Sailing Through Stormy Seas

First we do a breathing exercise where we imagine blowing a toy sailboat across the water. Then we imagine climbing on a life size sailboat, where we learn to steer a boat the same way we can mindfully steer our emotions. A guided meditation helps sail through stormy feelings to a calm destination. Finally we say affirmations before ending with a song.

Transcript

Hello,

I'm Noah,

And this is Like You,

Mindfulness for Kids.

I'm so glad that you're here.

On this episode,

We'll imagine sailing a boat through choppy waters to a calm destination.

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 begin with a breathing exercise to calm your body and focus your mind.

You may close your eyes if that helps you imagine.

I want you to picture a little toy sailboat floating in a small pond.

It bobs gently up and down in the water.

Take a deep breath in,

And gently blow on the sailboat's sail as you watch it sail across the smooth water.

As you breathe in again,

The wind blows the boat back towards you.

Now blow out once more,

Sending the boat sailing away across the pond.

Then breathe in deep as the wind blows the boat back to you.

Now blow long and hard and see how far you can blow the boat away.

Wow,

It reached all the way to the other side of the pond.

It's going to take a while for the boat to make its way back to you.

So keep breathing gently in and out through your nose as we wait for the boat to sail back.

Soft,

Gentle breaths so it doesn't blow away before it makes it back.

In and out,

In and out.

The boat is floating closer.

In and out,

In and out.

Now the boat has returned.

On the count of three,

We'll say,

I like me.

One,

Two,

Three.

I like me.

I like you too.

Even when things get hard,

You keep trying because you're strong and brave on the inside.

Now instead of that little toy sailboat,

Let's imagine a big life-size sailboat that you can climb inside.

If you're listening at home,

You might want to climb onto a couch or a bed or a comfy chair and pretend that that is your sailboat.

If you're in the car or at school or somewhere else,

You can always just imagine the boat in your mind.

Wherever you are,

Start picturing what your sailboat looks like.

Pick whatever color you'd like your boat to be.

Now imagine a tall sail rising up from the boat.

Stretch your arms up over your head like a sail.

When the wind blows on your sail,

That's what makes the boat move.

But have you ever wondered how to control which way a boat goes?

What keeps the boat from just turning whichever direction the wind blows?

Why doesn't the boat change direction every time the wind blows a different direction?

It turns out there are two parts that go into steering a sailboat.

There's the position of the sail,

Which can be moved.

And then there's another moving part underwater near the back of the boat called a rudder.

The rudder can be angled side to side and combined with the position of the sail to control the boat.

And as I thought about that,

I realized it's a little bit like the mindfulness techniques we use on Like You.

We can't control which way the wind blows,

Just like we can't control everything that happens around us or every feeling that we feel.

But just like a sailboat can be steered using a sail and a rudder,

We can navigate our way through stormy feelings in lots of different ways.

Some of the things we do to navigate might be visible to others,

Like the sail of a sailboat.

But other things we do are happening inside us below the surface,

Just like the rudder underwater.

So let's imagine we're sailing a boat through a windy storm of emotions and making our way to a calm destination.

Are you ready to be the captain of the boat?

Excellent.

Here we go.

Imagine the boat rocking slowly side to side in the water,

Back and forth,

Side to side.

Now the wind begins to blow.

Maybe this wind represents an unexpected feeling,

Like being upset about something.

Suddenly,

Your boat starts moving in the direction of the wind.

But then a gust comes in from another direction,

And you start feeling grumpy.

As soon as the boat changes course,

Another gust of wind blows a different way.

This time,

The wind is boredom.

And it goes on and on like this.

More wind blows in sadness,

Anger,

Frustration,

And worry.

The wind is blowing in every direction,

And the water is getting bumpy and choppy.

Your boat goes up and down,

Side to side,

Back and forth.

It starts to feel like you have no control over your feelings,

And you have no control over the boat.

You've been blown way off course.

