🎶 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
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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/
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