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Please send us a voice memo, drawing, or letter at hello@likeyoupodcast.com. We play a voice memos from listeners either at the beginning of an episode or during the affirmation segment of the episode. If your child wants to be included, record a voice memo and send it to us. Your child can introduce themself and then say a favorite affirmation, sing a line from a Like You song, say what they like about the show, or share whatever they feel! Keep it short (10-20 seconds). For more info on how to record and send a voice memo, see this post.

Like You is a production of Perpetual Motion. The show is written and produced by Noah Glenn. The show’s artwork was illustrated by Mia Saine. Episode art is created by Lindsey Glenn.

This episode features original music by Noah Glenn. 

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Noah: Hey everyone! Listener support is what makes this podcast possible. When you sign up for a Like You Subscription you gain access to special bonus content. Please consider supporting the show by subscribing through Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks! And here’s today’s show.

[intro music]

Noah: Hello! I’m Noah and this is Like You, a mindfulness podcast for kids. I’m so glad you’re here! On this episode we’ll go on a mindful adventure in a hot air balloon. So listeners of all ages, find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe. As I ask questions and invite you to say affirmations, you’re welcome to speak out loud, or as always, you can just think your responses quietly in your mind.

Have you ever seen a hot air balloon? It looks a bit like a giant balloon with a basket attached to the bottom. And people can ride in the basket as the balloon floats through the sky. How does that sound to you? Would that be fun and exciting? Or does the thought floating high in the sky seem scary? Or maybe it is both – frightening but fun. Well, fear not because we’ll only be soaring through the sky in our imaginations. You’ll remain safe and comfy right where you are while you go on an adventure in your mind.

Let’s start with a breathing exercise to help you relax and focus. A hot air balloon can float because the air inside the balloon is warmer than the air outside it, and that makes it lighter. The hot air balloon pilot safely uses a controlled flame to heat the air in the balloon. So for our breathing exercise, we’ll imagine that we are the flame heating the air to prepare for flight. Imagine that the balloon is right above your head. First take a deep breath in through your nose 1-2-3. Then look straight up and ask you blow your air out, imagine your breath is a flame heating the air. Each time you blow out, the hot air balloon gets a little bigger and a little lighter. Let’s try it a few times now.

Deep breath in 1-2-3. Then blow your breath out like a flame. Another deep breath in 1-2-3. And a long breath blowing out. The balloon is almost ready for our trip. One more time. Deep breath in 1-2-3. And blow the air out as you fill the balloon with hot air.

Good work. Your breath has filled the balloon up. Now on the count of three let’s all say I like me. 1-2-3. I like me.

I like you too. I hope your heart feels light and your smile feels warm.

Now that our hot air balloon is full of warm air, it is ready to take off. You may be wondering what is keeping it from floating away now. A hot air balloon uses heavy sandbags to keep it on the ground until takeoff. We will have to let the sandbags go to make the balloon light enough to fly. So we’re going to image there are 4 big, heavy sandbags weighing us down. Each of those sandbags will represent a difficult feeling, and we will practice letting them go, so our balloon will feel a little lighter and ready to take flight.

First, I want to remind you that there are no feelings that are wrong to have. Happy, sad, angry, worried, frustrated… everyone feels all these feelings sometimes. And there are good reasons to feel each of these emotions. If something sad has happened, it is good to feel sad about it. If someone has done something mean to you, you may have a very good reason to feel mad. But sometimes these difficult feelings can hang around longer than we want them to. They might continue to hang on even when you’re ready to let them go. Sometimes you might even feel that the difficult feeling is controlling you instead of you controlling it. But don’t forget that you have the power to control your feelings. You can choose to let things go and to move on. Let’s practice letting go of difficult feelings as we drop the sandbags that are keeping the hot air balloon on the ground.

First I want you to think about something that has made you angry. Maybe it happened today, or last week, or a year ago. Can you remember a time you felt angry? Sometimes anger can linger and hang on even when we’re ready to move on. Even if it happened a long time ago, there might be a little part of you that still feels angry when you think about it. So imagine that anger is a sandbag, tied to the hot air balloon basket with a rope. Now take a deep breath and imagine untying the rope and letting the sandbag drop as you repeat after me. I choose to let go of my anger. I choose to let go of my anger. Now imagine the basket rises a few feet off the ground. But there are still other sandbags holding it down.

