Ask your child to imagine they are a fierce, fire breathing dragon. Dragon Breathingĭragon breathing is lots of fun and simple even for young toddlers.
Ask your child to slow their buddy’s movement down as much as they can! 2. Their buddy (and belly) should rise with each inhale, and drop with each exhale. Now ask your child to pay attention to their buddy as they take a deep breath in through their nose and out through their mouth. Ask your child to lay down on their back, and place their favourite stuffed toy or pillow on their belly (we love using our BE Buddy). This is a great exercise to do at bedtime to get your little one ready for sleep. Ready to get started? Here are 5 fun and easy mindful breathing exercises that help kids calm down 1. Practicing them while your child is in a relaxed and calm state means they will be more receptive to trying something new, and better able to learn the technique effectively. It is recommended that you do not try any of these mindful breathing exercises for the first time while your child is distressed. We need to teach them in a fun way that they can actually understand by turning a somewhat abstract concept into something they can see and feel. The best way to teach children mindful breathing, is to provide them with visual cues and other sensory feedback which helps them improve their focus and master the technique. So simply telling them to do it isn’t going to work.
They don’t know HOW to take a deep breath. But kids don’t know what “take a deep breath” means. We often tell children to “take a deep breath” when they are feeling upset or overwhelmed. Mindful breathing alleviates stress and anxiety, and is a simple and effective way to teach children to regulate their emotions. This sends a message to the brain that there is no longer any danger present and enables your child to calm down. This leads to tension in the body, as well as rapid, shallow breathing, which can often further exacerbate stress, fear and overwhelm.ĭeep, slow breathing activates the part of the nervous system responsible for switching off the fight or flight response. When this happens, the body prepares to either escape or fight a physical threat. Why? Because when the nervous system is under stress, the fight or flight response is triggered. Mindful breathing is a simple and effective way to introduce your child to mindfulness and help them learn how to calm their minds and bodies.