Decisions, decisions! Why is it so difficult to make a choice sometimes? In this relaxation story we explore the feeling of indecision and talk about ways to make the decision-making process easier for kids as we do gentle breathing and movement exercises.

A relaxation story for children ages 5 – 12

Questions:

What is a big decision that you had to make recently? How did you come to that decision? If you're having trouble making a decision, can you think of at least one grown up that you trust that can help you narrow down your choices and work it out? What is a decision that you are facing now? Do you know what you're going to do? If you're not sure, can one of the tips we talked about today help? (narrow choices to two, thinking about why you want to do this, thinking about the consequences of the two choices).

Sources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/200910/parenting-decision-making

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/renee-jain/help-your-kids-avoid-the-indecision-blues_b_4064633.html

Peace out, and peace within.

"Odyssey" and "Light Awash" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Being curious is the start of any adventure! Curiosity makes you take that first step towards learning something new and fun and exciting! In this relaxation story, we are going to use our imagination to explore our curiosity as we learn a little more about the ancient buried treasure that Kaala the red panda is seeking!

A relaxation story for children ages 5 – 12

Questions:

1. What are you curious about right now? How can you find out more about it?

2. When we think of "treasure," we usually think of gold and jewels in a treasure chest. A treasure is something that is precious and valuable to someone. What other treasures can you name? What is something that you have that you really treasure? How would you feel if you lost it?

3. We all have different interests. If you had a friend who wanted to play a game that you didn't want to play, what would you say or do? Why?

Peace out, and peace within.

"Odyssey" and "Light Awash" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Episode 1: Calmness

Have you ever been told to "calm down"? What exactly is calmness and how do you get there? Listen to our first relaxation story of Season Two! This season we'll focus on a new emotion each story as well as the adventures of a new character that Peace Out listeners voted for last season! Each relaxation story will focus on breathing, visualization, gentle movements and will include questions to help continue the conversation at home or in class.

A relaxation story for children ages 5 – 12

Questions:

What are some of the things that make you happy or excited? How does your body or mind react to happy feelings (examples: smiling, laughing, burst of energy, feeling like you can do anything)?What are some things that make you angry or sad? How does your body and mind react to those feelings (examples: face gets red and feels hot, want to be alone, crying)?"However you feel is okay—the important thing is how you DEAL with how you FEEL." What does this mean to you? Are you going to try practicing doing a mini Calm Down Countdown every day this week? Why is it important to make time to pause and have a quiet moment of peace and rest every day?What other things help you feel calmer? We'd love to hear about what works for you! Send us a tweet @PeaceOutPodcast, a message on Facebook @BedtimeFM, or an e-mail at [email protected].

Red panda information found at:

https://redpandanetwork.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

Peace out, and peace within.

"Odyssey" and "Light Awash" Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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This is the final episode of Season One! Thank you for listening along with us. Today we are going to show gratitude and salute the sun, without which life on earth would not be possible. Let's travel to space and learn more about the amazing sun! And make sure you listen to the end to hear an exciting announcement about Peace Out Season Two!

A relaxation story for children ages 5 – 12

Transcript:

Salutations, friends! One of my favourite books as a child was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. I always cry when I read it. I even remember reading it again with my Gr. 5 students one year for our book study and actually starting to tear up right in class! But at least it was a good opening to talk about feelings and the power of words and literature.

So what are salutations? I first heard of this word from Charlotte's Web. When Charlotte first meets Wilbur the pig, she greets him by saying salutations and explains that they are just her fancy way of saying hello or good morning!

Now that we know that, what are "sun salutations"? In yoga, sun salutations are a series of poses done in the direction of the sun, a way of recognizing and honouring the important role that the sun has in our lives—without the sun, life on our earth would be impossible. Not humans, animals, insects, or plants. The earth would be too cold. We need the sun's warmth and light to survive.

The sun is so important that some ancient cultures even worshipped the sun! They would build structures out of rock to track the sun's movement and would also chart the seasons and interesting or special sun events like solar eclipses and created calendars. Why did they do all this? Because they knew how important the sun's impact was on their lives. And today, some scientists dedicate their lives to studying heliophysics, the study of the sun and its impact on the solar system.

Today, let's salute the sun and show our gratitude, how thankful we are for it, by doing our own sun salutations.

In one of our previous relaxation stories, "A Trip to the Moon," we climbed aboard my spaceship called The Star Bouncer. Let's get into it again so that we can view the sun from space, though we won't be able to get too close since the sun is just too bright and hot for us! But we'll get as close as we safely can!

Okay, climb on board The Star Bouncer now. Lie down on the floor or on your bed, facing your feet to the sun if you can. Make any adjustments needed to make sure you're comfortable. Turn your palms up so that they're facing the sky. Give your legs a wiggle and then let them fall wherever they want to naturally on the floor. Close your eyes again. We'll countdown to blastoff with the Calm Down Countdown.