This isn't where you meant to go.

Do you ever feel this way?

Like you were trying to be calm,

Relaxed,

Or happy,

And suddenly,

Difficult feelings swoop in and knock you off course?

It happens to me,

Too.

Luckily,

We can guide ourselves through these storms,

Just like a sailboat can be steered through the wind.

Let's start by focusing on where we want to be,

Our destination.

Close your eyes and fill your mind with calm,

Tranquil waters,

Warm sunshine,

A gentle breeze.

This is your destination,

And you're the captain who can get there.

First,

Adjust your sail.

Spread your arms out wide like a sail.

Swivel your body,

Turning your arms and your chest to the left and then back to the right.

Now pick a direction that's facing forward.

The calm waters are straight ahead.

You can relax your arms now.

Now that you've adjusted your sail,

It's time to adjust your rudder.

Stop and notice what's going on below the surface inside your body.

What feelings do you notice?

Does any part of your body feel tight or tense?

Then relax them.

Do you feel sleepy,

Hungry?

These are problems that you can solve.

What emotions do you feel inside right now?

Just take a few moments to feel your feelings,

Whatever they are.

Notice how you feel.

You can even say what they are.

Happy,

Sad,

Grumpy,

Excited,

Sleepy?

Now that you've adjusted your sail to point towards your destination and checked in with how you're feeling below the surface,

It's time to set sail.

Take a deep breath in.

Now breathe slowly out.

You can gain control of your breath by breathing slow and deep and steady.

It's like you've harnessed the wind and now you're on your way.

Keep breathing slowly in and out.

As you do,

Imagine your boat sailing forward,

Straight ahead,

Getting closer and closer to your destination.

Take another deep breath in and out.

Now the water is smoothing out and the wind is growing calmer,

Helping you get where you want to be.

Keep taking deep breaths in and out,

In and out.

Suddenly you find that you've made it to your destination,

A calm and comforting spot with still cool water and warm sunshine on your shoulders.

You did it.

You captained the boat through stormy seas to a tranquil destination.

Remember,

When you feel overwhelmed by big or difficult feelings,

You can always steer yourself through it by checking in below the surface,

Then steering yourself in the direction you'd like to go with slow,

Deep breaths.

Now it's time for affirmations.

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

Here's an example from one of our listeners.

Hi Noah,

My name is Ellie and I live in Dallas,

Texas.

My favorite affirmation is I like you because I really do like me.

Thanks for sharing Ellie.

I like that affirmation so much that I named this podcast after it.

Maybe you could try looking at your reflection in the mirror as you say that affirmation.

I like me.

Now let's all say a few more affirmations together.

You can say these out loud or inside your head.

I'll say each affirmation twice so you can listen the first time,

Then say it together with me the second time.

I believe in myself.

I believe in myself.

No matter how hard it is,

I can do it.

No matter how hard it is,

I can do it.

It is enough to do my best.

It is enough to do my best.

It's okay to make mistakes.

It's okay to make mistakes.

My challenges help me grow.

My challenges help me grow.

I am stronger than my fear.

I am stronger than my fear.

My competence is beautiful.

My competence is beautiful.

All of my problems have solutions.

All of my problems have solutions.

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.

Now I'd like to end with a song.

Since we've already sailed our boat through a storm,

I thought it might be nice to just relax and float downstream for a bit instead.

As you listen,

Try taking deep breaths and imagine floating on a gentle stream.

Float downstream.

His clothes look like a pleasant dream.

Water breath.

Peaceful feeling.

Hide your not-a-friend side.

See all of us out with pride.

A stream moves slow.

There's no need to rush.

You drift and sway.

And everything is hushed.

You're not inside.

Your friends are standing on the side.

We all love us up with pride.

Downstream's like a pleasant dream.

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 the episode.

Our podcast cover art was illustrated by Maya Sain,

And our episode art is created by Lindsay Glenn.

Thanks for listening!