Sunday July 30, 2017

How do you give your kids the benefits of spirituality without the trappings of organized religion?

That's the conundrumRevaSeth faces. She and her husband are raising their three sons in Toronto.

"All the data shows us that having a spiritual foundation has all of these incredible outcomes in terms of depression, addiction, mental health, mental wellness.I wanted to give that to my kids but I didn't see myself joining an organized religion,"Sethtells Tapestry guest host AliHassan.

Instead of signing up at the nearest church, synagogue, or mosque,shedecided to create her own secular traditions for her family.

Reva Seth says taking time for little rituals like aromatherapy or gratitude will help her boys' mental health in the long run. (Courtesy)

Some of the ritualsSethhas introduced to her childrenare group yoga classes, mindful meditation, gratitude practice, andaromatherapy.Some of these things are a hard sell for her three boys, but she believes it's worth the effort.

"Sometimes it's just so hard to just stop and say, 'Ok we're going to have a good day, you've got this'; there's something you can connect to," she says.

Sethwas raised withHinduismin the background, but it wasn't a central part of her childhood.

"My mother had her ownpujasset up. She would light incense in the morning and I think just take a moment for herself but that was her personal thing. My father viewed religion like insurance, like 'just do it because you don't know,but don't ask a lot of questions.'"

Reva doing mindfulness meditation with her boys. She's adopted many different traditions to give her kids a strong spiritual foundation. (Courtesy)

AlthoughSethstrongly believes her secular curriculum is the best answer for her family, she admits that leaving the structure of organized religion presents challenges.

"I've had on my to-do list for the past year: 'Find a place where the boys can go serve other people.' When you stray away from your [religious] framework, you lose the community, you lose the opportunities. It would just be so much easier if they went there and after temple they served food or helped old people with their shoes. I have to now scramble around to find those opportunities."

ForSeth,the task of providing her boys with spirituality outside of organized religion is a work in progress.

And she believes the eye-rolls over scented oils and group meditation are worth it if, in the long run, her sons retain some tools to help them navigate the messy world around them.

Click LISTEN to hear more aboutRevaSeth's DIY spiritual curriculum for kids.

Read the original:

From aromatherapy to volunteering: how to DIY your kids' spirituality - CBC.ca