As I count down, you can try taking a deep breath in through your nose as I say the numbers, and breathe out slowly through your mouth in between the numbers. Ready?

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

We made it, we're in space! It's so quiet and calm and dark up here. You can see the stars shining brighter and bigger than we can from earth. And speaking of earth, can you see it in your mind's eye? Look down there at that blue and green marble.

Take another deep breath in…and let it out.

Imagine the room you are in. Think about how big it is, how many people it can fit in it. Now think about the building this room is in. And now the neighbourhood. I wonder how many buildings are in this neighbourhood. I wonder how many people live and work here every day? Now let's think about your city. How many people, pets, animals, cars move through the city. And now think about your province or state and how many cities it can hold, including all those people and animals and buildings and farms and forests and parks…

Now let's expand our view further, like we're zooming out with a camera. How many provinces, territories, or states are in your country? Can you imagine just how big that is?

And now let's move back a bit further. How many countries fit in your continent?

There are seven continents on planet earth: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America, South America. Within each continent there are millions of people, billions of animals…

Planet earth is huge! But it is a tiny speck compared to the sun. How many planet earths do you think can fit in the sun? 300? 5,000? 800,000?

It would take 1.3 million earths to fill the size of the sun. 1.3 million!

When you're ready, slowly lift yourself up to a seated position facing the sun. Cross your legs if that's comfortable for you. We're nearing the closest possible spot near the sun. But the sun is so big and bright that we have a really good view of it. And your spacesuits have very strong, special built-in sunglasses that will protect your eyes from the strong UV rays, which is why you should never stare directly at the sun.

We're going to orbit around the sun. That means that we'll rotate around it. In real life, this, of course, would take a very long time. It takes the earth a whole year to rotate around the sun! But we're just going to fast-forward it a little in our imaginations. So, with your eyes closed, sit up tall and lift your chin so that it is parallel to the ground. Roll your shoulders back. And now slowly rotate your upper body from the waist in a circle. Keep breathing as you do.

Now, come to a gentle stop at the centre. We're going to rotate the opposite way now. Go ahead.

And come to a stop in the centre again. Well done!

Right now, I want you to keep your eyes closed. Let's try something different. Can you see the inside of your eyelid? It probably just looks black and like nothing. Now open your eyes…and when you close them again, try looking at the inside of your eyelids again. Close them now and look. Is it still dark? Some of you may see what seems like a red or yellow light shining on your eye lids! Isn't that neat?

The sun not only gives us light, but heat too. What is the hottest summer day you've experienced? For me, it was probably a day that reached about 38 degrees Celsius, which is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That's pretty hot, isn't it? Well, the sun's core is much hotter than that. It is about 15 million degrees Celsius or 27 million degrees Fahrenheit! So you can imagine why we're not going to be able to get that close to the sun!

Let's warm our hands now. Rub your hands slowly together. By rubbing your hands together, you are experiencing friction. Friction is a force that opposes two moving surfaces, right now, those are your hands. And friction causes heat because the molecules on your hands are now moving faster and have more energy. This causes them to heat up and is what makes your hands feel warm. Let's rub our hands a little faster now. Listen to that shh shh shh sound. Focus on that as you rub them for a few more seconds.

You can stop rubbing your hands now. How do they feel now? Warmer?

Stand up now. Make sure you have room all around you for some bigger movements now. Stand tall and put your hands on your hips. Move your feet right under your hips.

Now place your palms together in front of your heart, finger tips pointing up. Close your eyes. Stand strong and proud. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do this a couple more times on your own now.

Let's keep our palms together and slowly send them up high over our heads, like they're a rocket ship shooting up towards space! This next part might be a bit tricky so you can open your eyes if you need to. Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground and that you're standing strong. And now, with your hands still over your head, slowly, slowly lean back just as far as you can without losing your balance. Now come slowly back to standing straight again.

Very nice work, everyone! Let's lie down on the floor or your bed again. Make sure you're very comfortable because we're going to relax from head to toe now for the next couple of minutes.

Let's imagine that we're lying down outside, on the grass, with the warm sun shining down on us. And let's pretend that there is a ray of sunlight that is gently warming the top of your head. The warmth from that ray of light is making your head feel loose and relaxed, and it's sinking deeper into the grass and the ground. The light has moved to your neck, and you can feel your neck relax. If the back of your neck feels tense, feel it loosen up.

The light is traveling to your shoulders now. Try shifting your shoulders a little so that they're gently stretched out and not bunched up together. Keep your head and neck loose too.

Now the light is on your stomach. Do you need to shift your body so that there is no tension in your back? GO ahead and do that now if you need to.

The light is moving to your legs. Give your legs a wiggle and then let your knees drop open, relaxing your legs on the floor.

