This Bedtime Meditation For Kids Is So Good You'll Be Doing It, Too

How do you get your kid to go to sleep when they're feeling anxious about their day or the monsters under their bed? It's a question that perplexes many a parent.

But what if I told you there was a way to get your child relaxed before bedtime that would also equip them for dealing with anxiety in the future?

Sounds pretty good, right? Well guess what, I'm telling you – it exists! Ok, Idris. Here goes. Yoga instructor Erica Golub put together a bedtime meditation routine for kids that's so fantastic and effective that you might catch yourself falling asleep beside your kid as you do it together!

It's called Bedtime Balloons and it goes like this.

First, snuggle into bed and lie on your back. Place your hands on your stomach and close your eyes, imagining your belly is a balloon. As you inhale, notice how the balloon fills your hands. As you breathe out, notice how the air leaves the balloon. Do this a few times and pay attention to all the sensations involved. Once you've gotten into the rhythm of that, begin filling your balloon with any worries from the past day. Once you've filled the balloon, exhale and send it up into the sky. Repeat that with every breath, filling your balloon with more and more worries from the day. With your eyes closed, imagine that the night sky above you is filling with balloons that contain all your fears, worries and anxieties. Think about the color of the balloons. Are they big? Are they glowing? How do the stars look as they twinkle through the balloons? Pay attention to how they float away and get smaller and smaller until they disappear entirely.

Once y0ur child becomes familiar with this meditation routine, let them make it their own using their imagination!

There are endless possibilities. Your child can imagine they are laying in a special place as they do the exercise, or they can imagine the balloons have certain words on them. You can even use the exercise as a means of calming your kids down if they're excited about what the next day holds. Ask them to fill the balloon with everything they wish and hope they'll get to do when the sun climbs up the next morning. You can tell them that the sun's heat will pop the balloons and a few of their wishes and hopes just might come raining down on them.

It sounds incredible, doesn't it? In fact, I think I'll try it tonight!

What a great way to get your kids started on the path towards learning the skill of meditation. If you have a child that suffers from anxiety, check out this video for information on sensory brushing. www.mindbodygreen.com>