Welcome,
Dear educator,
To this guided meditation.
I'm your guide,
Dr.
Andrew Goff of Love is a Classroom.
You've spent your day nurturing young lives,
Creating a safe and loving space for children to learn and grow and to explore.
Now it's time to sleep.
Your role as an educator requires deep presence,
Patience,
And care.
Now it's time to give yourself that same care to return to a place of deep rest within yourself.
Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale.
Feel the weight of your body sinking into the bed.
Let yourself fully arrive in this moment,
Knowing that the responsibilities of the day are now behind you.
Let's begin by bringing your awareness to the sensations in your body.
Feel the warmth or coolness of air on your skin.
Notice the texture of the sheets beneath you.
Let yourself become fully present,
Here and now.
As you relax,
Imagine yourself as a single drop of water floating in the air.
Throughout your day,
You may have felt separate,
Carrying the weight of decisions,
Guidance,
And care for the young learners in your life,
The young learners in your classroom.
You listened to their needs,
Helped them navigate emotions,
Taught them new skills,
And offered comfort when they needed it most.
Imagine you,
This drop of water,
Gently falling toward the vast ocean below.
As you enter the ocean,
You begin to merge with the water.
You are no longer a single drop,
No longer separate.
You are part of something larger,
Something endless and deeply connected.
Breathe in and feel the air filling your lungs as if you're taking in the depths of the ocean itself.
And breathe out,
Feel yourself sinking deeper into the peaceful waters below.
Breathe in and breathe out,
Sinking deeper into the peaceful waters below.
Throughout your day,
Just like the drop of water,
You felt the movement of the world around you,
The children's voices,
The constant need to be present and engaged.
You've responded with patience,
Creativity,
And care.
But now,
Now it's time to let go and return to a place of stillness.
As you imagine yourself resting in the ocean,
Know that even when the surface is stirred by waves,
Whether calm or rough,
Those are just movements on the surface.
Deep down,
The ocean is still.
You are now part of those deep waters,
Resting far beneath the waves where nothing can disturb you.
Take another deep breath in and feel yourself become more aware of your senses.
Notice the rhythm of your breath as you let it go slowly with ease.
As an educator,
Your day is filled with the sounds of children laughing,
Talking,
And sometimes crying.
But now,
Listen closely.
What do you hear in this moment,
Perhaps the faint hum of your environment,
A gentle silence of the night?
Whatever you hear,
Allow it to wash over you like the soft movements of water.
Breathe in deeply,
Feeling the cool air as it enters your nose,
And breathe out,
Feeling the warmth of your breath leaving your body.
Let this simple act of breathing connect you to the present moment,
To the deep ocean within.
As you seek deeper into the ocean's calm,
Feel the weight of the day's responsibilities dissolving.
The questions you carried,
The lessons you learned,
The care you provided,
All of it can rest now.
You've given enough for today,
And it's time to receive the stillness of the ocean.
Notice the sensation of the bed beneath you,
Supporting your body like the ocean cradles the water within it.
Feel how your body softens with each breath as you allow yourself to be held,
Supported,
And nourished by this peaceful depth.
You are now part of the deep stillness.
As an early childhood educator,
Your senses are often attuned to the needs of others,
To the feel of a child's hand in yours,
The sound of their voice,
The way their eyes light up when they discover something new.
But tonight,
Tune into your own senses.
Notice how your body feels as it unwinds.
Notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest.
Feel the soft rhythm of your heartbeat.
Let each sensation guide you deeper into relaxation.
With every breath,
You're returning to the quiet depth of the ocean.
There's no need to rush here.
There's nothing you need to solve or fix.
All the roles you play throughout your day can rest.
Right now,
You are simply being.
Breathe in,
And feel the stillness of the deep ocean filling you with peace.
Breathe out,
And let go of anything that feels heavy or unresolved.
Let's do that again.
Breathe in,
And breathe out.
You are not just a drop of water anymore.
You are part of the infinite,
Calm,
And vast ocean,
Always connected,
Always whole.
As you prepare to drift into sleep,
Let yourself fully sink into this peaceful depth.
Tomorrow,
You will return to your important work,
Refreshed and renewed.
But tonight,
Rest in the knowledge that you are part of something larger.
You are held by the same ocean that holds the world in its rhythm.
Breathe in,
And as you breathe out,
Let yourself float gently in this deep,
Quiet space.
You are safe,
You are connected,
And you are at peace.
Good night.
Thank you for listening to this guided meditation.
