BONUS EPISODE: Magic Wand Meditation for Kids

What would your child change if they had a magic wand?

What would they wish for?

What would they want the adults in their life to understand?

The Magic Wand Exercise is one of my favorite tools for helping children express thoughts, feelings, worries, hopes, and needs that can sometimes be difficult to put into words directly. This gentle, guided exercise invites children to use their imaginations to explore a wish, giving adults valuable information about their needs and emotions.

Consider it a magic trick grown-ups can use to connect with a child who feels unheard, misunderstood, or distant. Parents, caregivers, and professionals may also find this a valuable way to better understand a child's perspective and create opportunities for meaningful connection.

While this exercise appears in my workbook From Fear to Freedom about the social/emotional aspects of food allergy treatment decisions, it is not specific to food allergies and can be used by any child navigating challenges, changes, or big feelings.

Adults are encouraged to listen and engage with the child with curiosity rather than a desire to fix or solve. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer a child is the experience of being seen, heard, and understood.

This guided exercise is suitable for children, families, therapists, educators, and anyone supporting a young person.

You can find the workbook this exercise is from here:
From Fear to Freedom: A Workbook for Navigating Allergy Immunotherapy
https://a.co/d/003saZ8p

Special thanks to Kyle Dine for permission to use his song The Doghouse for the podcast theme!
www.kyledine.com

Find Dr. Whitehouse:
-thefoodallergypsychologist.com
-Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist
-Facebook: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, Food Allergy Anxiety Psychologist
-welcome@dramandawhitehouse.com

Transcript

Speaker 0:03

Hi friend. We're going to do some imagining together today.

Speaker 0:08

But before we begin, I want you to get cozy in whatever way feels the best for you. You can sit, wiggle around and bounce, curl up, snuggle someone, hold a stuffed animal, or rest quietly.

Speaker 0:27

Then take a slow breath in with me and blow it out like you're blowing bubbles. Now take that bubble wand and dip it down into the bubbles again. Take another slow breath in and blow more bubbles.

Speaker 0:55

Now imagine that that bubble wand changes into a magic wand. This is a very special wand because it will let you wish for absolutely anything. Anything at all.

Speaker 1:26

Imagine that wand and what it looks like. What color is it? What shape? How does it feel in your hand? Is it bumpy or smooth? Is it a wizard wand or a witch's wand or a fairy wand? Wave it around a little bit and imagine what it looks like when you move it through the air. Does it sparkle? Leave a trail of glitter behind? Maybe it's like a laser or a lightning bolt.

Speaker 2:07

Your wand can be anything at all that you want it to be And with that wand, you can make a wish today. It can be for anything at all. There are no wrong answers.

Speaker 2:22

Think about your wish. Usually the first thing that comes to your mind when I tell you to think of a wish is the wish that you should focus on for today.

Speaker 2:43

Imagine that wish coming true. What would feel different? If you have a grown-up with you and you want to share your wish, pause this recording and tell them what your wish is.

Speaker 3:04

Now imagine your wish coming true. What would feel different? What would you notice first? Would your body feel different somehow? Or would something feel lighter or easier in your thoughts or in your emotions?

Speaker 3:39

Let's imagine where you are while this wish is happening. Look around in your imagination. What do you see? What does it look like? Are there things around you? Animals, other people, things from nature or things from your imagination? Are there colors that you notice? Does it feel warm or cool? Can you hear anything? Are you doing anything? Or are you still?

Speaker 4:26

Notice how your body feels while you imagine this place. Pay attention to whether your shoulders change a little or maybe your tummy feels different. Your face might change. Your breathing might even be different than it was before we started.

Speaker 4:49

Most of us pick a wish that feels safer or happier or more comfortable or more fun in some way. So imagining that wish helps your body practice what it feels like to be safe and comfortable and happy and to have fun.

Speaker 5:22

Choose something from your imagination to bring back with you. You don't have to remember the whole thing, but maybe there's something in this imaginary scene that you want to pick up and hold or tuck in your pocket, take a picture of. Whatever you bring back with you will help you visit this place in your imagination anytime you want. It's like a key that will unlock this secret place inside of your imagination. And when something is feeling hard or sad or scary, you don't have to make the hard things disappear, and you don't have to run away from them. But you can remind yourself that you know how to feel comfortable and supported and calm.

Speaker 6:16

Take a deep breath in and blow on the end of your wand and watch it turn back into a bubble wand. In your imagination, tuck that away so that you can find it again. It's waiting there for you whenever you want to use it. When you're ready, wiggle your fingers and your toes. Open your eyes and look around the place that you are now.

Speaker 6:54

Together, you and your grown-up can find some paper and draw a picture of your wand or your imaginary place. You can talk about what you imagined and what your wish was, and what that means that you're needing. That will help you and your grown up find ways to make that thing happen in real life, even if we can't make your entire wish come true. So whatever your wish brought you, if it made you feel safer, if it brought you company, if it brought you laughter, find one way that you can have that thing together today, even if you can't make your whole wish come true.

Speaker 7:42

Thank you for imagining with me