoking images such as their love for a

parent, friend, pet, toy or place to visit. Suggest that the children close their eyes to help them focus in the

heart and remember the feeling of the wonderful experience. Have them draw their heart inspired image

in the middle section of their paper.

4. Complete the activity by telling them to ask their heart what it says to do to help them deal with the

stressful situation or bad feeling. Remind them that they are trying to make the situation better from a

heart perspective. Then have them share their experience.

Conclusion Children have a high Psi Q (psychic quotient). A psychically skilled person has receiving equipment that

is tuned to take in information passing through the ethers. Children are naturals! Children can propel our

spiritual journey in a remarkable way, reminding us of the bigger picture of life. They can be our spiritual coach,

providing an example as we observe them living moment to moment, and enjoying the wonder of being. We

renew our spirit as we honor theirs, creating moments of appreciation for the soul. This is the gift of the heart.

A key component of spiritual parenting is inquisitiveness. We must continually ask ourselves questions

such as, “What does the way I live my life teach this child?” “How can I understand and serve this child, this

world, this spirit?” “What does this child offer to teach me?” Using talents, desires, and fantasies to find our

calling and purpose, our life takes shape through the choices we make. Our task on this earth, our virtual school




of life, is to uncover who we are, what we are to do here, and what we have to offer. Hart shares the poetry of

Marshall Ball, a boy who cannot speak or walk, in his book, The Secret Spiritual World Of Children (2003). “I see my self as a teacher

That knows about God.

Good thoughts come to me

And they teach.

I hope to gather thinkers

To give them my thoughts about love

Love to clean their ideas

That cleaning might loosen the love in their hearts

Good thinkers take love to heart

Like gold in the wild sun.”

Living a life of spiritual awareness is the greatest teaching we can give our children. Modeling ways that

we nurture our own souls provides the child with a crucial example, enabling them to develop values of appreciation, respect, honesty, compassion and love. As they watch us handle our conflicts, the child learns

peaceful and constructive approaches to the challenges he or she will face in this life. This will provide the child

with numerous opportunities for developing who he or she is, what he or she has to offer, and how to listen to his

or her own heart. This is the key to spiritual awareness.

It all comes down to love, loving God, ourselves, and others. Psychologist Ira Progoff, quoted in Where

Two Worlds Touch (1990), writes, “Love depends upon the capacity to reach beneath the surface of persons, to feel

and touch the seed of life that is hidden there. Love becomes a power when it is capable of evoking that seed and

drawing it forth from its hiding place.”

Spiritual experiences serve as a catalyst for spiritual growth when our individual consciousness opens to

the larger consciousness of which we are all a part. The purpose of spiritual parenting is to help children stay

connected to their spirit and not allow commercialism and materialism to lessen the sensitivity of their soul. We

must teach them to find ways and opportunities to nurture, feed, heal, restore, and renew the soul.

Life will provide countless opportunities to relate your wisdom to the children of the world. You may

find yourself in a situation where you are being called on to assist someone in his or her parenting approach.

Taking the moment to share your understanding of spirituality contributes to the evolution of the collective soul.

May we all become the wonderful spiritual guides and mentors to children that we are all capable of.

Bibliography

Chapman, Wendy, 2006 (www.metagifted.org) What’s An Indigo Child? Psychic Training Games, Enrichment Project Idea List How To Get The Most From Your Indigo Child: A Guide For Parents And Teachers

Childre Doc Lew, 1996

Teaching Children To Love. Planetary Publications; Boulder Creek, CA

ChoQuette, Sonia 1994

The Psychic Pathway. Three Rivers Press; New York, NY

Daleo, Morgan Simone, 1996

Curriculum Of Love Cultivating The Spiritual Nature Of Children. Grace Publishing; Charlottesville, Virginia

Fellingham, Paula, Noble, 2000

Solutions For Families. Famlies Inc. Now; Austin, Texas

Foston, Nikitta A. 2004 (www.findarticles.com) Teaching Spirituality: Give Your Children A Lesson They Can Follow All Year. Johnson Publishing

Garth, Maureen 1991

Starbright Meditations For Children. HarperSanFrancisco; SanFrancisco, CA

Hart, Tobin 2003

The Secret Spiritual World Of Children. Inner Ocean Publishing; Maui, HI

Heller, David 1994

Talking To Your Child About God. Perigee Books; New York, NY Karpinski, Gloria 1990

