Hello, I'm Cheryl, and this is Sleep Tight Relax, a calming bedtime show for the young and young at heart.

Welcome to our short meditation series.

This series is full of all kinds of exercises to help you relax before bed or whenever you feel the need to relax.

Maybe after school, before school, anytime really.

The great thing is that these exercises focus on what you already know how to do,

breathing and using your imagination.

In this episode, we are going to use our bodies a little bit

to feel the difference between being tense and relaxed.

This will help us understand how our bodies might react when we are worried, angry, or upset.

Now, let's get started by finding a comfortable spot free from distractions.

You can sit in a chair supporting your back,

or you can lay on the floor or in your bed,

however you feel comfortable.

Let's start by using our imagination and our breath.

This might be familiar to some of you.

I want you to imagine that your body is like a balloon.

When you breathe in, feel your chest and sides expanding like a balloon.

When you breathe out, imagine your body is like a balloon shrinking with the air being let out.

Breathe in like a balloon being blown up.

Now breathe out like the air is being let out of a balloon.

Let the air out by blowing the air through your mouth.

Breathe in through your mouth. Breathe in through your nose,

...