Ever held a pebble in your hand?

I bet you have, at least as a child. A child examines everything it comes across. Feel, taste, touch, play!

So with that in mind, what better way to introduce children (and everyone else) to meditation than with the help of a pebble..

..or 4 pebbles!

That is exactly what Thich Nhat Hanh (a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist) decided. And he even wrote a book about it:

The pebble meditation is a simple meditation technique consisting of you, and 4 pebbles.

You go out into nature (or to a shop if you don’t live close enough to nature), and collect 4 pebbles.

You then sit down comfortably (feel free to sit on a chair, with your back straight), and place the pebbles on your side.

Pick up one pebble at the time, and let the pebble represent a specific thing and quality.

Listed below are those 4 things and qualities. So each pebble represents either a flower, a mountain, water or space – and has a specific quality.

1. Flower, fresh. Breathing in, I am a flower. Breathing out, I feel fresh.
2. Mountain, solid. Breathing in, I am a mountain. Breathing out, I feel solid.
3. Water, reflecting. Breathing in, I am water. Breathing out, I am a calm mind, reflecting things as they are.
4. Space, free. Breathing in, I am space. Breathing out, I feel freedom.

A bit confusing? Have a look at these videos, and see the pebble meditation demonstrated.

Please enjoy, and remember to comment and share!