Tap into Your Inner Child

There's something so special about tapping into our inner child. As children, we were usually much less self-conscious than we are as adults. You might have run around and played or learned new things with open curiosity or embraced what makes you unique without self-criticism. But the truth is, all those things are inside of us and still true to this day. All it takes is tapping into them. So today, let's use our time to connect with ourselves and offer ourselves the joy, wonder, and imagination we had as kids. We'll do this with some playful breathing exercises. We'll get our bodies involved with some movement of the arms, but as always, only do what feels good for your body and your abilities. So first, find a comfortable position. Soften your body. Feel your muscles relax. Gently close your eyes, placing one hand on your belly. And slowly breathing in, feeling your belly expand and out. In and out. One more, in and out. Great. Drop your hands. Let's do some rainbow breathing together. We'll start with our arms down at our sides. On the inhale, bring your arms up until they're over your head. As you exhale, bring them down slowly. Visualize yourself painting a rainbow with your arms as your body and breath move in time together. Inhale, up. Exhale, down. In, out. In, out. In, out. And one more, this being the brightest, most awesome rainbow ever. In and out. Now we'll go from rainbow to volcano. We're going to keep moving with our breath, but this time imagine your arms like lava flowing from a volcano's core. Bring your hands together in front of your chest, with palms touching, elbows out. As you breathe in, keep your hands in that position while reaching them straight up above your head. As you let out the exhale, separate your hands and move your arms down to your side. So, hands back together, inhale, up, and exhale, out and down. In, out. In, out. See how you can make it your own now. Can you feel yourself smile a little bit? Or maybe you can wiggle your fingers as you go. Add something small that just feels good. In, up, out, down. In, out. Feel the energy you are creating. In, out. Great job. Rest your arms at your sides again, and notice how this deep breathing makes your body feel. To wrap up, let's turn ourselves into waves on the ocean. Bring one hand to your chest and the other to your belly. We're going to feel the way our bodies rise and fall like waves as we breathe deeply. We can make these breaths really slow. Nowhere to be, nothing to do, just being here with ourselves. Inhale your breath into your belly and feel it rise. And exhale, feel it fall. Now inhale air into your lungs and feel them rise. And out, let them fall. Take turns going back and forth from your stomach...