Ammi’s Adventures: Clouds
Hi! I’m Ammi. My name means “the whole world is inside of me,” and I think it’s true: I carry the whole world in my mind and heart and body. I know you do, too! I like to play games, explore, and discover what makes me, me. I’m so glad we’re together on this journey! I love to sit and watch the clouds. I play the cloud game with my friends, my family, and I even play it by myself. I look up and the sky comes alive with animals, people, anything and everything. And then it changes again right before my eyes. A dragon becomes a heart. A face turns into a bird. Those clouds always felt so far away, but then one foggy morning I discovered I was inside a cloud! I could feel it on my skin and breathe it into my lungs, and walk around in the thickness of it, while it wrapped around me. It felt like a hug from an old friend. Later that day I was feeling confused about something important to me. I needed to make a decision and I didn’t know how. It was then that I noticed the feeling was familiar. It was like a cloud, except this time it was inside of me! It felt like a cloud right in my head. My mind was foggy and unclear. I felt grateful I had spent all that time watching clouds, because I had learned so much from them. I know for sure that clouds change, and that it usually doesn’t take long and that it’s always beautiful to see. So I sat and watched the cloud in my mind. I didn’t try to change it, I was just present as it slowly but surely changed shape and size. I used my wind breathing to center my body and I used kind words to speak to myself so I could be patient and unafraid while the cloud changed. Eventually it thinned and drifted and my deepest self knew what to do. There are always going to be clouds. Outside ones and inside ones. The more we can be comfortable with the clouds the more brilliant the skies can be! Let’s walk through some clouds and practice being with them together.
A Five-Minute Meditation for Kids
Clouds remind us that everything changes. In fact, everything is changing all the time. Including us. Some of the changes are small and gentle and other changes are sudden and gigantic. The only thing to do with change is be in it. Often we find joy in it, and sometimes we just breathe. The clouds remind us how to sit and watch the changes without needing them to be a certain way. We can’t shape a cloud, or even know what it will turn into next. But we can watch and wait and be curious. And we can do that with all that changes inside and outside of us, too! Confusion will always make way for clarity. The unknown becomes known. Love from your friend, Ammi
Try This: Clear the Confusion with a Cloud
A simple imagining game that helps me take care of myself. You know what reminds me of clouds? Cotton balls. Cotton balls are really good at soaking things up. Imagine a cloud soaking something up that you no longer need. Think of something you’re holding onto that isn’t yours or you’ve outgrown. Maybe it’s something that you’re confused about and need help with, or just something that feels heavy to you. Now put it into your cotton ball cloud. Let it soak it all up and then watch as it floats away. You might even want to send it to someone or something who you know can help. Notice how you feel. Lighter? Brighter? Clearer? Calmer?
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