My 3 Favourite Bedtime Rituals
Kids are wonderfully connected to all senses. They hear, smell, taste, feel and see way more than we think they do. From birth to the pre-teen years, their brains are working overtime learning, watching and seeing their world. It's no wonder that at bedtime, they can't sleep. Of course, being a mom, I know that most nights they are testing their boundaries. However, there was the odd occasion where at least one of my boys legitimately could not sleep. In their own words, their brains would keep thinking. It used to happen to me (a lot) so I completely understand how they would feel and do my best to help them relax.
I admit, it's frustrating. You've finally found a little quiet time and then you hear the click and creak of someone's bedroom door. I've been there, but now that they're older, I'm usually in bed before they are (LOL). So, what do you do? Here are a few things that I would do in the past to help my kids drift into sweet sleep.
1. Use a guided meditation.
Ever wonder why the little ones start yawning when you begin reading a bedtime story? The calming tones of your voice, the comfort of your presence and the ability to visualize the story help them release all of the thoughts that they were holding on to from their day. There are several guided meditations on YouTube that are geared towards children. My kids loved this meditation here. Always remember to Connect, Ground and Protect yourself in White Light before any meditation.
2. Help them visualize being filled with White Light.
No matter what your beliefs are, being filled with White Light is the most calming feeling. I would tell my child to get really comfortable and then ask them to picture a bright, beautiful ball of White Light way up in the sky. I tell them to imagine God (or the God of your understanding) filling this ball of Light with so much happiness, love and warmth just for them. I then tell them to imagine this bright light moving towards them until it hovers right above their Crown (the top of their head). Then I ask them to feel the White Light entering the top of their head and moving down their body, pushing out all the yucky stuff from their day and filling their entire body with this light. The Light moves through their body and comes out the bottom of their feet like bright white roots. These roots plant themselves into the ground, keeping you safe. Then, this White Light grows around your body until you are surrounded by this big ball of White Light. In this big ball of Light, only the love and happiness God filled it with (including the love of and for your family) is allowed in your bubble.
3. Counting using their favourite thing.
My boys love baseball and if they couldn't sleep, I would tell them to picture hitting 5000 homeruns but starting at 5000 and counting down. Having to focus on something that they completely love makes clearing their mind easier.
Wondering how Reiki can help your little one? Schedule a Clarity Consult to learn more.
Namaste,
Astra