60: Love Yourself and Love the World

For our Earth Day episode, we’ll learn how our breathing is connected to the lives of plants, and talk about how to love yourself and love the world. Featuring affirmations from Eso Tolson, and a new song by Noah Glenn.

Show Notes

Like You is listener supported. Learn how you can support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. You can also support the show by shopping in our online store or purchasing songs from the show on our Bandcamp page.

Please send us a voice memo, drawing, or letter at hello@likeyoupodcast.com. We play a voice memo from a listener at the beginning of most episodes. If your child wants to be included, record a voice memo on your phone and email 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), send it to our email, and then wait patiently. It is our goal to share every recording eventually!

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, as well as additional music by IMAKEMADEBEATS.

This episode’s affirmations were read by Eso Tolson.

Find Like You online at likeyoupodcast.com.

This podcast is designed for kids, but our social media feeds are geared toward their parents. So grown-ups, give us a follow:

Transcript

Noah: Hello! I’m Noah and this is Like You, a mindfulness podcast for kids. I’m glad you’re here! Today we’ll learn what it means to love ourselves and love the world. But first a quick word for the grownups. If you and your kids have been listening for a while, we’re so glad you found us! I hope you’ll take moment to show us some support. You can do that by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, telling a friend about the show, or joining us as a financial supporter on Patreon. You’ll find us at patreon.com/likeyoupodcast. Once you sign up, you’ll have early access to every new episode and other special patron perks. We hope you’ll join us there!

Alright, listeners of all ages, find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe. On this episode we’ll talk about nature, so if you’re able to listen outside, I’d encourage you to do so. If you can’t go outside right now, that’s fine, and you’ll still get a lot from this episode. You’re a part of this podcast so I hope you’ll participate. You can speak out loud share your thoughts and answer questions, or if you’d rather just think things quietly in your head, that’s ok too.

Let’s get started with a breathing exercise. If you’re sitting outside, take a moment to look around and notice the world around you. If you’re inside, you can close your eyes and imagine an outdoor world around you. Breathe slowly in and out as you look around. Notice the color of the sky. Is it sunny, or cloudy? Notice the plants around you. Do you see any trees? Flowers? Grass? Any other plants or bushes? Let me tell you something interesting about our breath and how it relates to plants. When a person like you or me breathes in, we breathe in something called oxygen. The oxygen fills our lungs, and then it circulates through our body bringing us energy and life. The oxygen we breathe in enters our blood and pumps all through our body with help from our heart. Then when we breathe out, we breathe out something called carbon-dioxide. And it turns out that plants can use carbon-dioxide in creating their own energy to grow. So when we breathe out, we’re giving plants, trees, flowers, grass, and bushes something they need to live and grow. But that’s not all. Those plants take our carbon-dioxide to produce their energy, and as they make their own energy, they also make oxygen which they send out into the air around them. And as I told you just a moment ago, oxygen is the thing people need to breathe in to make our energy. It’s all a cycle that repeats over and over like a little dance between people and nature. We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon-dioxide. Then plants breathe in our carbon-dioxide and breathe out oxygen, which we can then breathe in, starting the cycle over again. It’s that amazing?

So with that in mind let’s take a few deep breaths. If you’re sitting outside, look around and pick a tree or a flower, or any sort of plant you can find. If you’re not outside you can imagine a plant in your head. Now imagine you can see your own breath traveling in a straight line between you and that plant. You see the oxygen coming out of that plant and floating toward you, and you take a long deep breath in, letting that oxygen fill up your lungs. Now slowly breathe out, and imagine you can see your own breath, moving out of you and traveling straight back to the plant where it can breathe your carbon-dioxide in. Let’s do that a few more times. The plant sends you oxygen – watch it floating toward you as you breath slowly in as deep as you can. Now breathe out, sending your carbon dioxide to that plant. Imagine watching your breath float through the air to find the plant. Now the plant sends you oxygen. Slowly breathe it in with a long, deep breath filling your lungs. Now let a long slow breath out and watch it return to the plant. Let’s keep this going a few more times imagining you can see the invisible connection between you and that plant. Take a long deep breath in 1-2-3. Now send your breath back out 1-2-3. Now the plant send oxygen back to you. Breathe it in 1-2-3. And then breathe out carbon-dioxide 1-2-3, sending it back to the plant. One more long breath in 1-2-3. And one more long breath out 1-2-3.

Now on the count of three we’ll all say “I like me.” 1-2-3. I like me.

I like you too. You are a special and important part of the world. You have a unique role to play and you are connected by a positive cycle to the world around you. You matter to the world.

Now we’ll spend a few moments thinking about these words: Love yourself and love the world. Will you repeat that with me? Love yourself and love the world. As you say those words, continue to think about what we learned about sharing our breath with plants. Take a deep breath in thinking “love yourself” then take a long breath out thinking “love the world.”

Take a moment to think about one small thing you like about yourself. It could be something about the way you look – the color of your hair or your skin or your eyes. It could be something that you like to do like drawing, singing, playing, or reading. It could really be anything, since there are so many things to like about you. Pick just one, and spend a few seconds thinking about it.

Now pick one thing you like about the world. Maybe you like the color of the sky, the way the wind feels blowing through your hair, the smell of a flower, or the way a worm wiggles in the dirt. Just one thing you like about the world. Once you have something, spend a few seconds thinking about it.

Now repeat this again: Love yourself and love the world. Love yourself and love the world. Take a deep breath in. Love yourself. And a long breath out. Love the world.

Now think of one other thing you like about yourself. Something different than the last one. Is it your sense of humor? Your problem solving skills? Your courage or your kindness ?

Now think of something else you love about the world. Is it the warmth of the sun? Is it the beautiful colors of tropical fish? Is it the unique beauty of every other person in the world?

Now repeat once more: Love yourself and love the world. Love yourself and love the world. Take a deep breath in. Love yourself. And a long breath out. Love the world.

Never forget that there are many many things to love about yourself. And there are many many things to love about the world. We could repeat this exercise all day thinking of things we love about ourselves and things we love about the world. I’ve got a short new song to sing you, and as you listen you can keep thinking of things you like about yourself and about the world.