Once upon a time, in a cozy little house, lived a boy named Leo. Leo loved playing and exploring all day long. His mind was like a bouncy ball, full of wiggles and giggles and thoughts about everything: the big jump he made over a puddle, the yummy snack he had, and the exciting game he’d play tomorrow. But when it was time for bed, Leo’s bouncy-ball mind just wouldn't stop bouncing!
Leo would lie in his bed, tucked under his warm covers, but his thoughts kept zooming around like little fireflies. 'Zip, zip, zip!' went the thoughts. 'What if a squirrel comes to my window? What if I dream about vegetables? What if I forget to wear my socks tomorrow?' His body felt a bit wiggly too, like it still wanted to run and jump.
One night, Leo’s grown-up sat on the edge of his bed. 'Trouble settling down, little lion cub?' they asked softly. Leo nodded. 'My brain is too loud and my feet want to dance!' he whispered.
His grown-up smiled. 'Sometimes, when our minds are noisy and our bodies feel wiggly, we can learn to be like a calm lake instead of a rushing river. Would you like to try something quiet with me?' Leo was curious. He stopped wiggling and nodded.
'Okay,' his grown-up said gently. 'First, let's find your breath. Your breath is always with you, like a quiet friend. Feel your tummy rise a little when you breathe in… and fall a little when you breathe out.' Leo tried it. He felt his tummy move, slow and steady.
'Now,' his grown-up continued, speaking very calmly, 'imagine you are lying in a most beautiful, peaceful place. Maybe it’s a soft, sunny meadow, or maybe it’s floating gently on a fluffy cloud, or maybe it’s sitting by a calm, sparkly pond. Where do you want to go in your imagination tonight, Leo?'
Leo thought for a moment. 'A fluffy cloud,' he decided. 'That sounds soft.'
'Wonderful,' said his grown-up. 'Imagine you are lying on a big, white, super-duper soft cloud. Feel how soft it is beneath you. The air around you is gentle and warm. There are no noisy thoughts or wiggles allowed on this cloud. They just float away like little balloons into the sky.'
Leo closed his eyes and imagined the soft cloud. He took a slow breath in, imagining himself settling deeper into the softness. He breathed out, imagining a wiggly feeling floating away from his toes, like a little balloon. He breathed in again, imagining a busy thought about squirrels floating away from his head.
He focused on his breath, slow in, slow out. In his imagination, the cloud floated gently through a quiet, dark blue sky, sprinkled with sleepy stars. He felt calm and safe on his cloud. The bouncy-ball thoughts started to slow down. The wiggles felt less jiggly.
His grown-up stayed quietly beside him, their hand gently resting on his back, matching his slow, peaceful breaths. They didn't need to say much more. Leo was on his cloud, drifting peacefully.
As Leo breathed slowly, in and out, feeling the softness of his imaginary cloud and the quiet calm around him, his body started to feel heavy and relaxed. His mind became still, like the calm pond his grown-up had mentioned. The last few firefly thoughts blinked out one by one.
Soon, Leo wasn't just imagining floating; he felt like he was gently drifting off to sleep. The soft cloud felt just like his cozy bed. The quiet sky felt like the darkness in his room. With one last gentle breath, Leo the little lion cub settled down, his mind peaceful and his body still, ready for a night of quiet dreams. And that night, the squirrels stayed outside, the vegetables stayed in the kitchen, and his socks were right where they should be in the morning.