Visualization for Young Children

My daughter is a high-energy, active, adventurous toddler, so I have found visualizations a fantastic way to create calming energy and help her to take some time out to relax. I thought I’d share this one with everyone. I think it’s especially helpful for toddlers and young children who can be constantly on the go but don’t yet know how to slow themselves down (for the purpose of easy reading I’ve referred to the child as ‘she’):

Begin by creating a calm environment. Put away toys with your child, keep the room dimly lit, turn off any music or television, take the phone off the hook, and ensure there will be no interruptions for five to ten minutes.

Calmly explain to your child what you’re about to do We are going to have a little relax time together now. We’re going to picture a lovely scene. Gently ask your child to lie down in a comfortable, soft spot. This could be a mattress on the floor, a child’s couch, a couple of big, soft cushions or pillows. Guide your child’s head down as she lies on her back, by placing your hand gently on your child’s forehead.

Ask your child to close her eyes. If she doesn’t participate in this (some littlies won’t), that’s okay but try and keep her gaze directed towards you. Begin by calming her mind and body. Whatever you feel comfortable with, but my daughter loves it when I chant the traditional yoga mantra ‘Om’ three times. As I do so I place my hands gently over her head and let them run along the sides of her body.

Choose a natural scene that your child enjoys. It could be a forest nearby, a flower field, the beach, a river, a lake, or reserve. A place that has a body of water is especially good as water represents the emotions. For my example, I’ve chosen the beach.

Slowly create the scene in your child’s mind and engage the senses and describe the location You’re at the beach. You can feel the sun’s warmth on your back. The water laps gently on the shore. You can smell the salty air and taste it in your mouth. You see a long stretch of sand and you can feel its softness beneath your feet.

Next, we gradually engage the colours of the chakra: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. You look up at the sky above you. It is wide and blue. The sea in front of you is a darker, indigo blue. You watch the waves gently rise and fall. The sand beneath your feet is soft and yellow. It covers your toes in warmth. You walk along the sand for a while. You come across some rock pools. You peer in and see a bright red starfish. You watch it for a little while before moving to the next one. You look in again. This rock pool is a bit deeper than the last one and you see a small orange crab. It crawls along sideways and then hides beneath a rock. Finally, you look behind you at the sand dunes. You climb slowly up one of the sand dunes and at the top you find some small green bushes. There are purple flowers on some of the bushes. The flowers smell sweet. You pick one and place it in your hair. Then you make your way back down onto the beach. You take one last look at the water. Then you go home again.

Modify the visualizations however you like to include the senses and chakra colours. Get creative with your descriptions and use language appropriate to that of your child. Happy relaxation!

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