16.3 Bed Time Guided Meditation in Portland: Exploration Theme

This is a BEDTIME MEDITATION focusing on the theme of Exploration, and set in Portland, Oregon. 

Kids are guided into a very relaxing moment at home in their cozy beds, where they focus on their breathing while listening to an audio quiet time activity. 

This meditation can be used as a nighttime routine before bed is to help them ease into slumber land, or also before nap.

The Breathing Practice for this month is Twinkle Toes breathing.

Intro/Outro music by Jef Shadoan

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:03

Good evening and welcome to Big Belly Breathing, where we float into a world of imagination and relaxation. My name is Vanessa Hutchinson-Zekley, and I am honored to guide you through this calming nighttime journey. Tonight's theme is exploration, the quiet joy of discovering new places, new thoughts, and new feelings. Our special breathing practice is twinkle toes breathing, which helps us feel light, curious, and gently adventurous. So let's begin by getting cozy under your blankets. Wiggle your toes under the covers, like they're waking up from a nap and ready to go on a nighttime adventure. Now, gently close your eyes, take a soft breath in through your nose, and slowly blow it out through your mouth like a soft breeze. As you breathe in again, imagine little sparkles landing on your toes, tingly, curious, full of wonder. As you breathe out, imagine those sparkles floating up through your legs, your belly, your chest, and all the way to the top of your head, filling you with calm and courage. Let's do that again. Inhale, breathing in the twinkle. Exhale, breathing out the explorer's calm. Tonight, we're taking a magical journey to Portland, Oregon, a city where trees grow tall, bikes whiz by, and every neighborhood holds a surprise. As you breathe deeply, imagine you're standing at the edge of Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the world. The soft moss under your feet feels like nature's carpet, and tall Douglas fir trees stretch way up into the sky. A soft mist curls around the trunks, and everything smells clean and green. Just as you're about to take your first step onto the trail, you hear a rustle, and then a splash. Near a small creek, nibbling on a twig is your nighttime companion, a friendly little beaver. His fur is shiny, and his wide tail gives a happy slap against the water. He looks up with warm eyes and gestures toward the trail. He wants you to come explore. You and your beaver friend walk together through wild wood trail, where birds cough softly and ferns wave hello. You pass a hidden wooden bridge and find a little side path that leads you to Pittock Mansion. From this high perch you can see the sparkling lights of the city below, and far in the distance the snow covered tip of Mount Hood glowing in the moonlight. Your beaver companion leads you down the trail again past a patch of trilliums until you reach a quiet garden gate. You open it gently and find yourself in the magical Portland Japanese garden. The stone lanterns glow faintly and Koi swims silently in the pond. A little breeze shakes the maple leaves, and everything feels still and peaceful. You sit for a moment on a wooden bench, and your beaver friend climbs up beside you. You wiggle your toes again. Take a slow breath in. Imagine twinkles landing on your toes. Now breathe out. Imagine those twinkles floating through the garden, sparkling along the tiny streams and lantern lights. Soon the beaver nudges you once more, and together you float gently down to the banks of the Willamette River. A canoe is waiting for you at Tom Call Waterfront Park, right near the Hawthorne Bridge. The lights of the bridges and cities shimmer on the water, and soft jazz music drifts over from a street musician nearby. You and your beaver friend climb into the canoe. As you glide past Mill Ends Park, the tiniest park in the world, you giggle a little and whisper good night. To the mini trees, your canoe drifts beneath bridge after bridge, the glowing telecom crossing, the old steel bridge and the arching Fremont. Each one feels like a gate to a new part of your imagination. You float along slowly, toes wiggling, heart calm. Your beaver snuggles beside you, and together you look up at the stars. The wind is gentle, the river is smooth, the city is quiet. Take one more deep breath in, feeling the twinkle in your toes. And exhale slowly, sending calm all the way up through your body. You wave goodnight to your beaver friend as he waddles back to the water's edge. You return to your cozy bed, your soft pillow, your warm blanket. Feel your body resting, feel your breath gentle. Feel your spirit full of curiosity and calm. Let yourself drift off now, knowing you are safe, you are loved, and you are always free to explore the wonders of the world in dreams and in waking. Good night, dear one. Sleep tight, sweet dreams, and bonuis.