Relaxing with birdie

Intro

Relaxing with Birdie can help children relax at bedtime or any time they need to calm down.

Find a quiet, safe space.

Use pillows or roll blankets to make the positions comfortable.

If any movement feels uncomfortable please stop and consult an expert before trying that movement again.

For the breathing exercises at the beginning and end you might like to place a soft toy on your belly.

Floating Birdie

Birdie and Mr. Frog are feeling tired. They lie down on their backs on the soft

grass under Birdie's tree. They take nice long slow breaths in one-two-three and nice long slow breaths out one-two-three.

Birdie's belly goes up as it fills with air and comes down as it empties out.

Let's do that again one-two-three.

[Music]

One-two-three.

Flapping wings

Mr. Frog would like to fly. So Birdie shows him how to do nice slow flaps.

Breathing in Birdie raises her wings until they meet over her head and breathing out she lowers her wings to her sides.

That's how you flap your wings Mr. Frog, Birdie says.

Soaring Bird

Mr. Frog doesn't have wings so he and Birdie pretend to be one big bird together. They hold each other for balance.

Birdie stretches out her wing and Mr. Frog stretches out his arm to make the big bird's wings.

Then they take a nice breath in and as they breathe out they lean forward each stretching one leg out behind to make the big bird's tail.

Soaring like a big peaceful bird they take three breaths;

in and out,

in and out,

in and out.

Let's swap sides says Mr. Frog. So they swap sides and do it all over again.

Lower your leg and lean forward stretching your other leg out behind you taking three breaths;

in and out,

in and out

in and out.

Birdie's tree

Birdie’s nest is in a tree. So Birdie and Mr. Frog pretend to be trees. They hold hands and breathe in. Birdie bends her outside leg resting her foot against the inside of her standing leg and Mr. Frog does the same.

It's hard to balance. Sometimes they sway like trees in the wind.

Birdie looks at a spot in front of her. Now she lifts up her outside wing above her head and Mr. Frog does the same. They do three breaths;

in and out,

in and out,

in and out.

Let's swap sides and be trees on our other leg Mr. Frog says.

Lower your leg and swap sides holding the other hand. Now bend your outside leg and rest it against the inside of your standing leg. Take three breaths;

in and out,

in and out,

in and out.

Mr. Frog

Mr. Frog teaches Birdie to be a frog. Birdie and Mr. Frog stand facing each other, hold hands and lean back. They breathe out bending their knees with their feet flat on the floor and squat down; two froggies.

Can you make a frog sound?

Birdie and Mr. Frog take three breaths;

in and out,

in and out,

in and out.

Mr. Frog's lilies

Birdie and Mr. Frog walk past Mr. Frog's pond and see the lily pads with their beautiful flowers. Let's be flowers too says Mr. Frog. They sit on the floor and bend their legs, bringing the soles of their feet together. Mr. Frog shows Birdie how to become a flower by raising his feet off the floor and weaving his arms under his knees. Then he opens his hands out and wriggles his fingers like beautiful flowers. They breathe in and out like the breeze on the water.

Feeling safe

When something scary happens Birdie likes to make a shape of their body that helps her calm down. She kneels on the ground stretching up nice and tall. And as she breathes out Birdie lowers her chest to rest on her knees. Stretching her wings out in front until her forehead is on the ground.

Now she's having a lovely rest. She imagines she's breathing in a happy golden light and breathing out whatever is making her feel scared.

Stretching the sad out

When Mr. Frog feels sad about something he likes to stretch the sad out. First he pretends to be a cow and then a cat. Mr. Frog gets on his four legs.

Can you make a cow noise?

He breathes in stretching his nose away from his tailbone dropping his belly so his back goes nice and long. And then as Mr. Frog breathes out he arches his back and tucks his chin under like a cat. Breathing in and stretching out like a cow breathing out and arching up like a cat.

Nice and slow;

in-out,

in -out.

Feeling brave

Birdie is being brave like a puppy out for its first walk. She balances on her feet and her wings like a dog with four paws and raises her tail high in the air. Birdie likes to shake her tail like a dog. She can take her dog for a walk. She can even bark like a dog. Let's breathe in and walk our hands back towards our feet to slowly stand up.

Feeling hopeful

Birdie likes to think about things getting better. She stretches her wings and looks up to the sky between the tips of her feathers. Let's take three nice breaths looking up at our hands;

one,

two,

three.

Feeling strong

When Birdie wants to feel strong and powerful like a warrior she steps out raising her wings as high as her shoulders. Breathing out she bends her knee looking towards the feathers of her front wing.

Can you wiggle your feathers?

Relax your shoulders away from your ears and take three big breaths;

one,

two,

three.

Do you feel strong?

Straighten your knee, lower your arms and bring your feet back together. Now let's do it on the other side. Stepping out your other foot in front, raise your arms to your shoulders, bend your knee and look to your fingers. Take three big breaths;

one,

two,

three.

Feeling calm

Can you stand completely still? Like a mountain?

Your feet are on the earth and your head is in the sky. You are tall and feeling calm. Watching the clouds float by. Close your eyes take three nice slow breaths, feeling how connected you are to the ground under your feet;

one,

two,

three.

Spaghetti muscles

Lie down with your arms and legs comfortably stretched out. Close your eyes. Take a deep slow breath into your belly and breathe it out gently. Let's be uncooked spaghetti, hard and stiff. Make your whole body straight and hard like a stick of uncooked spaghetti.

Tighten up your face. Squeeze your eyes shut. Scrunch up your nose. Clench your jaw and press your lips shut. Bring your shoulders up to your ears. Tense your arms. Clench your fists into two tight balls. Make your belly go tight and hard tense your legs. Press your knees together and scrunch up your toes.

Take a moment to notice how your body feels.

Are you holding your breath or taking little short breaths?

What happens when we cook our spaghetti?

Now relax your whole body like a soft string of cooked spaghetti. Relax your face. Unclench your jaw. Let your tongue relax and your mouth fall open softly. Relax your arms and shoulders. Relax your hands. Let your belly go soft. Let go all the tension from your legs. Your knees and feet fall gently apart and your toes uncurl. Let your whole body relax and sink into the surface you're lying on.

Take a moment to notice how your body feels. Feel your belly rise and fall as you take nice slow breaths in and out.

Fluffy cloud

Now we're going on a magical fluffy cloud ride. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Feel your body becoming heavier and more relaxed sinking into the surface beneath you. Imagine you're lying on a soft white fluffy cloud. It's the softest cloud in the whole wide world. Feel the cloud holding up your whole body. Reach down and touch the cloud. Notice how it feels. Your body is sinking deeper and deeper. It's a wonderful feeling. Feel the cloud supporting your body like a big soft hug. The cloud begins to rise. The walls and ceiling disappear as you float up and up into the sky. This is your safe happy place. You can float wherever you like. You are warm and comfortable here. You see other clouds drifting lazily by. You are in control. Take your cloud wherever you like, higher or lower, rocking side to side. Take in all the sights sounds and smells of your happy place as you float along on your fluffy cloud.

Now it's time to come back. Your cloud floats slowly and gently down until you notice the surface beneath you once again. The cloud has disappeared but left you with a warm, happy feeling. Begin to take more notice of your surroundings. Maybe you can hear some noises in the room. Feel your head arms back, and legs heavy and relaxed. Start to bring some gentle movement back into your body. Wiggle your fingers, wiggle your toes. Reach your arms over your head and give a big stretch all the way from your fingertips down to your toes. Gently open your eyes and come back to the room once again.