Matthew and Sophie learn to relax



Matthew and Sophie learn to relax

It was getting close to the end of Matthew and Sophie’s holiday with Granny.  They’d had a wonderful and magical time dancing with fairies, finding the magic apple tree, chasing around India looking for an elephant and meeting Twilight and Twinkle the stars, But the children were so excited about seeing Mum and Dad again that they were being too noisy for Granny.
Granny said, ‘It is time for you to learn how to relax and to meditate’. So Granny asked Matthew and Sophie to sit down on their bottoms and cross their legs.
‘The most important thing to remember when you want to relax is that you are actually breathing, breathing all day long and all night long too. You never stop breathing and your breath is very precious. Let’s learn how to breathe deeply now. Place your hands on your tummy and breath in. Feel how your tummy gets round like big a watermelon. Now breath out and feel how it is a little empty like a cave.  Let’s try to breath in and out deeply and slowly together’. 
Granny was very happy looking at Matthew and Sophie because she could see already that they were beginning to relax.
‘I’m going to share a very special way of breathing with you now. It is called the Ujjayi Breath and it sounds like the ocean, some people say it sounds like a baby snoring. You need to hear the breath going down your throat and back up again. Listen carefully to me and then you try it’. 
‘You seem to be natural breathers!’, Granny said smiling. ‘Let’s lie down now on our backs and I will tell you a lovely story to help you meditate. Try to listen carefully to the story and use your imagination too. You can add colours and lights and your own special magic to the story’.
Imagine you are walking in warm sand on a golden beach. There is a warm breeze and the sun is warming your skin and hair. In the distance you can hear seagulls calling slowly and the sound of the waves softly coming into shore.  This is the beach you have been dreaming of, it’s all yours – quiet, warm and safe.  You walk into the water and it is the temperature of a warm bath. As you look across the water you notice the colours of the sea. Light blue under your feet and a little deeper out it turns to green and in the far distance it is deep, dark green where the water is at its deepest. And, if you look very carefully you can see dolphins playing in the distance.  Now notice a bridge that leads out over the ocean to a sparkling palace. Imagine the colours of the bridge.  And imagine the colours of the sparkling palace. As you look towards the palace you feel that you must cross the bridge to get there. It feels like a precious place. 
Notice now your feet as they step onto the bridge and your hands holding the railing as you walk steadily towards the palace.  Getting closer you notice that actually it is a gleaming white colour and the doors are open wide, welcoming you in. Step through the doors now into the cool, hushed palace.  There is a special bed for you to lie down on. So imagine lying down now and feeling safe.  With every breath out imagine all your worries disappearing. With every breath out notice how loved you feel, how safe you feel. With every breath out feeling better and better about everything. Let’s stay here in the palace for a while and breathe deeply.
It is time to go now, so look around the palace and say goodbye. Stepping onto your colourful bridge walk slowly and carefully back to the beach.  Where the warm sand tickles your toes and the breeze comforts you.  You can always imagine this beach. You can come back to your palace at any time. It is your safe place. Take a deep breath in and open your eyes.
Granny was smiling gently at the children. And they all felt very connected to each other - very peaceful.  Soon it would be time to go home but Matthew and Sophie thought they would rather stay with Granny.



©Veronique O’Toole 2016

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