What was this childhood meditation tape from the 80's?

February 19, 2010 3:59 AM

Help ID this childhood meditation cassette tape from the mid-80's. Side A was "be a bird' and side B was "be a ball".

I remember listening to this tape on long car rides and using it to relax before bedtime when I was a child. This would have been around 1986 - 1989.

Each side of the tape began with a guided relaxation like "raise your arm up, stiff as a board; now let it flop down".

Side A then had you imagine that you were a specific bird, picturing your feathers and coloring - you then pictured flying up above your house. You also flew over a train, to a beach, and ended up in the forest, where the tape ended by playing ambient "woodsy" sounds - a trickling brook and chirping birds.

Side B I remember less well, but you imagined that you were a ball, slowly bouncing out of your house, down your street, etc.

What was the name of this tape, and who produced it? Bonus points if anyone can find a way to download or purchase it if it's around today. This was a very soothing memory from my childhood and I hope to relive it if I can. Googling for the few phrases I can remember didn't turn up anything, but my Googlyfoo might be weak on this one...

posted by pants to media & arts (7 answers total)

Here's one of the Google queries I've tried with poor results.
posted by pants at 4:00 AM on February 19, 2010

Googling '"be a bird" "be a ball" relaxation', I found Imagine Yourself - available on iTunes. Is that it?
posted by xsquared-1 at 4:17 AM on February 19, 2010

I think x-squared-1's got it.

On this page, about half way down, you can listen to "Be a Bird" in its entirety. I listened and it matches your description perfectly. A little further down the page, you can see that you can get "Be a Bird" and "Be a Ball", along with two others from ITunes.
posted by marsha56 at 6:23 AM on February 19, 2010

That's it! I can't believe I didn't think to Google "relaxation" instead of "meditation". Thanks, Metafilter!
posted by pants at 6:30 AM on February 19, 2010

Hello

There are currently four programs in the Imagine Yourself child and family meditation - relaxation and mindfulness series.

My kids and I loved them. As did all their cousins once we discovered them, as did their parents and the Grandmothers as well.

I see they are in all English speaking iTunes sites. US, Canada, Uk/Europe, Japan and Au/NZ
posted by ResilientMichael at 12:58 PM on March 14, 2010

P.S. Their where four programs
Be a Bird
Be a Ball
Be a Horse
Be a Cat
posted by ResilientMichael at 12:59 PM on March 14, 2010

YOu can get a hard copy as well.
http://www.resiliencyforlife.com/OnlineStore
posted by ResilientMichael at 9:19 AM on November 3, 2010