The light is shining on your toes now. Point your toes and then flex them so that they're point towards your nose. Point them again and then flex. And now let them go loose.

Take deep breaths in through your nose and release it slowly through your mouth. Keep breathing like this as we talk a little bit about gratitude.

Gratitude is being grateful or thankful for something or someone. Today's story was all about the sun and our gratitude for how it makes life on earth possible. We did a lot of movement today so let's say a silent thank you to our minds for being able to focus on the movement and images that we talked about, and to our bodies, for being able to do the movements we were able to do.

And finally, here's what the entire Bedtime FM team and I are grateful for: you. Thank you for listening along with us, during our very first season of Peace Out! We are so grateful to the grown up who found us for you too. Thank you for making time in your busy day to allow your children to pause, focus on the present and reflect. Please think about leaving us a review to help other families and teachers find us.

I'm about to start my summer break here. So I'm going to take the next two months to write and record stories for Season Two of Peace Out, which will start on August 28th, 2017, the week before school starts here in Canada. Subscribe to Peace Out on your podcast app so that you don't miss us when we get back!

Guess what? We're going to do something different for Season Two and we'll need your help! Our stories will still focus on breathing, relaxation, and gratitude, but we'll also be following along the adventures of one character!

The new character will have fun adventures with their friends and will explore a new emotion each week. I'm so excited about it and cannot wait to share it with you when we're back on September 25th.

Until next time, Season 2 on September 25th, peace out…and peace within.

Peace Out is a mindfulness and relaxation podcast for children and is part of the Bedtime FM network. We're also a proud member of Kids Listen, a grassroots network of amazing children's podcasts. You can listen to our entire Season 1 at bedtime.fm or subscribe to Peace Out on iTunes, Stitcher, and GooglePlay.

This episode of Peace Out was written and narrated by me, Chanel Tsang. I found all the facts about the sun at Nasa's website for kids https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/sun/indepth. Sound and editing by Rob Griffiths. We love what we do and if you do too, you can become a patron or give a one-time donation to keep us up and running and ad-free by going to bedtime.fm/support.

Thank you again for a great first season. Peace Out was created for you and wouldn't be possible without you. Today we saluted the sun, and now I salute you: thank you for listening and thank you for being you.

"Odyssey" and "Garden Music"Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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For our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, the part of the world that is below the equator, it is autumn. Here's a special autumn relaxation story for you! Let the beautiful colours of autumn leaves fill your imagination as we toss and make leaf angels in them! You will need a lot of room for this one, so make sure there is enough space around you before you begin.

A relaxation story for children aged 5 - 12.

Transcript:

Good morning, or good afternoon, or good evening. Welcome to Peace Out, stories for calming down and relaxation. I wonder where in the world you are right now. In some places in the world it is nighttime, however in other places children are getting out of bed and ready for school. Even the seasons are different in different parts of the world.

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of the world above the equator. It includes places like North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, most of Asia, and the northern parts of Africa and South America. For those places, it is spring right now. The flowers are blooming, and the days are getting hotter and longer. It is autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, the half of the world below the equator, in places like the southern parts of Africa and Asia, Antarctica, Australia, most of South America, and New Zealand. The days are getting colder and shorter. The leaves on the trees have been slowly changing colour from green, to yellow and brown, and then falling to the ground.

I'm in Canada, so I'm really enjoying our spring weather right now, but one of my favourite things to do in autumn is playing in piles of leaves. Today we're going to take a trip to the park and play in the leaves. We're going to do things a little differently today. I want you to stand up nice and tall if you can. You will need a little bit of space around you so if you are listening in your classroom or your bedroom make sure that you're not too close to other people or furniture. Make sure that your feet are right below your shoulders. Stand tall and strong. Relax your arms by your sides. Close your eyes. Roll your shoulders back, and lift up your chin so that it is parallel to the floor.

As I do the Calm Down Countdown, try breathing in as I say each number, breathing out in between. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1.

We're at the park now. Can you feel the warmth of the sun? Tilt your head up to the sky and imagine the warm sun shining on your face. Now tilt your head down. See those leaves at your feet? They look really crunchy. Can you try crunching them with your toes? Wiggle your toes and then scrunch them together to crunch up the leaves. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Uh oh, the wind is blowing. I think it's going to blow some more leaves down off the trees. Take your hands from your sides and sweep them upwards, like the wind through the trees. Now keep them stretching right up high, reaching towards the sky. You look a little bit like a tree. Stretch your fingers out and keep reaching.

Now take a deep breath in…..and as you let your breath out, bend your knees slightly and fold your arms and body down at the waist, like you're folding your entire body in half. Let your tummy rest on your thighs and your head and arms hang down. Let's just hang here for a moment, feel gravity pulling at the weight of your head toward the ground. You can swing back and forth a little if you want, just don't lose your balance!

