Notice And Name Feelings : A Weather Report For Kids

In this meditation, you're invited to notice how, as part of nature, your feelings and emotions are changing all the time, kind of like the weather. This practice includes a body scan, breath sensing, and an opportunity to notice and name emotions. You'll feel your Inner Glow and explore empathy, recognizing how other peoples' emotions change too. The practice ends with an invitation to offer loving kindness to yourself and to others.

Transcript

In this meditation,

We are going to notice how our feelings and emotions are changing all the time,

Kind of like the weather.

You'll want to find a place to sit or lie down,

Somewhere you can be comfortable.

Maybe you want to sit up tall,

Or maybe you want to lean back,

Resting into a cushion or something behind you,

Or maybe you want to lie all the way down,

On your back,

Or your side,

Or even on your belly,

Any shape that feels good.

Take some time to snuggle into the spot you've chosen,

And once you're there,

Imagine it's a beautiful day.

If you'd like,

You can close your eyes and picture this beautiful,

Warm,

Sunny day.

You might notice how blue the sky is,

And the shapes of the soft,

Pillowy clouds,

And imagine you can feel the warmth in the air,

And the stillness of the trees,

And just like for us,

Things change.

Imagine that the wind begins to blow,

More clouds roll in,

And raindrops begin to fall,

Softly at first,

And then it starts to pour down rain.

Imagine going inside and watching from the window as the weather changes from calm to more stormy.

Before long though,

The rain and wind move through,

And calm,

Sunnier skies return.

We are a lot like Mother Nature,

Aren't we?

Sometimes we feel happy and bright,

Other times,

More stormy or frustrated.

Do you sometimes feel kind of wild and full of energy,

And other times,

More quiet and still?

Of course,

You are just like the rest of nature,

Because you are nature.

You,

The trees,

The plants and animals,

All of life on earth is part of nature.

So notice how you are feeling now.

If you could say how you're feeling in one word,

What word would it be?

Do you feel sleepy,

Or excited,

Happy,

Or calm?

Maybe you feel worried,

Or something else,

Maybe frustrated,

Or kind of silly.

What word would you use?

That's good information,

Because when you notice and name the way you are feeling,

You can give yourself what you need.

If you notice you feel sleepy,

You can slow down a bit and find a spot to rest.

If you feel wild or full of energy,

You can let someone know that you need some time to get your wiggles out.

Or you could take some long,

Smooth breaths.

Big breath in,

Big breath out,

Slow and steady.

There's something else you can do,

Too.

When you're feeling upset,

When you feel wild or mad,

Sad or scared,

Once you've used your breath to find some calm,

You can remember your inner glow.

What's your inner glow?

Your inner glow is what it feels like in your body when you are comfortable and relaxed.

It's how you feel when you're in your favorite place.

Do you have a favorite place?

Somewhere that when you're there,

You feel really good inside,

Happy and safe?

It might be a place outside,

Or a special place in your home,

Or it could be a place in your imagination.

Wherever this place is,

Can you picture yourself there now?

Use your imagination.

Take a look around using all of your senses.

Notice what you see,

What you hear.

Maybe there's a smell or a taste.

Let your whole body feel what it's like to be in that place right now.

What does it feel like in your body?

Maybe it feels soft or warm.

It might feel tingly or still.

It might feel all spread out or in one specific spot.

For everyone,

It can be different.

What's this feeling like for you?

This feeling is your inner glow.

You can call it whatever you like,

Your peaceful place,

Your favorite spot.

Anytime you like,

You can call up this image in your imagination and remember how wonderful it feels to be in this place.

You can return to this feeling in your body again and again.

It's yours.

Feeling your inner glow can also make it easier to listen to your heart.

If you like,

You can place one or both hands on your chest,

Over your heart,

And take a moment to pause there.

See if there's a message that your heart wants to share.

A wish for yourself,

For someone else,

Or a wish for the world.

Maybe the message comes as a picture or a feeling in your body.

Or maybe words come to mind.

Maybe it's really still and peaceful.

Just notice what's happening for you.

And if you want to,

You can bring this glow,

This peacefulness with you as we begin to notice sensations in your body.

Notice your hands.

They can rest and you are comfortable now.

