Children can struggle with relaxing. Guided relaxations and visualizations can help them fidget less, notice their breath, and disconnect from their thoughts. Below is a script I’ve created for teaching children in yoga classes. Of course…it’s inspired by a children’s book! Perhaps it will help some of the 5-10 year olds in your life find a little ease!
Guided Relaxation Script: Paint the Sky Bright.
Notes: Read at a slow, comfortable pace. Develop a rhythm that works well for your audience. As needed, pause between sentences and paragraphs to allow the child(ren) to notice their breath, feel their body, and visualize what you describe.
Come to resting on your back in Starfish Pose. Let your eyes close. Let your hands rest on your belly. Let your feet flop out on the floor. Let those feet be light and loose!
Breathe in deep through your nose- all the way to your belly- and feel your belly rise. Breathe out with a sigh through your mouth and feel your belly relax.
You are not sleeping. You are just resting.
Breathe in again through your nose. Breathe out through your mouth. One more time- in through your nose and out through your mouth. Continue to notice the rise and fall of the belly as you breathe and as I talk.
Imagine you are resting on blankets outside under the morning sun. The blankets feel warm. You feel relaxed.
The sun has just risen and the sky looks bright and white. It’s inviting you to rest and feel peaceful.
Feel your feet and legs on the blankets. They start to feel heavy. Feel your belly. It starts to feel soft. Feel your heart. It feels warm and relaxed. Feel your shoulders and arms- and all the way to your hands- just resting on the blankets. Feel your neck and head resting on the blankets.
Notice the white sky. Imagine you have a paint brush and watercolors. You have every color in the rainbow- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The sky now looks like a big sheet of paper.
As you breathe in, imagine you paint a ray of color on the sky- any color you want. Breathe out calmly. Breathe in and add another ray of color. Breathe out calmly. Breathe in again slowly this time and add tiny dots of color to the sky. With each breath, you add more and more dots.
Imagine as you breathe out you see birds flying around the dots. All the birds float in and out of the dots in your bright colored sky. With each breath the birds fly a little higher and the dots get brighter. You feel as bright as the dots and light as the birds.
Say to yourself, I am light. I am light. I am bright. I am bright.
Breathe in deep through your nose and sigh out through your mouth. The sun is rising a bit higher. The sun’s rays are beaming and the dots start to fade away. You don’t need them anymore. Watch the dots fade away as you feel the warmth of the sun on your face. On your heart. On your belly. On your whole body. Your whole body feels warm. You feel heavy on the blankets. Your legs are heavy. Your arms are heavy. Your whole body is heavy.
You feel calm and relaxed. Say to yourself, I am calm. I am calm. I am relaxed. I am relaxed. I am resting quietly.
Breathe in deep through your nose. Sigh out through your mouth. Gently wiggle your toes. Gently wiggle your fingers. Hug your knees to your chest. Gently roll onto your right side. Rest your head on your arms. Keep your eyes closed. Take a big breath in and sigh it out. Gently press your left hand into the floor and come to sitting into Criss-Cross Applesauce. Keep your eyes closed. Bring your hands together at your heart. (Say ‘Namaste’ if you wish). Gently open your eyes.
This relaxation is inspired by Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds. Additional scripts appear on the Guided Relaxations page.
Disclaimer:
This relaxation is a copy of one read by a registered yoga teacher to children in yoga classes. Work with a trained teacher if you do not understand the poses discussed or how to implement the relaxations. The information provided in this post is not intended to replace sound medical advice or intervention from a trained professional. However, relaxations can be used in tandem with western medical treatment plans. Feel free to discuss this script with your/your child’s doctor before practicing.
