Davidson Institute. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is solely the opinion of and the responsibility of the author. Although reasonable effort is made to present accurate information, the Davidson Institute makes no guarantees of any kind, including as to accuracy or completeness. Use of such information is at the sole risk of the reader.Kroeker, J. Davidson Institute for Talent Development 2011 This Tips for Parents article is from a seminar hosted by John Kroeker, in which he discusses a number of topics related to meditation. What is the difference between Relaxation and Meditation?Relaxation techniques are the first small step on the long path that is meditation. Good relaxation habits: taking a walk or just sitting alone for five minutes.Meditation is a shift in focus and awareness. In a meditative breathing practice, there is certainly an immediate "relaxation response" that you feel in the first 15 minutes. However, meditation techniques quickly take you beyond states of relaxation to shift your energy and to achieve higher states of awareness.Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM)Heart Rhythm Meditation uses attention on breath and the heartbeat. Our breathing rhythm affects the physical heart, and the physical heart reflects our emotions and our internal physiological and unconscious states. With a focus on the breath, we can calm these internal states. What we practiced in the exercises required a physical as well as mental focus. As this is accomplished, there is a calm and large perspective that includes much more than the (racing) mind. The technique we use is to concentrate on something, like breath and heartbeat, because concentrating on nothing is so very hard in an age of Twitter!On balance: Heart-centered meditation and intensityThe great counterpoise to the active mind is an activated heart. We would specifically like to apply heart-energy to parenting. The parental themes that have come up are intensity, excitability, and reflection. Meditation, and specifically HRM, provides some strategies that are available for balance, compensation, and healing.Intensity. Intensity is certainly concentration. This is concentration of focus, like a sun-glass, a coherence of attention, collected by the will. Intensity is also passion, as in a passionate search for truth, a need to know. Here is a great clue, I think. There is what we would call an emotional energy connected with intensity, a current. Good news here: the breath and the heart are quite good at handling emotions, so we can find some solutions to our problems.Excitability, has a similar emotional current, whether as cause or effect is hard to say.Reflection of intensity. Many of you reported problems with reflecting the intensity of your child. Everything can be amped up as a parent: our natural love increases our sensitivity. It is our job to be responsive. Many of us come with plenty of similarities to our children, both of personal history, and a strong biological tendency to excitability of our own. Add in any childs regular needs and high likelihood that an asynchronous childs needs will not be met in regular classroomsand we have a powerful mix. Meditation has a gentle healing effect on