If you're swinging, slowly come to a stop. Use your imagination to see all the autumn leaves at your feet. There are golden yellows, bright oranges, bold reds, and earthy browns. The colours are so warm and bright. Reach your hands down to the ground, or as low as you can go. Can you pick up some of those crunchy leaves? Pretend to grab some in your hands. And now, slowly roll your body up starting at your waist, moving up vertebrae by vertebrae until your back is straight and you're standing tall and strong again. Once you're standing straight again you can fling those leaves into the air! Imagine the riot of colour and rustling sound that the leaves make as they shower to the ground.

Let's do it once more. Sweep your arms right up to the sky, stretching as far up as you can go. Take a deep breath in, bend your knees slightly and fold your body down and pick up some leaves. Hold on tight to those leaves! Now slowly roll your body back up…and once you're standing up straight fling those leaves up into the air again. Beautiful!

Now, have you ever made a snow angel before? Why don't we try and make a leaf angel? Slowly lower yourself down to the ground and then lay on your back.

Close your eyes. Take a big breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. One more time, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Bring both knees up and squeeze them to your chest. Take a deep breath in, and then let it out as you slowly stretch your legs out onto the ground and lower your arms down to your sides.

Ready to make a leaf angel? Stretch out your legs and arms so that you look like a star. Start moving your arms and legs now, making your leaf angel! Try breathing in as your arms and legs point straight and breathe out as you move them out to the sides.

As you continue to make leaf angels at your own pace, I wanted to ask if you knew why leaves change colour in autumn? The trees that have leaves that will drop off are called deciduous trees. Leaves are in charge of making food for the trees. The leaves have a chemical called chlorophyll, which absorbs the sunlight in the spring and summer and turns it into tree food. Chlorophyll is what also gives the leaves its green colour.

However, when autumn begins, the temperature begins to drop and the days become shorter, which means less sunlight. The chlorophyll begins to break down and the leaves lose its green colour. The other pigments which were also there to begin with, such as yellow, orange, red, and brown, start to show.

Alright, I think everyone is finished by now. Look at those leaf angels! Brilliant!

Let's stretch out one last time, this time leave your legs out so that your feet are further apart than your shoulders. Take your hands and bring them to your sides, palms facing up. You can wiggle your shoulders under you to make this a little more comfortable if you need to. Take a deep breath in and as you let it out, feel your entire body relax, loosen, and sink further into the ground.

I hope you enjoyed our time at the park today. Do you have a park near your home? Or a playground at school? Maybe today, or on the weekend, you can go out and play at the park or on the playground. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, maybe you can go jumping in piles of leaves and make a real leaf angel. Or if you are in the Northern Hemisphere maybe you could go looking for new flowers or plants that are starting to grow. Wherever you are, I hope you have a chance to see and touch and smell the trees and plants all around you. Trees are amazing. They clean the air, they provide us shade, and they're home to so many animals, birds, and insects.

I'll leave you with the first line from one of my favourite nature poems, Trees by Joyce Kilmar.

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

Until next time, peace out, and peace within.

This episode of Peace Out was narrated by me, Chanel Tsang, and written by Jess Judd. You can listen to Jess' other stories or hear her narrate over at the Story Time podcast. Thank you, Jess! Thanks also to Rob Griffiths, for producing Peace Out.

Next week is our final episode of Peace Out, Season One. If you'd like to listen to our past episodes, you can find them at bedtime.fm/peaceout or on itunes, googleplay, and stitcher. Thanks again for listening!

"Odyssey" and "Garden Music"Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Put on your helmet and hop on your bike for a ride around in your imagination! Today we'll focus on visualization and movement as we imagine our journey, ending with a head-to-toe relaxation exercise while we consider how we are all connected to each other and the earth.

A mindfulness story suitable for children aged 5 – 12 years old.

Transcript:

Hello everyone! I'm so glad you're here.

It's spring here so that means that we're outside almost every day afterschool because my kids love to ride their bikes around our neighbourhood. Do you like to ride bikes?

Today for our relaxation story we're going to head out on our bikes, off for some fun and adventure! Are you ready? Let's get our helmets on and get ready to cycle!

Have a seat on the floor, crossing your legs if that's comfortable. Sit up tall. Lift your chin so that it is parallel to the ground. Close your eyes. Breathe.

As I do the Calm Down Countdown, try to visualize the path we're going to cycle on. Some of you may imagine a dirt path through the green woods. Others may think of the sidewalk in a familiar neighbourhood. Maybe some of you will imagine a gravel trail through a park.

Ready?

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Let's keep our eyes closed. We're going to relax today but work our imaginations! So let's start by imagining our bicycle. You can think about your own bike, or maybe a different one. What colour is it? Does it have a horn? A basket? Or handlebar streamers?

