Build Yourself a Mindful-Nest

This track starts with a song-based breathing exercise. Next we listen to the sounds of birds singing before we imagine being birds ourselves. We talk about ways to build a real comfy nest at home, then we use the nest to practice mindfulness. After that, we say affirmations, then end with a song.

Transcript

Hello,

I'm Noah and this is Like You,

Mindfulness for kids.

I'm thankful for each and every one of you who are listening right now.

On this episode,

We'll imagine we're birds building comfy cozy nests to help us relax and enjoy ourselves.

So listeners of all ages,

Find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe.

As I ask questions and invite you to say affirmations,

You're welcome to speak out loud,

Or as always,

You can just think your responses quietly in your mind.

Let's start with a breathing exercise to calm your body and focus your mind.

Last episode,

We used a song for our breathing exercise.

I really enjoyed that.

So I thought we could do another musical breathing exercise today.

This one has the words,

Smell the flowers breathing in,

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

So when I sing,

Smell the flowers,

You can imagine holding a flower under your nose and smell it with a long breath in through your nose.

Then when I sing,

Blow your breath,

You can blow out your mouth and imagine you're a gust of wind.

You ready?

Okay,

Here we go.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Smell the flowers breathing in.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Blow your breath like you're the wind.

Great breathing!

If you liked that song,

You can sing it in your head anytime you want to stop and take a few deep breaths.

Maybe you could even try it next time you find a flower outside.

Now on the count of three,

Let's all say,

I like me.

One,

Two,

Three.

I like me.

I like you too.

Being friends with you feels like the first day of spring when you hear birds singing outside your window.

Actually,

I've been hearing birds out my own window lately.

Let me listen carefully and see if there are any singing right now.

Can you hear that?

That's really the sound right outside my window right now.

Do you ever just sit outside and listen to birds?

Let's listen quietly for a few moments.

See if you notice any other sounds like a dog barking or traffic in the distance.

Can you tell that one bird is much closer and some of the others are a little farther away?

You could just sit and listen to that all day,

But let's get back to the podcast.

Today I'd like us to imagine being birds,

Building our own nest.

Let's call it a mindful nest.

What kind of bird would you like to be?

Do you have a favorite kind of bird?

I think I'll imagine being a bright red cardinal.

Now stretch your wings out wide,

As wide as you can,

And wiggle your wing feathers.

Now wiggle your tail feathers.

Birds build their nests out of all sorts of materials like twigs,

Leaves,

Grass,

Moss,

And pine needles.

But I thought we could make something a little more comfy,

A place you can relax and chill out when you're doing mindfulness.

That's why it's called a mindful nest.

If you're listening at home,

You can really build a nest using soft things around the house like blankets,

Pillows,

Stuffed animals,

Or cushions from a couch or a chair.

You can pause the podcast if you need to go gather things for your nest.

Once you've got them,

You can pile them up on the floor and make yourself cozy.

Now if you're not at home,

That's all right.

You can grab some paper and some colors and draw a picture of what you'd like your nest to look like.

Or if you're riding in a car where you can't draw,

You could just close your eyes and imagine a big,

Cuddly,

Cozy nest.

Whatever kind of nest you've made,

Remember it's a mindful nest.

So let's take a minute to practice mindfulness in our nest.

Mindfulness is about focusing on the present moment and noticing the little details about what's happening around you and inside you.

So if you're sitting in a real comfy nest that you've made at home,

You could pay attention to how all the different materials feel.

Is your nest soft?

Squishy?

Do different blankets or fabrics have different kinds of textures?

You can also notice what the nest looks like.

What colors and patterns do you see?

Now if you're drawing a nest,

Just focus on how the pencil or crayon feels between your fingers and watch how it moves across the paper.

Try not to think about anything else but what you're drawing right now.

Now if you're just closing your eyes and imagining a nest,

You could pay attention to what sounds and smells you notice around you.

Whatever kind of nest you have right now,

Stop and notice how you feel inside in this moment.

Are you feeling happy?

Sad?

Sleepy?

Anxious?

There's no right or wrong answer.

Just pay attention to how you're feeling inside.

Now I think we should add a few things to make your nest feel extra special and unique.

But this time the materials we use won't be twigs or leaves or grass,

And they won't even be blankets and pillows.

This time I want to add ideas to our nest.

Like,

Imagine you could build a nest out of happiness or love or pride.

I know you can't really hold those things,

So we'll have to use our imaginations.

Let's try it.

First think about something that makes you happy.

Maybe it's playing sports,

Singing,

Reading,

Talking to your friends,

Or listening to podcasts.

Whatever it is,

Think about that happy thing and let yourself smile.

Now take that happy feeling and add it to your nest.

Next,

Think about someone you love.

It could be a family member or a best friend or it could even be your pet.

Now think about how you feel when you're with them.

Wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a hug.

Then add that feeling of love to your nest.

Last,

Think about something that makes you feel proud of yourself.

It could be something you're really good at or something that you've been working really hard to learn.

What makes you feel proud?

As you think about feeling proud,

Hold your head up high and puff out your chest.

Now take that feeling of pride and add it to your nest.

Way to go!

You've made your very own mindful nest.

Take a few moments to relax and enjoy your nest while I sing you a song.

I'm proud of you and I hope that you are too.

Not because of what you do,

But just for being you.

I'm proud of you and I hope that you're proud too.

And as long as you are you,

That always will be true.

I'm proud of you.

Whether you lose or whether you win,

Think of thoughts that makes you grin.

Wherever you go or wherever you've been,

Be proud of who you are within.

I'm proud of you and I hope that you are too.

Not because of what you do,

But just for being you.

I'm proud of you and I hope that you're proud too.

And as long as you are you,

That always will be true.

I'm proud of you.

Whether you fly or whether you fall,

Lift your eyes up and stand up tall.

If you win the game or if you drop the ball,

You're still the same you after all.

I'm proud of you and I hope that you are too.

Not because of what you do,

But just for being you.

I'm proud of you and I hope that you're proud too.

And as long as you are you,

That always will be true.

I'm proud of you.

Now it's time for affirmations.

Affirmations are words you can say about yourself to remind yourself how wonderful you are.

You can say these out loud or inside your head.

I'll say each affirmation twice,

So you can listen the first time,

And then say it together with me the second time.

Here we go.

I am so proud of who I am.

My hard work is already paying off.

I will speak kindly to myself.

It's okay to make mistakes.

I will learn from yesterday and live for today.

I can do hard things.

I am powerful.

I feel calm and in control.

I will share my love with the world.

Now,

Let's take a few slow,

Deep breaths as we wind down our time together.

If any of those affirmations stood out to you,

Feel free to write them down or just store them safely in your mind to say when you need it.

I can't wait to spend some time together again soon.

Until next time,

I like you,

I'm proud of you,

And I'm glad we're friends.

Have a happy and peaceful day.

Like You is written and hosted by me,

Noah Glenn.

I also composed and performed the Like You theme music and other music that appeared in this episode.

Our podcast cover art was illustrated by Maya Sain and our episode art is created by Lindsay Glenn.

Thanks for listening!

Reviews

Amazing, our family loves this so much. Thank you Noah and team