Where Two Worlds Touch. Ballabtube Books; New York, NY

Parachin, Victor M., 2003 (www.findarticles.com) Vibrant Life: 21 Ways To Build A Stronger Spiritual Life

Powell, Tag and Carol Howe 1992

ESP For Kids: How To Develop Your Child s Psychic Ability, Top Of The Mountain Publishing; Largo, FL, Tober, Jan and Carroll, Lee 2005 (www.experiencefestival.com/a/Crystalchildren)

The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived

Virtue, Doreen, 2005 (www.experiencefestival.com/a/Crystalchildren) Crystal Children: Indigo And Crystal Children

Virtue, Doreen 2003

The Crystal Children A Guide To The Newest Generation Of Psychic And Sensitive Children. Hay House; Carlsbad, CA




Children & Metaphysics Exam Questions

Name Phone #

Address

( please supply name, phone #, and address as identifying factors for giving credit properly)

1. Who

are

our

best

teachers

for

being

in

the

moment?

A. psychologists B. researchers C. children D. worriers

2. Bringing mindfulness to parenting includes pausing, taking a breath, and asking ourselves what the issue is

really about. T F

3. How can we help children move past blame to forgiveness?

A. Help them create a list of the reasons others hurt them.

B. Ask children how the other people may have been feeling. C. Tell them that we are all wrong.

D. None of the above.

4. Nothing teaches children better than . A. the example we set

B. yelling at them C. ignoring them when they are sad

D. testing them

5. The beginning of faith is teaching children . A. that the world is a dangerous place

B. nothing C. that adults know everything

D. to believe in themselves

6. It is recommended to tell children your ideas about God and not ask them what their own ideas of God are.

T F

7. If you want your child to pray, it is helpful to: . A. lecture them on the benefits of prayer.

B. show them by example: pray yourself.

C. tell them, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

D. neither A, B or C

8. What is the purpose of prime time with children?

A. To have them silently contemplate what they have done.

B. To teach them when their minds are most alert.

C. To bond and reinforce a primary relationship of love.

D. To clean the house together.

9. We can meditate with children by guiding them on visualization journeys. T F

10. What does Psi Q stand for?

A. psychic

quotient

B.

psychic

questions

C.

psychic

equivalency

test

D.

neither

A,

B

or

C

11. A psychically skilled person has receiving equipment that is . A. out of tune.

B. tuned to perfection C. tuned to false information.

D. tuned to information passing through the ethers

12. What do the terms Crystal & Indigo mean as pertains to children?

A. The energy patterns and aura colors of millennium children.

B. Relating to children through specific energy patterns.

C. A new way to understand mothers and their daughters.

D. Metaphysical relationships.




13. What is the mission of Indigos?

A. To rule the world.

B. To bring the planet into ascension. C. To have numerous children themselves.


14. Crystal children are highly evolved lightworkers, delightful, happy and forgiving. T F

15. The heart lock is likened to . A. squeezing your heart so that no more pain can come in.

B. locking your heart with someone else’s forever. C. locking the love of someone else in your heart.

D. opening the door of your heart so that more love can come in.

16. The purpose of “heart mapping” in exercises such as Freeze ‐Frame Pictures is to . A. find more intelligent and heart ‐felt perspectives on problems, issues, or projects

B. map out the arteries and veins in relation to the heart

C. scientifically explain the workings of the Indigo children’s hearts


17. Appreciation widens people’s perspective of what is really important and valued. T F

18. Children can propel our spiritual journey, reminding us of the . A. bigger picture B. importance of materialism C. end times D. All A, B and C

19. The purpose of spiritual parenting is to help children stay connected to their spirit and not allow

commercialism and materialism to lessen the sensitivity of their soul. T F

20. What is our task on earth?

A. To learn how to never make mistakes.

B. To consume as much as possible.

C. To uncover who we are, what we are to do here, what we have to offer.

D. To accumulate as much wealth as possible.

21. When working with children in general, one of the tips given include:

A. respect them B. give choices C. listen to them D. All A, B and C

Short Answer Question

22. What was the most profound spiritual experience you have ever had with a child, or the most profound thing

you have learned from a child?

children and metaphysics

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