We have our helmets on already, so let's hop on our bikes now. Pretend you're holding onto the handlebars and lift your arms out straight in front of you. Now let's imagine that we're on a trail that's twisting left and right. Move your hands backwards and forwards like you're steering. Take big breaths in through your nose and long breaths out from your mouth.

Put your arms down now, placing your hands on your knees. Make sure you're keeping your posture straight.

Let's imagine that we're going up a hill now. Do you see it there in front of you? What does it look like? It is a grassy hill with a thin flattened path carved in it by hundreds of bikes and footsteps before you? Is it up a steep sidewalk? Hold that picture in your head as you begin to lean backwards from the hips now, keeping your back straight. Lean as far back as you comfortably can without losing your balance. And come back to centre.

We've made it to the top of the hill! Take a moment here to look at the view, imagining what you can see from up here.

Alright, it's time to cycle down the hill. Sit up tall, take a deep breath in and let it out as you lean forward from the hips. Keep your back straight as you lean forward. Imagine the wind on your face as your bike speeds down the hill, faster and faster, until it begins to slow down as the ground levels. Now move back to the centre. Wonderful!

Now we're really moving along on the bike trail. We'll need to make a couple of turns up ahead. Do you know the hand signals to use when you want to make a turn? Knowing and using the hand signals are part of bike safety because it lets other cyclists and drivers know where you're going to move.

Let's take that next left up ahead. We'll let the people behind us know we mean to turn left by sticking out your left arm straight out to the left side. Let's hold it there for five seconds… Great! You can put your arm down now.

There's a right turn ahead now. There are two ways to signal that you're going to turn right. You can either stick out your right arm straight out to your right side. Let's give that a try now. The other way is to stick out your left arm, but this time bend your forearm at the elbow up towards the sky so that your arm is making an "L" shape. Give that a try.

Which did you prefer? Choose one right turn signal and do it again now. Hold it for five seconds… Very nice, you can put your arm down.

Hey, there's a perfect place to have a rest. We'll stop there so let's make the stop signal. Stick out your left arm straight out to the side again. Now bend your forearm down at the elbow, pointing it towards the ground. Your arm should look a bit like a number "7." Okay, you can put your arm down again.

We can't finish a relaxation story about bike riding without using our legs to cycle! Take the next couple of moments to lie down on the floor or on your bed. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and out. Another breath in and out. One more time. Good.

Lift up your legs up so that you're ready to peddle. And start peddling! Peddle on your own for five breaths.

When you're done, pull your knees to your chest. Do you feel a little stretch in you back?

Gently lower your legs to the ground. Take a moment to make any adjustments to make sure you're comfortable.

Before we go, we're going to try to relax our bodies from head to toe. Close your eyes.

Let's start at the top. Every time we get to a part of the body, try to focus on that one part and let it totally relax, like it's just melting into the ground. I know that might sound a little weird, but trust me, it'll feel really great!

First, relax your head. Feel it getting heavier against the ground. Relax your face too. This might mean letting your mouth relax too and drop open a little.

Now let your neck relax.

Your shoulders. You can shift them a little to make yourself more comfortable.

Your arms are next. If you're tensing (or tightening) them up, let them drop.

Your hands are next. Make tight fists and squeeze. Now let them go.

Keep everything we've just relaxed nice and loose.

Now we're moving on to your stomach. Feel it move up and down as you breathe.

Hips now. Let them sink deeper.

Thighs…relax your knees…and your legs. Let your legs fall completely to the ground.

And now your feet. Flex them so that your toes are pulling towards your head…and now let them go.

Feel your entire body sink a little more into the ground. Think about the earth just beneath you. You were connected to the earth as you rode your bike up and down its hills and through the wind and past the trees. And now you're even more connected to the earth, as you sink even deeper. You're connected to those around you, and even people across the world, who are all walking on the same earth as you, breathing the air like you. You're even connected to the animals and plants, all who need the same things as us to live: water, air, food, warmth.

Let's remember that as we finish and move on with our day. Wherever you go next, whoever you speak to, whatever you do, keep in mind that connection that you have with everyone and with the world. Remember that you're not isolated, which just means alone. If you need someone to talk to, reach out. If you think someone might need a friend, spend some time with them.

Here's a nice quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goeth that I'll end with today: "In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which is before it, beside it, under it and over it."

We're all connected and I hope that gives you a sense of peace. So until next time, peace out. And peace within.

AThis Peace Out episode was written and narrated by Chanel Tsang and produced by Rob Griffiths. Thank you for listening.

I wanted to say hello and thank you to Miss Rodrigues' class in the United States for listening to Peace Out together. They posted a great photo of the class relaxing to a Peace Out story on Twitter. I hope you enjoyed today's story and that you thank Miss Rodrigues for carving out class time for you to pause, breathe, and relax! If you have any comments, photos, or questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected], on Twitter @peaceoutpodcast, or on our Facebook page, @bedtimefm. Thanks again!

