Breathwork is utilizing breathing patterns to improve physical and mental health. Using breathwork with kids can be fun!! Go ahead, let them blow bubbles in their milk!! It not only is a distraction to detour behavior, but it fosters the breathing pattern of an inhale paired with a controlled exhale. Just the way we like it!!
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Balloon Breathing
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Breathing Straws
Pick a straw. Inhale deeply through the straw, count to 4 in your mind. Exhale through the straw, count to 6 in your mind. Try blowing different ways: fast, slow, long, short, hard, or gentle. Now try moving objects with your breathing straw |
Butterfly Breath
Place hands on your hips with your elbows back. As you deeply inhale, bring your elbow to the front. Allow your chin to touch your chest. Exhale slowly as you bring your elbow to the back. Lift your chin towards the sky. Repeat 3-4 times. Pizza Breath
Hold your slice of pizza. Inhale the yummy pizza smell. Uh Oh! The pizza is too hot! Exhale to cool it off! Repeat 3-4x |
Lion’s Breath
Kneel, sit, or stand with your back straight. Inhale deeply for 4 counts. Open your mouth wide! Exhale as you make a quiet lion’s roar. Repeat 3-4 times. Smell the Flowers
Close your eyes. Imagine yourself in a field of flowers, greenhouse, flower shoppe... Bring your hands in towards your nose as you inhale to “smell the flowers”. As you exhale, bring your hands out as if you were sharing the flowers with your friends! Repeat 3-4 times. |
Sit in a comfy position or lay on your back. Interlace fingers underneath your chin.
1. Inhale and lift the elbows to frame the face. 2. Exhale lifting the head making a whisper "hah" sound towards the sky, like a dragon breathing fire. At the same time, lower the elbows back down to meet the bottom again. Repeat. This breath work exercise is from Cosmic Kids and is one that builds strength and heat within. Using this breath is a good energizer to us going when in a slump and/or when we are nervous or afraid.. |
Metronomes are a great tool to use for breathing and for mindfulness meditation. Set the metronome to the pattern you want your breath to be (fast, slow, long, short etc.) Don't have a metronome? No worries!! You can download one of hundreds of apps for your phone or tablet. Some even have a selection of sounds. Try it out!!
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Breathwork Maze!
You will need: yoga dots, plastic or foam golf balls, and bendy straws
This was so much fun! After exploring the breathing straws we implemented them with the yoga dot to make a maze game.
Spread out yoga dots on the floor in any configuration you like. Have kids start at one end and have them manuver the golf ball through the maze of mats to the other end. They utilize "strokes" of breath in order to get the ball going in the direction they need it to go (long, short, hard, soft, steady, and bursts of breath).
You will need: yoga dots, plastic or foam golf balls, and bendy straws
This was so much fun! After exploring the breathing straws we implemented them with the yoga dot to make a maze game.
Spread out yoga dots on the floor in any configuration you like. Have kids start at one end and have them manuver the golf ball through the maze of mats to the other end. They utilize "strokes" of breath in order to get the ball going in the direction they need it to go (long, short, hard, soft, steady, and bursts of breath).