Hi there! Welcome to our fun and calming storytime. Today, we’re going to learn about something special called mindful meditation. It’s a way to help us feel calm and happy. Are you ready to join us on this relaxing adventure? Let’s get started!
First, find a comfy spot where you can sit, stand, or lie down. Close your eyes or look down so you can focus on your breathing. This is your time to relax and feel good.
Let’s start with a fun activity called “Breathing Colors.” Put your hands on your belly or over your heart. Feel the air coming in and out as you breathe. Take a deep breath in and count to three. Then, breathe out and count to three again. One, two, three—breathe in. One, two, three—breathe out.
Notice how your belly rises and falls with each breath. Imagine your lungs filling up like balloons when you breathe in and getting smaller when you breathe out. Try to breathe deep down into your belly, filling it with air.
Think of a color that makes you feel stressed or upset. It could be red, gray, or any color you choose. Now, as you breathe out, imagine that color leaving your body. Picture all your worries and stress floating away with the color.
Now, think of a color that makes you feel happy and relaxed. It could be green, blue, or any color you love. Imagine this happy color surrounding you. As you breathe in, picture the happy color filling your lungs and your whole body.
Imagine the happy color traveling to your fingers, toes, and even the top of your head. Soon, your whole body is filled with this relaxing color. As you breathe out, let the stress color disappear, and let the happy color take over.
Take three more deep breaths, feeling the happy color fill your body. Now, start to notice the sounds around you. Wiggle your fingers and toes to wake up your body. When you’re ready, open your eyes and look around.
Stretch your neck, arms, and legs. Notice how you feel after this relaxing practice. Do you feel calmer and more focused?
Thank you for joining us on this mindful meditation adventure. We hope you feel relaxed and ready to enjoy the rest of your day. Remember, you can always come back to this practice whenever you need a moment of peace and happiness.
Color Hunt: Go on a color hunt around your home or classroom. Find objects that match the happy colors you imagined during the meditation. For example, if your happy color was blue, look for blue objects. Once you’ve gathered a few items, share with a friend or family member why these colors make you feel happy and relaxed.
Breathing Buddy: Find a small stuffed animal or toy to be your “breathing buddy.” Lie down and place the toy on your belly. As you breathe in and out, watch how your breathing buddy moves up and down. This will help you see how your belly rises and falls with each breath. Try to keep your breathing buddy moving gently and smoothly.
Draw Your Feelings: Use crayons or colored pencils to draw a picture of how you felt before and after the meditation. Use colors to show your feelings. For example, you might use gray for stress and blue for calm. Share your drawings with a friend or family member and talk about how the meditation helped change your feelings.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Hi everyone, welcome back to the Storytime Family! I hope you’ve been keeping well and taking care of yourself. Today, we will be exploring something different—it’s called mindful meditation. Taking time out to slow down is so important for mental health now more than ever, and we would like for you to join us. We hope that it can help you and your family. Feel free to have a look at our new channel where we will be featuring new meditation videos; the links are in the description below.
Let’s get started with a short session called “Breathing Colors.” Take some time to make sure you’re in a comfortable position, whether you’re sitting, standing, or lying down. Close your eyes or look down so you’re not distracted by what is around you.
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Think about where your hands are. You may keep your arms by your side, or you might like to put your hands on your belly or over your heart so you can feel your breath. Start to bring your attention to your breath. Feel the air coming into your body as you breathe in, and notice the air leaving your body as you breathe out.
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Begin to slow down your breathing, counting silently in your mind. Count to three on the breath in and count to three on the breath out. One, two, three—exhale. One, two, three. Bring your awareness to any changes you feel in your body as you breathe in and out.
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Think about how your belly rises and falls. If you have your hands on your belly or over your heart, you might be able to feel how your lungs expand and retract with each breath. On the next breath in, breathe deep down behind your belly button. Use the air to fill the very bottom of your lungs. Feel your chest expanding as you inhale and your tummy rising.
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Feel your tummy deflate as you exhale. You will notice that this will slow down your breathing. On the next breath out, concentrate on getting all the air out of your lungs. A long breath in, and a long breath out. Keep your focus on your breath without speaking.
I want you to think about a color that reminds you of stress. It might be red, gray, or any color that makes you think about feelings of stress or when you’re upset. Continue breathing deep into your belly and exhaling all of the air with your breath out, but now I want you to imagine that the air you breathe out is the color of stress.
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Take a deep breath in and breathe out this stress color. Imagine that as you breathe out this color, all of your stresses, anger, worries, and sadness are leaving your body and floating away through the air. Don’t follow those feelings; keep paying attention to your body and your breath as you can feel it right now in this moment.
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Now, without speaking, think about a relaxing or happy color. You can choose any color you love—maybe green, blue, gold, or silver—any color that reminds you of or makes you feel good. Imagine that you are surrounded by a relaxing color. The air around you isn’t clear anymore; it’s the relaxing color.
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As you breathe in, imagine the relaxing color coming in through your nose and filling up your lungs. Breathe the color deep into your belly. As you breathe out, imagine breathing out the stress color and breathing in the relaxing color. Breathe out the stress color, and soon you will just be filled with the relaxing color.
On the next breath, imagine that the relaxing color doesn’t just fill your lungs, but that it travels right to the very ends of your arms and legs, into your fingers and toes, and right to the top of your head. Soon, the relaxing color takes over the stress color, and as you breathe, all of the air that travels in and out of your body is the color of relaxation.
In your imagination, look around the room. You can still make out shapes, but your world is now a different color. As you continue to breathe more of the relaxing color out into your world, the stress color will totally disappear.
Take three more deep breaths, visualizing the color filling your body and flowing out into the room.
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Start to bring your awareness to the rest of your body. Notice the sounds you can hear in the room or outside the room. Notice how the chair or the ground feels underneath you. Start to wiggle your fingers and toes to begin waking your body up. When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes, being aware of the people and furniture around you.
Without talking, stretch your body—stretch your neck, your arms, and your legs. Sit or stand still for a moment and notice any new feelings or sensations in your body. Do you feel different after this mindful color breathing practice?
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Notice how your body and mind may have calmed and focused after spending this time with your breath.
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Thank you for joining us for this meditation practice. We hope you’re more relaxed and ready to take on the rest of your day. Wishing you peace and love from the Storytime Family.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any informal language and ensuring clarity.
