The power of breathing, also for children.

Breathe .

We do it all day long and even when we are asleep we keep breathing. Your breath stays with you all your life.

But how many times a day are you aware of your breath? And do you sometimes think about how you breathe?

How you breathe is an important signal from your body that tells you how you are.

Are you breathing quickly and shallowly? Does your chest especially rise when you inhale? Then you probably feel nervous or excited. Rapid breathing increases the adrenaline and prepares you for something exciting.

Are you breathing calmly and deeply into your belly? Then you feel calm, safe and at ease. Slow breathing signals to your nervous system and body that everything is OK and that you can relax.

So your breath tells you a lot. You can even use your breathing to relax or to generate energy. Taking a moment to notice, feel, and breathe mindfully can make a big difference to your physical and emotional well-being. Also in children.

How can you teach your child to dwell on the breath, how do you teach them to relax and relax with the help of the breath? That doesn't have to be difficult at all.

There are many child-sized breathing exercises (you can find these in the basic card set 'for you and me' ) but for now we will give you this simple breathing exercise. It is one that you and your child(ren) are familiar with. It is a playful exercise, with a great impact and you can get started immediately.

It is…. blow bubbles!

While blowing bubbles you breathe in calmly and consciously through the nose and then exhale slowly and in a controlled manner through the mouth.

Blowing bubbles is not only great fun for young and old, it also helps you to reduce your stress by slowing down your exhalation. Moreover, your concentration and focus will improve because if you blow too hard, the bubbles will burst. If you blow in the wrong direction, you will have no bubbles at all.

Consciously blowing bubbles is a very simple way to take a moment to think about your breath and experience peace and relaxation.

After blowing, you can watch together how those glittering soap bubbles float away and gently splash apart. To blow even more bubbles of course!

Blowing bubbles is playful, accessible and beneficial for body and mind. Win win! So grab that bubble bladder, go outside and deliberately blow bubbles with your child(ren)!

Are you in?

The breathing exercise is part of the breaths from the card set 'for you and me'. Discover them in the webshop.