Children and Youth Meditation Workshop
October 4, 2026
Children and youth of all faith backgrounds in grades 3–12 are invited to participate. Learn the basics of meditation and quiet reflection, then spend time in the House of Prayer practicing these skills. Attendees are welcome to bring an adult family member with them. The cost is $5. Scholarships are available.
READ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF PREVIOUS ATTENDEES.
The Architecture of the Holy and the Fragrance of the Divine
An account from Arkansas House of Prayer founder Susan Sims Smith of her experience with attendees of a youth meditation workshop
This spring, the House of Prayer held a meditation workshop for people ages 8-14. Two of the participants had experiences akin to some that I have seen documented in the literature of mystics from ancient times.
Our building was created by internationally known architect John Cunningham, a meditator and an Episcopalian. As John walked the woods where the House of Prayer was to be built, he pointed out three important features. He said that the silence should be initiated by the path and gardens upon approach; he said that the building should be uncluttered; and he said that the interior shapes should be designed with simplicity and repetition in order to help silence the mind.
After the youth workshop, I met with some of the attendees to hear about their experiences. To my total surprise, 10-year-old Max Guiterriez relayed an energetic description of architect Cunningham’s aims. Of course, Max had never met John; he was connecting with the powerful archetypes that architecture can set in motion.
Brown eyes flashing with excitement, Max said, “Lots of religions teach people to meditate and to be calm. It allows you to reflect on your day, and if you can do better about something it can help you do it. It can also help you be calm and focus on just one thing at a time.”
Then Max began to describe his perceptions of the architect’s stated intentions, and how they were manifested at the House of Prayer. First he said, “Let’s start with the entry: It is in nature, not something to disturb; just the entry calmed me down. Seeing the trails calmed me, and the people who are here are quiet.”
Next, he said, “Once you are inside the building, the patterns of everything bring a calmness to your mind. Inside, you look around, and there is detail that brings calmness to the mind but not so much detail to get you excited.”
Finally, he said, “The patterns themselves are both calming and repeated. For one example, there are circles, a pattern you could trace around with your finger; it is a constant flow, not like a rectangle. The circle brings calmness to the mind. A circle of earth, a circle of round pillows, the room is a circle, the ceiling is a circle. Simple and repeated. The design is perfect.”
What a joy it was to hear Max respond so quickly to archetypal architectural strategies that worked for the young meditator!
A young Muslim girl had a very powerful experience with fragrance in the House of Prayer. For years, people have reported a distinct fragrance that they smell in there. They often ask “what smell do you put in the building?” The answer is none. However, smelling a fragrance when near the presence of the Divine is reported in many religions.
This 12-year-old participant, named Rayya, said, “When I went inside the House of Prayer, I just sat there and smelled this really, really nice fragrance, maybe something like sandalwood, the most beautiful fragrance I have ever smelled. My sister was also in the workshop, I asked her if she smelled it; she said she didn’t, and I was confused that she did not smell it.“
Rayya continued, “It not only smelled so good but it was so calming. I never wanted to leave the room. That is the most spiritual I have ever felt in my 12 years of living. It’s wonderful, it really is. It made me feel connected to God in a special way, and peaceful. That night I slept so, so well.”
Not only Rayya experience reported phenomena in the mysticism of Divine fragrance, but the workshop launched an ongoing evening practice of silence. Now, often in the evenings, she takes some time upstairs in her room for silence. “I take my glitter jar that we made at the workshop,” she said, “and I turn the jar over and watch the glitter slowly float down through the liquid. I breathe in and out really slowly. After a while I am refreshed and energized.”
These two young people—Max with his connection to design as a way to still the mind, and Rayya with her reminder of fragrance as a universal sign of Divine presence—are a blessing to us. Many holy people from the world’s religions describe similar treasures from meditation. Now some of God’s holiness comes to us from these two young people. May their fresh experience of ancient truths encourage us into our own silence and give us hope.
