Exploring Spiritual Concepts through Movement

For more than a century, developmentalists assumed that children were unable to understand spiritual and religious concepts. They based this thinking on the abstract and complex nature of spiritual ideas, as well as the belief that children could not move beyond concrete experiences. It turns out that the experts were mostly wrong. Kids can learn spiritual concepts, and concrete movements can enhance that learning.

Imagine that you want to teach a child about ‘being grounded’. The most effective way to do so is by both talking about the concept and inviting the child to experience the sensations of being grounded at the same time. You might say, “Being grounded means feeling like we are present and aware of the world around us.” Then you might encourage the child to press their feet into the ground, alternating feet so that they experience the difference between feeling the floor and noticing its absence. You might follow this action with a slow pirouette, instructing the child to pay attention to what is around them. And you could finish the experience by repeating the definition of groundedness.

 Another spiritual concept to explore with kids is ‘centering’. One definition focuses on self-awareness, so you might say, “Centering is when we pay attention to how we are feeling inside.” Then invite children to hold their hands in front of their faces with their palms facing inward. Encourage them to slowly move their hands downward like a scanner, noticing how different parts of their bodies feel as they pass by their neck and shoulders, chest, belly, legs, and feet. Then repeat the definition of centering and suggest that children can use the body scan approach to connect with themselves whenever they want.

‘Stillness’ is a third concept many associate with spiritual well-being. Often it’s understood in contrast to busyness and action. You might say, “Sometimes we need to take a break from being busy and recharge with a time of stillness.” Invite children to wave their arms and dance around for a minute and then call out, “Be still!” Encourage kids to drop to the floor and try to make their bodies as still as possible. Rest in the stillness for at least a minute. Then repeat the exercise a few times so that children feel the difference between busyness and stillness in their bodies.

Spirituality also involves ‘self-discipline’, which can be understood as the ability to manage one’s thoughts and actions. You might say, “Self-discipline is when we think about what we want to do before we do it.” Then encourage children to tap one finger on their head while they think about what they want to do next. Move on with group activities, pausing occasionally to repeat your statement and tap fingers on heads before moving on. You may find this approach particularly helpful when conflicts arise and children need to take a few moments to think about how they want to respond.