If you’ve got a little person or three at your place, chances are you’re well-versed in the nightly dance that is bedtime. For some kids, no matter how many balls thrown, slides climbed or cubby houses constructed during daylight hours, sleep refuses to come easily when it’s time for “lights out”.
To help woo the kids into peaceful slumber (and so you can enjoy some grown up time!), try a guided meditation. This one is created so that you (likely your child’s favourite person) can act as the guide! And, while there are lots of great meditation apps out there designed specifically for kids, nothing beats the real-time presence and voice of a loved one.
This meditation features a fun, imaginary adventure designed to settle mish-mashed thoughts, untangle the wriggles and convey a sense of safety and security.
You may need to refer to the script below for your first bedtime meditation time but, once you get the idea, run with it and feel free to add your own personal flavour.
Your soothing bedtime script
Get snuggly in your bed and lie on your back. Make sure you are comfortable and that everything feels “just right”.
Let’s do a “big body squeeze“ to help your whole body feel relaxed and floppy.
Take a big breath in through your nose and, at the same time, squeeze your whole body tight. Squeeze your hands into fists, tighten your legs, arms and bottom, screw up your face to make a funny face!
Now, as you breathe out through your mouth, release the tension and let everything go soft. Feel as though your arms and legs are soft and floppy, liked cooked spaghetti floating in the pot. Do any extra wriggles that you need to now so you can be completely comfortable for our special adventure.
Now, notice the feeling of your bed underneath you. Notice how warm and comfy it is. Feel the heaviness of your body and imagine the weight of your body sinking down into the bed.
Imagine now that your bed has magically grown wings and can fly!
Imagine you and your bed gently lifting up out of this room and outside. See yourself hovering above our house. Check out the roof! You feel safe, warm and happy as you start to drift above our neighbourhood and higher up into the sky.
What can you see around you? Perhaps birds flying past giving you a friendly wave, aeroplanes, a hot-air balloon, a rocket ship!
What can you see below you? Rooftops, rivers, mountains, a beach?
Let your imagination wander and take in all the sites.
(Pause for a minute.)
Now imagine seeing the most beautiful rainbow. A special rainbow, just for you!
Your bed floats so close the the rainbow that you can reach out and touch it!
What does it feel like?
Now, you drift over to float through the colour red. Imagine the red of the rainbow moving through you, colouring you in from the inside out!
What does it feel like to be red? Picture yourself full of red, shining and glowing. Think about your favourite thing that is red: a toy, a food, maybe a flower.
Now you shift to move through the colour … (Guide your little one through the same prompts for each of the colours, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.)
(Pause for a minute.)
Now, choose your very favourite rainbow colour. Imagine you are a blank sheet of paper and you can completely colour yourself in with this colour! Pick your favourite pencils or textas or use paint! This is your special artwork. Colour your whole body: fingers, toes, your belly and back. Imagine colouring in your face!
Finish up with your colouring in. It’s time to float back down from the sky and into this room. Notice your breathing. Notice your belly moving up and down with your breath. Feel into your body and notice the bed underneath you and the blankets over you.
Our rainbow meditation is finished. It’s time for your sleep now but, remember, you can go on a rainbow adventure anytime you wish.
Night-night. Sweet dreams!
(Hopefully now your little one is calm and sleepy, and you can sneak off quietly for some well-deserved “you time”!)