"Odyssey" and "Garden Music"Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Welcome to the greatest show on earth: Circus Spectacular, starring YOU! Join us as we use our body and mind to imagine ourselves being contortionists, clowning around, and flying through the air on a trapeze! A fun relaxation story to wind down to in the classroom or at home.

A mindfulness story suitable for children aged 5 – 12 years old.

Transcript

Hi! We're winding down our first season, just three more episodes to go! I'm coming up to my summer break here in Canada, so I'll be spending time with my daughters, swimming, running, reading, and also writing and recording Season 2 of Peace Out for September. The Bedtime FM team is already helping me line up ideas and writing stories for that, so I'm so excited about where Peace Out is going and hope you subscribe to us so that you don't miss it! Thanks!

Hello everyone. Thanks for joining us today here at Peace Out, stories for calming down and relaxation.

I'm Chanel and today we're going to the circus!

[CIRCUS MUSIC PLAYS]

Let's start by sitting down. Cross your legs and close your eyes. Let's start with the Calm Down Countdown. Breathe in and out. Keep breathing as I count down…

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Keep your eyes closed and use your imagination to picture this: a huge tent with red and white stripes.

[CIRCUS MUSIC FADES IN]

There are little triangle flags strung up all around the tent. What colour are they? The flags are gently waving in the breeze. Let's wave our bodies too. Gently rock from side to side, side to side.

And there are bright spotlights shining, circles of light moving around. Can you see them? Sit up tall and lift your chin up a little. And now, keeping your eyes closed, turn your head to one side, like you're looking over your shoulder. Now turn your head back to the middle, facing forward. Turn your head to the other side, looking over your shoulder. Do a few more turns on your own, and picture the spotlights roving around the circus tent with its flags. One of the lights has just passed the big banner hanging right over the tent entrance. It says "CIRCUS SPECTACULAR" in big letters. What else can you see?

Very nice, everyone! This is helping us warm up for the main event, because guess what, I just heard that Circus Spectacular is looking for kids to be part of today's special performance! How amazing is that?

Oh, look over there. It's the ringmaster. She's got a black top hat on and a coat with long tails on it. She's holding a microphone and announcing that it's time for Circus Spectacular's new mini performers—that's us!

Our first performance is with the Contortionist. The contortionist is able to bend his body in different ways. Let's try. Keep your eyes closed and stretch up one arm to the sky. Reach over with that arm to the opposite side, so that your arm is across your chest. Keep it in place by using your other hand or arm to hold it gently in place. Now, look over the shoulder that's being stretched right now, so that you're looking at one side, and your outstretched hand is reaching towards the other. Breathe in deeply a few times, in and out, holding this pose. Let it go.

Let's try the same thing with our other arm. Reach it up high and then across your chest. Hold it up gently with your opposite hand. And now look over the shoulder that's being stretched. Take a few breaths…and let it go.

Nice! Now that you're arms are all nice and warmed up, you can reach over and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done! Okay, now we're moving on to the Clown! All circuses need clowns to make us laugh! Laughing is not only fun, but it's good for us too! We're stretching the muscles in our face and we begin to breathe faster, which sends more oxygen to our bodies. We're going to stretch our face muscles now. Keep your eyes closed…and now make a really silly face, the silliest face you can make! Scrunch up your nose, stick out your tongue, whatever you want to do! And hold that silly face for three breathes. And now relax your face muscles so that they feel loose, no tension at all.

Let's try that one more time. This time, think of another funny face to make. Keep your eyes closed and…make your funny face! Hold that face for another three breaths…and relax your face muscles. Ahh!

You all make great clowns!

Alright, are you ready for the last challenge? This one's going to take a lot of imagination, but I know that you have an amazing imagination after coming along with me through our other Peace Out stories! We've imagined ourselves going to the moon, underwater, walking through the woods, and flying around the world! So turn that imagination on one more time as we fly through the air with the greatest of ease on the…trapeze!

A trapeze looks like a swing, with a bar for a seat. The trapeze is high, high up at the top of the circus tent. Keeping your eyes closed, look up to the ceiling and imagine the trapeze swinging and the trapezeartists flipping and flying through the air, catching the next trapeze bar at the last moment. Imagine what that looks like. Imagine the circus performers swinging and doing flips. Now look forward again.

It's your turn. Use that imagination to picture yourself up at the very tall stand near the top of the big top. Look down at the cheering crowd below, children and adults, all the different colours they're wearing dotting the stands. And you are so far above them, they look like the size of mice from up here.

Everyone is a little afraid of something. Everyone. If you're afraid of heights, guess what? You don't have to be right now because it's all in your mind. You're safe right now. So now let's look forward in our mind, toward the trapeze bar that's hanging right in front of you. It's a silver bar and the chains are securely fastened to the trapeze structure, strong and steady. And it's our turn to be strong and steady because it's time to grab the bar and swing!