So next I want you to think about a time you felt worried. Maybe it was recent, or maybe it was a long time ago. Sometimes an anxious feeling can hang around even when we’re done feeling worried. So imagine that worry is a sandbag. Take a deep breath and untie the sandbag, letting it drop as you repeat: I choose to let go of my worry. I choose to let go of my worry. Now imagine the balloon is growing lighter, and it rises a few more feet off the ground. Perhaps letting go of these feelings even helps you to feel lighter inside. But there are a couple more sandbags left.

Next, think about a time you felt frustrated. Maybe you were having trouble doing something, maybe you didn’t get to do something you wanted to do. Maybe it happened today or a long time ago. Sometimes frustration can hang on longer than we want it to. So imagine that frustration is another sandbag. Take a deep breath, and untie the sandbag as you say I choose to let go of my frustration. I choose to let go of my frustration. Good. The balloon is rising even higher now. Do you feel a little lighter? By now the basket is high enough that a grownup could walk underneath. Take a second to think about a grownup who you love. It could be a parent or grandparent, a teacher or a coach, or an uncle or aunt. Someone who makes you feel safe and loved. Now imagine that grownup standing below you. You’re up high enough that you can look down at the top of their head. You’ve probably never seen them from this angle before. Now imagine them looking up at you. They smile and wave. You wave back. They call up to you and say “you’re almost there! I know you can do it!”

There’s just one last sandbag to let go now. So I want you to think about a time you felt afraid. Sometimes we feel fear even when we know deep down there’s nothing to be afraid of. It can be hard to let go of our fear, but let’s try it now. Imagine your fear is the last sandbag holding you down. Take a deep breath and untie the sandbag as you say I choose to let go of my fear. I choose to let go of my fear. Now imagine you are riding in the hot air balloon as it slowly floats up into the clouds. There is a cool breeze blowing through your hair, and the sun feels warm on your back. You feel as light as a feather. Try closing your eyes and imagine how it feels to float through the sky lighter than a feather. Take a few deep breaths and relax your shoulders. Imagine there are birds flying past, and you wave at them. You’re flying like a bird. Imagine you can look down and see your home. You see your family waving. You see your neighbors walking around like little ants. Take a few moments to enjoy the calm breeze as you relax and float through the air like a bird.

Now imagine drifting down safely and slowly and landing on a grassy hill. I hope you enjoyed your hot air balloon adventure.

Now it’s time for affirmations. Affirmations are words you can say about yourself to remind yourself how wonderful you are. You can say them out loud or inside your head. I’ll say each affirmation twice. So you can listen the first time, then say it together with me the second time.

I am in control of my feelings.

My challenges help me grow.

I am stronger than my fear.

The more I let it go, the better I will feel.

I have courage and confidence.

I am calm and relaxed.

I can choose my attitude.

I embrace the greatness within me.

Now let’s take a few slow, deep breaths as we wind down our time together. If any of those affirmations stood out to you, feel free to write them down, or just store them safely in your mind to say when you need it. If you have an affirmation that is special to you, I would love to hear it! You can even send a recording of an affirmation to play on the show. Have a grownup check our website or show notes for more information.

I’d like to end this episode with a song called Flying Like a Bird. Feel free to just relax and listen, or to imagine you’re floating through the air in a balloon as I sing.

I’m flying like a bird
I’m flying like a bird
The sky is so blue
And the wind is at my wings
I’m gliding through the air
And it makes me want to sing
I’m flying like a bird
I’m flying like a bird
At first I was a little scared
Of trying something new
But now I’m flying in the sky
And smiling at the view
I’m flying like a bird
I’m flying like a bird

Thanks for spending this time with me. I wanted to let you know that Like You will be taking a short break over the summer, but I plan to share encore episodes, plus a couple other mashups and collaborations in the podcast feed. I can’t wait to spend some time together again soon. Until then, I like you, I’m proud of you, and I’m glad we are friends. Have a happy and peaceful day.

Like You is a production of Perpetual Motion. It is made possible by our subscribers on Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Become a supporter by tapping “subscribe” on our show page in Apple Podcasts, or by visiting Patreon.com/likeyoupodcast. You can also tell your friends about the show or leave a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts. Like You is written and hosted by me, Noah Glenn. I also composed and performed the Like You theme music and other music that appeared in the episode. Our podcast cover art was illustrated by Mia Saine. Our episode art is created by Lindsey Glenn. Grownups can find more information about Like You by visiting our website at likeyoupodcast.com. Thanks for listening.