Thought River Meditation for Kids

This is a short video with Instructions to a mindfulness meditation practice I use with my children. They are often overwhelmed with thought and worries about the next day, and this practice is fun, relaxing and teaches them the concept of 'letting go' of unwanted or unhelpful thoughts.
Gaining a basic understanding that they have a choice of either being absorbed in their thoughts and worries or of being in the present moment.
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You can practice this with your child whenever there is a need for it, or it can become part of a bedtime routine.
When you practice this for the first time, it is best to give instructions about how to visualise this place by the river, helping your child paint a picture in their mind.
With older children, or once you have practiced this with your child a few times you can make the visualisation less prescriptive and more suggestive, so that your child can 'paint their own picture' in their mind.

Below is a an example of how to guide the practice, but it is open to your and your child's imagination to make it your own.

You can also watch the video here.
Instructions:

• Sit or lie comfortably with enough space around you, so you won’t be disturbed.
• Relax and close your eyes
• Feel your tummy rising and falling with your breath
• Imagine that you are sitting in lush green grass next to a beautiful river.
• The sun is shining on your body, making you feel warm and relaxed.
• The water in the river is a shimmering blue and turquoise
• Imagine your surroundings, there maybe a tree close by and some flowers near the river.
• You can hear the sound of the water floating down the river and the sound of the birds
• Watch the water floating down the river. Your river could be floating gently or it could have whirls and waves.
• Continue to imagine the river and your surroundings
• If any thoughts other than your river and surroundings come into your mind – place that thought onto your river
• Watch your thoughts floating down the river
• ​Come back to sitting by the river and the beautiful surroundings
• Every time you have a thought coming into your mind, place the thought on the river and watch it float away
• Slowly come back into this room and your surroundings
• Move your fingers and toes
• When you are ready, slowly and quietly open your eyes.

Please leave me some feedback here on on my Facebook page, about how it worked for you and your child.