energy Medicine for Children: Techniques to Help Manage Stress and Anxiety
By Deborah Chalifoux, MA, CCC-SLP, MS-Ed, EEM-AP, RMT
Children and adults alike are vulnerable to the emotional impact of the current unavoidable and traumatic circumstances brought about by Covid-19 and other recent events. However, we all have the power within ourselves to take back control over that anxiety and stress. In a previous article, I shared energy medicine tips and techniques for parents to help them manage their own stress and anxiety. In this article, I will be sharing more proactive energy medicine exercises and techniques specifically geared towards children, to help them to feel calmer and more centered amidst the current chaos. Doing these energy exercises along with your children can further aid you as parents in reducing your own anxiety and stress, and to be calmer and to have more clarity.
What Exactly Is Energy Medicine?
Says Donna Eden, one of the world’s most prominent Master Energy Healers and founder of The Eden Method, “Energy Medicine is the best term known for describing the growing number of approaches where an understanding of the body as a system of energies is being applied for promoting health, healing, and happiness.” The goal of Energy Medicine is to restore harmony, flow, and balance of the body’s energies through the use of simple, safe, and non-invasive techniques. These techniques include tapping, massaging, or connecting specific energy points (as in meridian tapping and acupuncture/acupressure); by tracing or swirling the hand over the skin along specific energy pathways, and/or by surrounding an area with healing energies (as in Reiki and other healing modalities); through exercises or postures designed for specific energetic effects (as in yoga or qigong); and by focused use of the mind to move specific energies (as in mindfulness and guided meditations).
Using Energy Medicine to help our children:
You probably already use energy therapy with your children every day. For example, when your child can’t sleep, you may sit with her and gently talk to her while rubbing her back—that’s Energy Medicine. If your child falls off his bike and you kiss his hurt knee and hug him until the tears are gone—that’s Energy Medicine, too. In each of these instances, you have passed your calm, loving energy to your child. Says, Donna Eden, “Children love Energy Medicine! They are so much closer to their instincts. They can feel the energy is moving in their bodies and they know when it is making a difference. I think children should be taught simple energy techniques for stopping a cold or overcoming fear at about the same time they are taught to brush their teeth.”
What is “Energy Medicine for Kids?”
Titanya Dahlin, is a certified Waldorf Educator, daughter of Donna Eden, and Certified Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner who is internationally recognized for her expertise in Energy Medicine for Kids. Says Dahlin, “When children get to know themselves through their own energy, they find pride in who they are and empowerment within themselves. Energy Medicine for Kids empowers children, parents, and their caregivers by teaching them fun and simple exercises that are an alternative approach to achieving balanced and vibrant Health.”
What Energy Medicine exercises help calm children’s fears and anxiety?
Children are normally under a fair amount of stress daily, just because they are trying to understand and find their own rhythm in the world. Today, due to circumstances created by the pandemic children are experiencing heightened fear or nervousness on top of normal stresses, which can interfere with their emotional and physical health and development. Fortunately, there are simple and fun energy exercises that can help children calm their nervous system, allowing them to think and function more calmly and clearly no matter what is going on around them. Here are a few specifically designed to calm fear and anxiety (click on the link to see the videos):
Butterfly Exercises for Calming and Empowering Energies
The importance of keeping our children’s “Aura” strong…
Keeping the energy system known as “The Aura” strong is one of the most important things we can do for our energetic and physical body under normal circumstances, but it is especially crucial to do so in these challenging times–especially for children.
Our Aura is like a big bubble of invisible energy around us and can be thought of as an invisible space suit that helps us feel safe, empowered, and in control. The current stresses we are facing place an undue amount of strain on everyone’s auric field, causing heightened sensitivity to our emotional and physical environment. Strengthening our aura is a powerful way to counter the effects of stress and strain.
What exercises strengthen the Auric field?
Below is a link to 3 energy exercises for kids and parents to help strengthen the auric field prevent negative energies from spiraling into our physical being. When done often enough, children won’t be as readily thrown by the stresses of life. These exercises have the added benefit of strengthening the immune system, making one less susceptible to illness, including the coronavirus:
“The Celtic Shield,” “The Protection Pyramid,” and “Dancing with Figure 8’s.”
And here’s one more energy exercise to fortify the aura:
What else can we do to strengthen our children’s immune system?
Research shows that adults and children’s immune systems alike can become more compromised when under stress. Below are 4 child-friendly versions of Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine which have been adapted for children. Find the one that you like best and commit to doing it with your children every day to help you and them strengthen the immune system and build energetic and physical strength and resilience:
Titanya Dahlin’s Kids immunity Routine
Clare Longstaffe’s healthy Body Song- Energy Routine for Kids
Angela Walsh’s Healthy Body Routine for Children
Joyce MacCallum’s Eden Energy Medicine for Children
There’s even an energy routine version for babies to help establish healthy energy patterns in children from birth:
Kim Chi’s Daily Energy Routine for Babies
What can we do if we or our children’s fear and anxiety becomes overwhelming?
The above are powerful tools you can use any time you need to help you release stress and bring your body back into a place of peace, alignment, and safety. However, if a child (or a parent!) is experiencing a debilitating amount of stress and anxiety, please do not hesitate to reach out for further assistance. Below are some links to resources that can help:
Resources for Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellbeing During the Pandemic
Supporting Children’s Health During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic
Helping your children build strong energy habits today will help them tomorrow!
Titanya Dahlin says that if done regularly, practicing “Energy Medicine for Kids” has lifelong benefits, including helping to overcome learning challenges, inspiring confidence, and enhancing communication skills. “Energy Medicine for Kids” can bring more movement in a child’s life, doing so in fun and creative ways that support classroom and family experiences. Benefits gained will last for many years to come, and as children grow up, they will find that they are using some of the techniques in everyday settings such as work and relationships, enhancing performance and promoting greater health and both physical and emotional well-being!
Part 1. Energy Medicine for Mama’s: A Self-Care Tool kit for Stressful Times
Additional References and Resources:
Calming a classroom of children with energy medicine
The Conscious Parent’s Guide to Childhood Anxiety by Sherianna Boyle
Energy Medicine and Elementary School Children
Energy Medicine for Kids- Titanya Dahlin
Energy Work for Children
“Children love Energy Medicine! They are so much closer to their instincts. They can feel the energy is moving in their bodies and they know when it is making a difference.” Donna Eden.
Frances May
Debbie Chalifoux: EEM-AP, RMT, MA, MS-Ed, CCC- SLP
Aka – Mama’s Speech- Energy Healing Guru