Music One way our brain keeps us safe is by staying very focused on whatever seems wrong or off or dangerous.
Sometimes it's important to notice that kind of thing,
Take care of yourself or find someone you trust to help.
Sometimes what happens instead is that we can't stop thinking about something we don't like.
You may feel stressed by a test or a friend or your parents.
It can be hard to let go of that kind of thought.
Sometimes it takes practice to focus on the good stuff too.
Lie down somewhere comfortable.
Let your arms and legs fall to the ground.
Close your eyes gently.
Start to notice how your body changes with each breath you take.
Each time you breathe,
Your belly moves up and your belly moves down.
If it's easier,
Put a hand on your belly or if you want,
Put a stuffed animal there.
Each time you breathe,
Your belly moves.
Your hand or your toy rises and then falls.
See if you can count ten breaths that way.
Breathing in one,
Breathing out one,
Breathing in two,
Breathing out two.
When you lose count,
Don't worry about it.
That's normal and happens to everyone.
Come back to whatever number you last remember.
Now try something a little different.
Breathing in,
Focus on your breath as your belly goes up.
Breathing out,
Focus on something that went well today.
With each breath,
Breathing in,
Noticing your belly move.
And with each breath out,
Noticing something that went well today.
And now for a while breathing in,
Focus on your belly moving.
And breathing out,
Picture something that makes you feel proud about yourself.
If nothing comes to mind,
That sometimes happens.
If that's how you feel,
Picture what you'd wish for yourself instead.
So breathing in,
Focusing on your belly moving.
Before we end,
Try one more practice.
Breathing in,
Noticing your belly move.
And now breathing out,
Picture someone who makes you happy.
As you come to the end of this practice,
Open your eyes.
If you like,
Take a few deep breaths.
And start to wiggle your arms and legs.
Pause and decide what you'd like to do next.
And then take a few minutes every day to notice what's gone well.
And see what happens next.