Maybe your hands are touching each other.

Maybe they're touching your legs or your belly or resting on the surface beside you.

Can you notice feelings in your fingers,

Your thumbs?

Noticing both hands,

Feelings in their center and out to the tips of your fingers.

And then notice sensations in your mouth,

Your lips,

And your tongue.

Is there any taste in your mouth?

Maybe the taste of something you ate earlier today.

And your nose.

Can you feel the air moving in and out of your nose?

Is there a scent in the room?

What do you smell?

And your ears.

Feel your inner ears and your outer ears,

Your earlobes,

Ears open to hearing.

Are there sounds close by or sounds far away?

And feel your eyes,

Both eyes soft and resting.

If your eyes are closed,

You might sense light and shadow.

If your eyes are open,

You might also see shape and color.

Notice any feelings in your eyes.

First one eye and then the other,

Sensing both eyes at the same time.

And then feel your whole face,

Mouth,

Nose,

Ears,

And eyes,

Your cheeks and your forehead,

The top of your head,

And the back of your head.

Feel your whole head,

All the parts.

One feeling.

And your neck and shoulders,

Feeling down into your arms,

Your hands again,

The palms of both hands,

Your thumbs,

And all your fingers.

Can you notice the space between your fingers?

And then the trunk of your body.

Notice feelings in your chest and your ribs,

In front and back.

Feel your waist and your belly,

Your whole back and your bottom,

Both hips.

Feelings in your legs and your knees.

Feelings in your feet and toes.

Feel your whole body,

The front side of your body,

The back side,

One side body and then the other,

Feeling your whole body,

Legs and arms,

Trunk and shoulders,

Your neck,

Head and face,

And your breath,

Too,

Flowing all along,

Your body breathing all on its own,

Breath flowing in,

Breath flowing out.

You don't need to make anything happen.

Just let your whole body breathe itself.

Notice how you're feeling now.

Sometimes we feel calm and steady,

Like a mountain.

Sometimes we feel kind of hot and wild,

Like a volcano.

Sometimes we feel bubbly and clear,

Like a stream,

Or angry and upset,

Like a storm.

Since we are part of nature,

How we feel changes.

Feelings and emotions come and go.

So notice what's here now.

Is there an emotion moving through?

If there is,

Notice what it feels like in your body as sensation.

Where is this emotion showing up today?

What does it feel like?

Simply notice what you notice,

Everything okay,

Just as it is.

And if you like,

You can remember your inner glow,

That feeling of being in your favorite spot,

And with the breath,

Each breath in,

Feeling the glow,

Each breath out,

Feeling the glow,

Safe and comfortable,

Happy and peaceful,

Belly gently rising and falling.

Knowing that our feelings change like the weather,

We can be really kind to ourselves,

Giving ourselves what we need.

You've probably noticed that other people's emotions change like the weather too.

Maybe sometimes you can even imagine and feel how someone else is feeling.

When that happens,

We can offer them our kind words and our kind hearts too.

Want to practice?

You could start by coming back to that feeling of your inner glow,

That feeling in your body of being in your favorite spot,

Safe and peaceful.

And then if you want to,

Bring your hands to your heart again,

One hand resting on top of the other,

And feel the love and kindness in your heart,

Spreading through your whole body,

Out through your arms and hands,

Down your legs and feet,

Love spreading through your chest and belly,

Back and shoulders,

Up into your neck and head.

Maybe you can feel your whole body filling up and shining with the kindness of your heart.

And then think about someone you really love and care about.

Let the love of your heart shine out to someone you really love.

What kind words could you say to them?

What would they be so happy to hear?

You could imagine sending those kind words to them right now,

And imagine them receiving those kind words,

Smiling and glad,

Feeling your love and kindness.

What does that feel like,

To send your love to someone else?

And then you could think of someone that you know,

That can use some extra love.

Someone who's been tired,

Sick,

Or maybe upset lately.

Imagine sharing your love and kindness with them.

So nice.

Resting here as long as you like,

Feeling connected to your inner glow,

Remembering yourself as part of nature,

Changing and growing,

And sharing the kindness of your heart will close this practice with one big breath together.

Breathing in,

Breathing out.