Explore basic breathing exercises that can help kids and teens be more mindful
Childhood is filled with scrapes, bruises, and falls. When a minor injury occurs, children usually shed a few tears, receive a hug and a bandage, and promptly move on. But for some children, pain is a way of life. When a child suffers from something more serious, like cancer, burns, or pediatric arthritis, the management of pain becomes a primary, ongoing concern for both the child and the adults in the child’s life.
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Our breathing is directly related to our emotions. When we are nervous, our breathing is fast and noisy. When we are calm, it becomes slow and harmonious. In tense moments, if we know how to control breathing, we can react with serenity. How often do we want to calm ourselves but do not know how to do it? How often do we want to concentrate but have a thousand ideas racing around our head? How often do we want to sleep but the stress of tomorrow consumes our thoughts?
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Did you know we take some 23,000 breaths each day? Have you ever noticed that you hold your breath at times, or that your breath sometimes speeds up—perhaps when you are anxious? We can learn to calm ourselves down or rev ourselves up with breathing, and it is a perfect place to begin mindfulness practice with children. Our breath is always available, and we can practice breathing anyplace, anytime, without anybody even knowing we are doing it. In fact, our breath very well might be our self-regulation superpower!
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