³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Writer and Musician, Jahnavi Harrison.

Last Saturday I was in Leicester to do a meditation session with a group of forty 10 year olds. At the beginning I asked them ‘Who feels stressed sometimes?’ I was a little surprised when they all immediately put their hands up - some even put two up! We had a lovely session doing breathing exercises - cue lots of giggling too, it has to be said - and ended with a big sing song, which I think is what they were waiting for right from the beginning.

On the drive home back to London I was thinking about reasons a child would feel stress and anxiety. Of course there’s the obvious - exams, peer pressure, sibling drama - most of the Leicester kids cited these as their top 3. But of course you could say causes of stress are as varied and individual as those that experience it.

I was chatting with a child psychologist recently who primarily works in London schools with underprivileged teenagers. She shared that sometimes their life circumstances are so difficult and complex that all she can really do is offer a compassionate ear and be a reflective companion.

I sometimes worry that children are growing up in a world that can seem full of endless conflict and cruelty. I remember when I was young, my ears and eyes were always switched on, a bit too much maybe - I would notice everything - and of course I’d form my own meaning and conclusions.  Children can be so sharp, not to mention often extraordinarily kind themselves - like the 15 year old boy in Liverpool I saw on the news, who has been collecting and distributing stacks of sleeping bags for the homeless this winter.

One of the foundational principles of Hinduism is Seva, or service - especially toward those who are vulnerable - children, the sick and elderly, and I love that Children in Need gives an me an opportunity to show that I care and send out a message to those young people who are experiencing very difficult circumstances that there are millions of loving hearts in this country who feel the same way.