Just as magical as bedtime stories, while learning to breathe and relax

As an adult, I love settling down to a magical bedtime guided meditation. It definitely brings me back to the joy of bedtime stories with my family, while allowing me to relax and take a comfortable dive into my own inner world. For kids, it’s a great place to introduce them to meditation, especially if reading or telling stories is already part of your nightly routine. Especially with the information overload that kids today have in their daily lives at school, too much homework, and even at home with constant bright screens in their face, it’s always good to take a step back into their own inner quiet and imagination. There is so much potential there not only for creative thinking, but subconscious problem-solving and decompressing from daily stress. Meditation and breathing is certainly a skill I wish I’d had as a stressed out little kid who always felt like they were in danger. 

These meditations come in a fantastic variety of visualizations, taking you to see dolphins, unicorns, the lovely night sky, or even just simply guiding the child in taking deep breaths, becoming aware of their heartbeat, focused muscle relaxation, and settling down to sleep. We can train our bodies to relax on command, but most of us don’t learn this until we’re adults riddled with painful back spasms and stress headaches. Starting young and getting a deeper, more restful night’s sleep is key to so many things. Not only stress management and general health, but focus, creativity, happiness, perspective, and even social interactions.

The narrator is just as charming and gentle as the journeys she takes us on, and there are soft background music and ambient sounds to match each meditation. Each track ranges from 20-30+ minutes, but because they’re so fun and relaxing, it’s easy to lose that sense of time and just enjoy the ride on the way to dreamland. 

Listen to Sleep Meditations for Kids and more self improvement audio programs on Audiojoy — download free on iOS or Android.