Passion for the value meditation can bring to life led special education teacher Lindsay Messina to write an introduction to meditation for young children.
Messina introduced his book, “First Close Your Eyes,” to children attending a session at the Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center, a children’s museum in Hammond, on June 14. Subtitled “The Mindful Game of Naming Your Thoughts,” the book encourages children to examine the thoughts that constantly pop into their young minds.
When asked why she wanted to write the book, Messina said she was passionate about mindfulness meditation, the technique of paying close attention to the thoughts that arise in your mind during your everyday experiences.
Gorgeously illustrated by Adrienne Greene, the book is designed for young readers who can easily follow along when an adult reads to them. As Messina explained the story and began to read, the children listening to her recite the pictures in the book resonated with them.
She began her presentation by telling the children, “You have a box inside your head, a box filled with all the things and thoughts that go through your mind all day. I’m going to show you a way to find out what your thoughts are all about.”
She added that the thoughts are about past encounters, current activities going on around the individual and things that may happen in the future. “The mind is very powerful and it keeps thinking a lot. If we make an effort, we can give names to our thoughts,” she said.
The book then explores a range of thoughts that are worth further consideration by the child. In each situation, the child is guided to meditate on the thought following five steps that are part of traditional meditation techniques. The first step is, “Close your eyes, this helps you concentrate on the thought,” she says.
The next step is to “be still.” As the next step, Messina told the children, “Remember that you have free will and can think what you want.” He then instructed the children to take a deep breath, and as the next step, he said, “Breathe out slowly and count to five.”
The list ends with the words, “This is what it means to feel truly alive.”
The book has you repeat the five steps each time you “encounter” a thought your child may have.
The book points out thoughts that children may encounter that require meditation. For example, one page has the word “Mayday” written in large letters. Messina explains that a “Mayday” situation is when a person feels the need to ask for help or reassurance. The book suggests that meditating on the thought using five steps can produce positive results.
In an interview, Messina said that children are faced with many distractions from a relatively young age, including the phone, a device used not only for communication but also for video games, various information services and other uses. Mindfulness meditation can help people of all ages find “peace” and escape the cycle of almost constant communication, she suggested.
This book encourages children to understand that by taking the time to reflect on their thoughts through simple meditations, they can feel empowered and bring clarity to their lives.
Messina said she has a degree from Louisiana State University and is transitioning into a new career field as an occupational therapist, and she plans to return to Louisiana State University to complete her degree in that field.
Messina acknowledged that writing a children’s book was challenging. She said it took her about a year to think about the book, write the story in verse, which takes time and creativity, and find an illustrator.
She said Green proved to be a very talented artist and the pair worked well together creating the book.
The New Orleans-based author has given readings at schools, libraries, children’s museums and other venues and said the book has been well-received so far. The book is available in select bookstores and online.
She added that writing the book was rewarding and worth the effort, but that she is not sure at this time if she has plans to write further children’s books in the future.
