Pebble Meditation for Grades 2-4

Pebble Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh (Grades 2-4)

(Please Note: This post is based on Thich Nhat Hanh’s book A Handful of Quiet, Happiness in Four Pebbles, You can buy it here: A Handful of Quiet : Nhat Hanh, Thich: Amazon.in: Books)

This is a very simple mediation using four pebbles.

Ask your children to find four pebbles.

Each pebbles represents a flower, mountain, water and space respectively.

When you talk about a flower, the younger children can be asked to become a flower, imagining that they are soft, sweet and fragrant like the flowers. Now holding the pebble, between their palms, ask your children to close their eyes and say:
Breathing in, I see myself as flower
Breathing out, I feel fresh
Flower, Fresh

Now, ask them to imagine themselves as a mountain, tall and solid. Holding the pebble, between the palms, say:
Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain
Breathing out, I feel solid
Mountain, Solid

Take the third pebble. Ask the children to imagine themselves as the still and clear water of a lake. Holding the pebble, say:
Breathing in, I see myself as still water
Breathing out, I reflect things as they truly are
Water, Reflecting
Instead of “reflect things as they truly are”, I use the phrase, “I think and see clearly”

Ask the children to imagine themselves as space or air, free and flowing. Then, say as you breathe in and out:
Breathing in I see myself as space
Breathing out, I feel free
Space, Free

Let the quiet of this meditation seep into the moment before you move to the next task/activity. 🙂

Here are a few songs from Plum Village, that can accompany your pebble meditation or otherwise
1. Breathing in, Breathing Out: (209) Breathing in Breathing out – YouTube

2. I am free: (209) I am free – Plum Village song (lyrics) – YouTube