When we engage in spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, or simply taking a break, we open ourselves up to new insights and perspectives about life. As a result, we may come to see the world in a different light, and our spiritual understanding can deepen.
Broadly defined as the belief and care of the human spirit or soul, spirituality in children is most often found in religion, but also transcends a belief in a higher power. It involves a sensitivity toward more than the material or physical world and a belief structure that can help children define right or wrong.
Research suggests that spirituality may empower strong connections/relationships between children and their environment. Through these relationships, children develop and strengthen their identity and make sense of their cultural values, beliefs, and norms.
Three creative ways to involve children in spirituality along with us.
1. Harikatha is a composite art form composed of storytelling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy most prevalent in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and ancient Tamil Nadu. Any Hindu religious theme may be the subject for the Harikatha.
Harikatha as an art form can be traced back to the Ramayana days. Lava and Kusha had sung the story of Ramayana in the Ashwamedha Maha Mandapam in the presence of Lord Rama Himself. The first Harikatha singer was Narada.
A recent milestone for the artform was when Harikatha was inducted into the National Education Policy in August 2021. NEP felt that it would be a valuable addition to the school curriculum.
Harikatha can help kids learn valuable life lessons such as the importance of honesty, integrity, and compassion. The stories and messages conveyed in Harikatha can help shape a child's moral compass and instill a sense of values that they can carry with them throughout their lives.
2. Namasankeerthanam involves singing and chanting the glory of Lord, individually or in chorus. It is a path open to all, encompassing the young and the old, laymen and scholars alike.
This was propagated by Great Gurus in ancient times across South India and North India and the tradition is still being followed with a little improvisation
Teaching children classic songs and rhymes is one of the best ways to develop their auditory perceptual skills. It is fun and children learn auditory skills with little effort. Nonsense rhymes are great for tuning a child's ear to sound patterns, especially rhyming patterns.
Listening to and creating music helps children learn numeracy, literacy and emotional skills. Incorporating music into routines and play in the early years has a positive influence on your child's early development. It can get them moving, thinking and inspire creativity.
In ways that are unmatched by other pursuits, like athletics for instance, learning music powerfully reinforces language skills, builds and improves reading ability, and strengthens memory and attention, according to the latest research on the cognitive neuroscience of music.
3. kutti brahmaostavam is an another creative activity that is fully organised and carried out by children under the guidance of the elders of the locality. This kutti brahmaostavam is performed by the children for the their Lord(idol used for their play) like the one done for the Lord Parthasarathy in Triplicane ,Chennai, Tamilnadu. Each and every procession of the Lord in the Annual festival (Brahmaostavam) is accompanied by the children along with their idols imitating the original.
It is an annual event where people look forward to witness the creative efforts of the children along with offering prayers to the Lord. A sample of the kutti brahmostavam can be witnessed here in this video.
(This blogpost is a part of BlogChatter's BlogHop prompt : Creative ways to involve kids with you)
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