Pause. Listen. Breathe. Focusing in on breathing helps calm the body, decrease the heart rate, and sharpen focus. A calm body is one that can think first and then plan a response, becoming less reactive and more reflective. The more children and adults practice controlled breathing, the more their brains develop a "habit" to responding to anxiety by focusing in on their breath and self-managing their behavior. | |
Our goal is to complete this one-minute core practice 3 times daily!
Step 1: Sit down in a comfortable position, close your eyes or look down at your hands.
Step 2: Ring a chime, gong, calming bell to initiate the opening of the practice
Step 3: Take calm, slow breathes. Breathe in and out through your nose, noticing how your body rises and falls with each breath
Step 4: If your mind tries to think about other things, bring your attention back to your breathe. You can even say "breathe in" when you breathe in and "let it go" when you breathe out.
Step 5: ring the chime, gong, or calming bell to close the practice
Step 6: Open your eyes slowly and take another slow, deep breath with your eyes open.
Step 1: Sit down in a comfortable position, close your eyes or look down at your hands.
Step 2: Ring a chime, gong, calming bell to initiate the opening of the practice
Step 3: Take calm, slow breathes. Breathe in and out through your nose, noticing how your body rises and falls with each breath
Step 4: If your mind tries to think about other things, bring your attention back to your breathe. You can even say "breathe in" when you breathe in and "let it go" when you breathe out.
Step 5: ring the chime, gong, or calming bell to close the practice
Step 6: Open your eyes slowly and take another slow, deep breath with your eyes open.