Power Down: Robot Relaxation for Kids

With the increase of ADHD, behavioral disorders, child stress and anxiety, relaxation is becoming more and more important for children of all ages. With so much going on in their lives, children need to find time to simply unwind, put their feet up, and have some quiet reflective time where nothing is being asked of them, and they can truly take a break.

Many of our students and kids, for a variety of reasons, are chronically exhausted. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that children between five and twelve years old get ten to twelve hours of sleep each night. Most children get far less and many experience difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.

This 5 minute meditation can be used in the classroom as a great transition after recess, or in the home before homework or bedtime,  or anytime when kids need to “power down” the more active energy in our bodies. 

The Robot Relaxation for Kids Video with Argos Gonzalez

MEDITATION SCRIPT: ROBOT RELAXATION (play with it to make it your own!)

Close your eyes, be very still and imagine that you are a robot. Your whole body is made of metal. The lights on your arms and legs and stomach are flashing brightly. The robot also makes all sorts of beeping and bleeping noises. It is a very noisy robot.

Now you are going to see if you can switch the robot off and make every part of your body completely still. Start with your right leg – bring all your attention to your right leg and turn off the switch. Your right leg becomes totally still.

Now, do the same to your left leg, switching off the switch and watching the bright lights on that leg turn off. Switch off the light on your stomach and make it very, very still inside. Now do the same to your arms, turning off the lights and letting your arms become very still and heavy. Finally, turn off the switch in your head. Switch off your mouth, switch off your nose and eyes and finally switch off your breath. You should feel very still now. See how still you can make your robot body.

Don’t forget that if you move anything, the lights will go back on – so stay as still as you can!

ABOUT MAYURI GONZALEZ:

Mayuri Gonzalez (E-RYT, RCYT)  has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 20 years since her own childhood and specializes in bringing yoga and mindfulness to children. She has taught for Little Flower Yoga since 2010 and is currently the Director of The School Yoga Project, a program of LFY offering direct service yoga and mindfulness classes for preschools and K-12 schools in the Greater New York Area, staff development workshops, staff yoga, and a national affiliate program.