Reach your arms up and pretend you're holding onto the bar. Got it? Good. Now let's start to swing!

Keep your arms up and lean your body and arms forward as far as you can…and now lift your body back up and even lean a little backwards if you can. Try doing that at a gentle pace three more times, and this time, try breathing in as you lean forwards and breathe out when you lean back. Go ahead now for three more times.

Great! I think we're ready for the big jump! You can put your arms down and give them a shake if you'd like, then rest them by your side or in your lap now. This will be all imagination. Imagine someone hanging from their knees, upside down, on another trapeze. Who is it? Is it a friend? Someone in your family? Or you can imagine a real circus trapeze artist, there to teach you how it's done. Now whoever you've imagined is swinging towards you with their arms reaching to you. Watch them swing far back…and close again, their hands so close you can reach them if you jump. Wait for them to swing back to you, take a deep breath…and JUMP!

Grab their hands and feel them pull you through the air, you can feel that they have a strong hold on you. You made it! If you'd like, rock gently forward and back right now, keeping your back straight and your chin up.

Hear the audience gasp and cheer when they see that you've done it!

Can you feel the air rushing past your face and blowing your hair back as you fly back and forth?

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS]

If you're rocking, slowly come to centre.

Your performance was a hit! Everyone in the stands has jumped to their feet, cheering and clapping! It's time for our final bow.

Stretch your legs out in front of you, then spread your feet as far as you comfortably can. When you're ready, lean forward like you're taking a bow, using your hands to crawl forward as you do. Only go as far as is comfortable. Now come back up slowly, crossing your legs again, sitting up tall and proud, chin lifted up, hands on your knees or lap.

Congratulations! You were a super Circus Spectacular performer! How do you feel? Which was your favourite part?

Thank you for your efforts here today. Thank you for listening. Thank you for being you.

Until next time, peace out…and peace within.

Thank you for listening to Peace Out. Today's story was written and narrated by Chanel Tsang. Sound and editing by Rob Griffiths. You can find more relaxation stories at bedtime.fm/peaceout or find Peace Out on iTunes, GooglePlay, or Stitcher.

If you want to hear more about the podcast and about behind-the- scenes stuff, check out the Good Stuff Kids' podcast this week where the lovely Mike Mason interviewed me about Peace Out! Mike is amazing and his podcast is full of, well, good stuff for kids, including music, performers, authors, sports, and more! You can find him and his awesome show at goodstuffpod.com!

"Odyssey" and "Garden Music"Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Why not listen to more of Peace Out from Bedtime FM

Drop us an email to [email protected], or follow us on Facebook or Twitter

Unicorns are everywhere lately, don't you think?Books, movies, stickers, hairstyles, even coffee drinks! It's probably because they're such cool magical creatures,So Peace Out decided that it was time to featureUnicorns in this week's relaxation story, I can't wait! Let's get started now, this is going to be great!

A mindfulness story suitable for children aged 5 – 7 years old.

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Peace Out. Relaxation is what we're all about. My name's Chanel and I'm so glad you're here with me,Because there's something special that I want you to see.

You'll need to use your imagination So if you're feeling a bit of frustration, A little upset, maybe sort of down,Close your eyes and just picture A magical, majestic, beautiful creature.

It's a unicorn with a rainbow mane! It can fly faster than the fastest train! With its feathered wings that span so wide, Ready to fly and be our guide,

Leading us through the Calm-down Countdown nowSo please sit down and get comfy somehowClose your eyes and breathe in deepAs I count, just don't fall asleep! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 (keep breathing, we're almost done),5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Well, here we are in Unicorn Land! Pink trees, orange sky, it's a sparkling dreamland! Let's start by pretending to fly, Way, way, up the sky!

We'll need to take very deep breaths in and out. Breathe in through your nose, and through your mouth, blow out. Breathe in as much as you can (and then a little bit more),Now take your time breathing out as you soar

Through the air, on the unicorn's backPast the fluffy clouds that are a bright shade of lilac.Now, if you please, lie down on the ground or your bed,And let's imagine to where our unicorn has led

Us and where we are. It's nighttime now and we're among the stars!They're shining brightly and let's shine too. Stretch out your arms and legs and imagine the view

That we have from up here, way up in the night skyImagine what you can see when you're up here so high. Keep breathing in and out at your own pace, As you float around up in space.

Pretend your legs are giant unicorn wings with rainbow feathers Flying you through the warm air in this perfect spring weather. Lift up your feet so they point to the sky, (We're going to get ready to really fly!).

Legs straight up and start to lower it down Slowly, slowly until they reach the ground. Now lift up your legs again, but this time around, Breathe in as you lift up, and out as you bring them down.

