Once upon a time, high in the branches of a big, old oak tree, lived a little squirrel named Squeaky. Squeaky loved to play! All day long, Squeaky zoomed up and down the trunk, chased acorns, and tumbled with leaves. But when the sun began to dip low and the sky turned soft orange, Mama Squirrel would call, "Squeaky, little one, it's almost time for quiet rest."
But quiet rest felt tricky for Squeaky. Even tucked snugly in their cozy nest, Squeaky's paws wanted to twitch, their tail wanted to wiggle, and their mind felt like a bouncy ball. "I'm not sleepy, Mama!" Squeaky chirped, even though it was dark outside.
Mama Squirrel softly stroked Squeaky's fur. "Sometimes our bodies feel full of wiggles," she said gently. "But we can teach them how to be still and peaceful. Would you like to try a special quiet game? It's called finding your calm spot."
Squeaky was curious. A game that helps wiggles? Mama Squirrel showed Squeaky how to close their eyes, just a little. "Now," Mama whispered, "take a slow, quiet breath in through your nose, like you are smelling a wonderful flower."
Squeaky tried. They breathed in slowly. Mama continued, "Now, let the air out slowly through your mouth, like you are gently blowing a tiny feather across the floor."
Squeaky breathed out slowly. It felt a little funny, but the wiggles didn't bounce quite so hard. "Again," said Mama. "Breathe in the quiet air... and breathe out the wiggles."
They breathed together, slowly and gently. In... out... In... out. With each quiet breath, Squeaky felt a tiny bit softer. Their shoulders felt less tight, their little paws felt heavy and warm in the nest.
Squeaky took another breath. They thought about how peaceful the oak tree felt at night, quiet and still under the moon. Squeaky's own quiet breaths felt like being that peaceful tree.
Mama Squirrel smiled. "That quiet, still feeling is your calm spot," she said softly. "It's always right there, inside you, whenever you need it."
Squeaky snuggled closer to Mama Squirrel, feeling the gentle rise and fall of their own chest with each slow breath. The bouncy ball feeling was gone. Their body felt heavy and soft, just right for sleeping.
With gentle, quiet breaths filling the cozy nest, Squeaky closed their eyes completely. The calm spot game had worked like magic. Soon, little Squeaky was fast asleep, dreaming peaceful, quiet dreams high in the old oak tree.