Breathing exercises

Teaching kids yogic breathing can help their little lungs to face several conditions including COVID-19. Sit with your child and help them to concentrate and breath. When parents take part in kids activities it is a boon for their energy and kids will love it. Make use of lock down time family time and keep your kids in good health.

Two simple breathing exercises for kids to relax – Bumble bee breathing and finger breathing exercise

Focusing on breathing helps to relax and calms the mind. It is a traditional method to calm down and scientifically proven technique. We all get excited or tensed during examination, while participating in sports, before performing on stage. Such excitement and tension can make us forget where we are, what we are supposed to do, or we might forget what we even have to say. When we are overwhelmed at any place or anytime a focused breathing for few minutes will help to relax and refocus.

A simple breathing technique with a calm, easy and slow breath can help to overcome any such challenges. Those who get often agitated, tensed or anxious can try this finger count breathing technique.  Deep breathing helps to bring back normalcy in heart rate and blood pressure. Breathing techniques are easy fix to calm mind.  One can perform these breathing exercises anytime, anyplace and any occasion.

How to use finger breathing to calm down?

1. Either you sit or stand in a place
2. Close your eyes, if you are nervous about closing eyes then keep them open.
3. Now focus on your breath.
4. Let your shoulder be down and not shrugged.
5. Keep your hands in relaxed state – on your sides or on your lap.
6. Use right or left hand fingers to focus on breathing for next one or two minutes.

–          Touch the tip of index finger to the tip of the thumb. Breath in though the nose, slow and nice. Breath out through mouth nice and slow. Once you are done with first slow breath tell yourself “ first breath”

–          Now touch the tip of middle finger to tip of thumb. Breath in through nose -slow and nice. Breath out nice and slow through mouth. Once breathing done, say “second breath”

–          Move to the next ring finger or fourth finger. Let the tip of fourth finger touch thumb tip. Breath in through nose slowly, steadily. Release breath through mouth slowly, steadily. Once completed, say “third breath”

–          Let the tip of our pinky touch the thumb. Breath in through nose – slowly, steadily. Breathe out slow and nice though mouth. Say “that’s fourth one”.

–          See how you feel – are you relaxed, feeling better, did your anxiety has come down? If your mind says, one more breath count, then repeat another cycle of finger breathing.

 Bumble bee breathing:

Have you seen bees buzzing and moving around? You can use same buzzzz.. or hmmm sound for breathing exercise.

–          Sit at a comfortable place or if you prefer you can stand.

–          Close your eyes or keep it half open

–          Place your fingers gently on both your ears, so that you won’t hear external sound

–          Take a deep breath through your nose, let your lungs fill with air

–          Slowly exhale the air through your mouth and make hmmmmm sound or buzzzzz sound as long as you can say it while exhaling the air.

–          Repeat the bumble bee breath four to five times.

–          Once your count completed, release the ears and see how you feel? Are you feeling better or you need one more minute of bumble bee breathing? If so, repeat the buzzzzz breathing.

Kids can perform both finger and bumble bee breathing exercises

1. Whenever they feel overwhelmed
2. During lunch time
3. Before going to school
4. Before taking part in any sports events
5. Before practicing dance or singing
6. Before going on stage
7. Whenever they feel stressed

Parents or teachers can help children with these two simple and fun breathing practices. Once they understand the benefits of the exercises they will practice breathing and will stay focused because they want to remain happy.

Image credit: People photo created by yanalya – www.freepik.com (Free for commercial use)