Ready? Keep your eyes closed, lift up your legs, breathe in deepAnd now lower them down and relax, like you're asleep. Keep going at your own pace, nice and slow, Taking your time as you go.

Well done everyone, now let's move on Our time with the unicorn is almost gone. But it has a surprise for you…what could it be?The unicorn will grant you happy wishes…three!

One for your family, one for you, Last one is for a friend, you get to choose who. Think of happy wishes for everyone, everywhere—Let's send some positive energy out there!

Take one more breath in and out, like you're blowing up a balloon… And wave goodbye to the unicorn…see you soon! Until next time you're in, Peace out…and peace within!

- - - - -

This episode of Peace Out was written by Chanel Tsang, that's me!And the person in charge of sound and editing would beRob Griffiths, who also founded Bedtime FMAnd created the Story Time podcast, a true gem.

Head over to bedtime.fm to listen to both podcastsAsk a grown up to help and get over there fast! Or subscribe to Peace Out AND Story Time right awayOn iTunes, Stitcher, or GooglePlay!

And we'd be so grateful and really thank youIf you left us a review to help other families find us too!

"Odyssey" and "Garden Music"Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Why not listen to more of Peace Out from Bedtime FM

Drop us an email to [email protected], or follow us on Facebook or Twitter

🎶 Music can inspire, excite, and even calm us. Today we are going to practice focusing by listening to a piece of classical music. Whenever you notice yourself thinking of something else or your attention drawn somewhere else, it's okay—just refocus on the music.

It will take a lot of practice (millions of adults practice this everyday when they meditate) to focus so this can be an episode you listen to more than once. There are no movements so it's a great one to listen to in the car too.

A mindfulness story suitable for children aged 5 – 10 years old.

Transcript

Peace Out is a project that we volunteer our time and energy to do because it's a passion that we're excited about! We love bringing relaxing stories to your home or classroom.

We've have enjoyed hearing how much YOU like it too. You can always let us know what you think by tweeting us @PeaceOutPodcast or connecting to our Facebook Page @BedtimeFM or by email at [email protected]. If you've been enjoying Peace Out, we hope you consider becoming a Patreon or donating a tip via PayPal. Details can be found at bedtime.fm/support.

Hi, how are you? Thanks for joining us today. This is Peace Out, stories for calming down and relaxation.

My name is Chanel and today we're going to do something different. Today we're going to practice focusing on one thing—music! I chose a beautiful classical piece that I hope you'll like.

Are you comfortable? Take a minute to adjust your body so that you are. You can sit or lie down for this one, whichever feels best for you.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and let it out. We do the Calm down Countdown before each story to get our minds and attitudes in the right place. We want to slow down and start to focus on our breathing. Let's keep that in mind as we breathe in when you hear the numbers, and breathe out in between. Ready?

10…9…8…7...6...5...4...3...2...1

Today we are going to try something different. There won't be any movement today, so wherever you are, you can really let yourself relax because you'll be there for the next few minutes. Keep your eyes closed. Breathe…

We're going to listen to the music now. As it plays, try to focus only on the music. Forget about where you are, what you may look like, what you're going to do after this, what you're having for lunch or dinner…just focus on the music. The different notes and rhythms. How does the music make you feel?

And guess what? You'll lose your focus at some point. That's totally normal, so don't worry about it. All you have to do is, notice that your focus is not on the music anymore and then bring your attention back to the music. That's it. Now, this might happen a few times during the song. Again, it's okay. Just bring your attention back to the music and try again. This exercise is about focusing and more specifically, trying to focus.

Are you ready? Remember, focus on the music and if you find your thoughts wandering…just bring your attention back to the music. Breathe. Let's give it a try.

**Music plays - Gymnopédie No. 3 **

How did you find that? Was it easy or challenging to focus just on the music? Where did your attention or thoughts wander to? Why do you think that was? How do you feel about that experience?

Let's end by thanking our bodies and minds for taking us through this focusing exercise. Give yourself a hug. Well done, everyone!

Thank you for listening. Thank you for being you. Until next time, Peace Out. And Peace within.

This Peace Out episode was written and narrated by Chanel Tsang. Sound and Editing by Rob Griffiths.

Peace Out is part of Bedtime FM. You can listen to more relaxation stories at bedtime.fm/peaceout.

"Odyssey" and "Garden Music"Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Why not listen to more of Peace Out from Bedtime FM

Drop us an email to [email protected], or follow us on Facebook or Twitter

Welcome aboard Bedtime FM Airways! This is the final boarding call for anyone who is in need of a relaxing mini mind vacation! Fly with us through the clouds as we stretch, breath, and imagine our way to our destination: your favourite place on earth!

A mindfulness story suitable for children aged 5–10 years old.

"Odyssey" and "Garden Music"Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Why not listen to more of Peace Out from Bedtime FM

Drop us an email to [email protected], or follow us on Facebook or Twitter