Guided meditation

04/01/2020

I think we can all agree on the fact we need some stress relief in our lives right now...and so do our kiddos!

Guided meditation is a state of relaxed concentration focused on forming positive mental images in your mind invoked and led by another person or party. It's an amazingly powerful way to wind down this Wednesday! Some of the benefits of guided meditation include:

Slows down brain wave activity
Calms adrenal glands, decreasing the production of cortisol aka "the stress hormone"
Takes body out of fight-or-flight mode
Decreases negative emotions, fear-based thinking, and inflammation within the body
Increases self-awareness, patience, and imagination/creativity
Allows focus on the present, problem-based thinking, and building skills to relieve stress
May help manage symptoms of chronic conditions, such as anxiety, depression, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleep problems

Have I sold you yet? I hope so! There are so many different ways you can incorporate this practice into your new daily routines: in the morning upon waking up to start the day on a good note, before bed to end the day on a good note, in between remote learning activities or other challenging/stressful tasks, before difficult transitions, etc. Try out this 5-minute guided meditation exercise with your kiddo(s) at home today!

5-MINUTE GUIDED MEDITATION: A Day In The Clouds

Prep: Allow your child to pick a spot where he/she feels comfortable and cozy. Have them lie on their back, tummy, or side and close their eyes. Feel free to play relaxing music softly in the background. I like this playlist on YouTube. Once your child is comfortable and still, slowly read the below passage in a soothing and calming voice. Or, play the video below.

"Close your eyes and make yourself comfortable. Take a big breath in...and slowly let it out. Like a big, red balloon growing...and shrinking. Allow your balloon to grow again...and shrink again. One more time, grow your balloon...now let your balloon shrink. Keep letting your balloon slowly grow and slowly shrink while we go on a journey somewhere special. With each balloon breath, let your muscles get calmer and calmer. So calm, they allow your body to travel somewhere totally new. Imagine yourself lying in tall, soft, green grass. Your eyes are closed but you can hear birds singing and feel the warm sunshine on your face. A soft wind gently blows the trees and you hear a faint rustle of the branches moving around. You hear something - it sounds like wind chimes - and stand up to see what it is. The bright sun makes it hard to see but you can make out a small shadow in the distance. You decide to go see what it is. Your bare feet are tickled by the soft, damp grass and you stop along the way to pick a beautiful flower. You think, you will take it home to someone special. At last, you can see the shadow now and it isn't a shadow at all - it's a ladder! A tall, colorful ladder with wind chimes attached to the sides, making the ladder sing when the wind blows. It's big and sturdy and strong, you think. And it's so tall it goes all the way up to the sky, disappearing into the clouds. You're excited and curious - you wonder what is up there - and you decide to find out. You climb the ladder higher and higher, feeling the air get warmer and sun get brighter, as you get closer and closer. You've never seen such a blue sky! At last, you reach the top! When you climb over the last step, you're welcomed onto a big, squishy cloud. You walk along it, feeling it graze your ankles. You hop and you find that your feet leave the cloud for just a second before bouncing back onto its surface. You laugh - that was fun! You lie down on the cloud and it hugs your body like a big, warm marshmallow. You're so comfortable that you fall asleep! When you wake up from your peaceful nap, you feel refreshed and energized and full of joy. You realize it's probably almost time for dinner. Tonight, you're having your favorite so you better get home! You look around to see that the ladder has disappeared and something yellow and shiny is in its place. You take a closer look and smile when you realize its a slide! A long, smooth slide! You climb over the ledge and take a seat. One, two, three! You slide down, the wind blowing your hair and making you feel just a little chilly. You laugh as you pass birds and butterflies. It looks like they are waving to you as they flap their wings. At one point, there's a small bump in the slide. When your bottom hits the bump, your body hops and you feel weightless for a second. As you get closer to the bottom, you can now see the spot where you laid before in the tall, soft, green grass. You start to go faster and faster before landing in it. You stand up and brush off your clothes, grinning from ear to ear at your fun ride. You make your way back across the field and realize you left your flower up on the cloud! You smile when you look down to find another, picking it to take home for someone special. You smile as you make your way back home, feeling thankful for your wonderful afternoon in the sun. When you walk in, you give your flower to someone special and receive a kiss on the cheek in return. You sit at the table and your favorite dinner is put on your plate in front of you. You close your eyes, breathing in its delicious scent! You say, "You'll never believe what I did today!" and begin to tell your wonderful story. Take a big balloon breath, allowing your balloon to grow and then shrink. When you're ready, open your eyes. Stretch if you need to. Take a moment to remember this great feeling and return to it whenever you need to."

References:

DiMartile, D. (2016). Powerful benefits of guided meditation & relaxation. Medium. https://medium.com/thrive-global/the-powerful-benefits-of-guided-meditation-relaxation-d2b6c8b72f67

Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress. Mayo clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858