The little darlings have played with every toy they own, scattered your pots and pans in two rooms, you've made clay, cut paper into tiny tiny tiny pieces, and glued half of them to your kitchen table. There's soaps on TV and they are bored to tears with every movie you own. Now what?????

How about some quiet time! Yeah, right you're saying? Try this meditation with your kids! Not only is it something they can relate to, but they will be spending their energy learning valuable skills of meditation and visualization. You can change the animal, but a cat is a quiet calm creature so that may help settle the tribe. And when mommy and/or daddy want some meditation time for themselves, it gives them one of their own, so sometimes even meditation can be family time!

 I'd back it up with some cat activities, things to make from string, a walk outside to introduce myself to a tree, planting catnip or another herb (and learning the magickal and medical properties). Because really, how long are they going to sit still?

A Cat Meditation for Children

One thing that makes witches a bit "special" is the importance we place on a thing called "empathy". Isn’t that a cool word? It means being able to put your mind into someone else’s and feel what it’s like to be them. You can do this with your pet. Say, for instance, that you have a cat who is your friend.

Relax your body and make your breathing be deep and soft. When you are relaxed and all limp like a noodle, see your cat - either in front of you or in your imagination. Now, try and lift your mind from your own body and slide it into your cat’s body. Do this with your magical imagination.

The first thing you will probably be aware of is that you now have four legs instead of two. Imagine what it’s like walking with four legs. In your mind, place one paw down and then another�? And another�?Imagine your body swaying with the movement.

Feel the ground beneath your paws�?

What would it be like to reach up and sharpen your claws on a tree? Can you feel the soothing tug on your toes and the satisfying rip of the bark �? Your tail curls with happiness. Oh yes, you have a tail! Feel its weight on your spine? Cats are very proud of their tails.

Imagine that you are moving yours. It lashes back and forth when you are angry but right now you are happy and when you sit on your haunches, it wraps about you like a hug. Tails are lovely.

Cats like to be clean�? Imagine that you are licking the fur on your chest. Do you feel the little barbs on your tongue that are combing your fur? Did you just now notice that you HAVE fur? Lick your paw and rub it over your face, over your eyes and across your cheeks and behind your ears. (remember that your ears are in a different place now!) Doesn’t that feel good? Maybe you are purring, deep down in your throat. Try yawning with your cat face. Can you feel your whiskers sticking out when you do this?

Try listening around you for a sound �?and when you do, move an ear in that direction. Can you feel the unfamiliar tug on your scalp muscles? Try swiveling both ears in the direction of the noise. Can you hear it now a bit more sharply?

Now try stretching�?imagine reaching your front legs way out in front of you, digging your claws in and stretching out your back legs and tail. Feel the pull along your spine…isn’t that wonderful?

But now its time to become a person again. Stretch some more and become aware that you have arms as well as legs. Let the tail go. Wiggle your fingers and blink your eyes a few times. Take a deep breath and come back to "here". You are a person.

But sometimes it’s nice to be a cat, isn’t it?