As a parent, you can help your child learn “calm breathing.”
This will help them to ease anxiety and anger on their own, as well as minimize
the intensity of "big feelings.”
Teaching your children to use calm
breathing to regulate their emotions is important because it shows them how to
change their breathing to decrease the effects of their emotions.
It is helpful to practice with your child daily and while
they are calm. If they learn to do it comfortably in a calm place, they will
become secure in their breathing skills and able to use them when experiencing “big
feelings.”
BELLY BREATH:
Lying down on your back, place a hand or a small toy (like a stuffed animal or
rubber duck) on your belly. Breath. Watch your hand or toy rise and fall as you
inhale and exhale deeply and slowly through your nose.
BUNNY BREATH:
Pretend you are a bunny sniffing a flower. Take three quick inhales in through
your little bunny nose and then one long exhale (like it was the most beautiful
smelling flower ever) through your mouth. Repeat at least 3 times.
WHALE BREATH:
Take a deep breath in through your nose and hold it while you count to five.
Then tilt your head up to exhale through your whale blow-hole (your mouth).
This is a good one to use when you feeling angry.
SNAKE BREATH:
Breathe in through your nose, then slowly breathe out with a hissing sound for
as long as you can. Try this breath seated or in cobra pose (lying on your
belly, arch upward toward the sky with the inhale and lower down to your belly
on the exhale).
