Breathe with Kindness: "Balloon Breath". Kind Karma® Kids Yoga. Youth Empowerment of Wholeness: YEOW
Kind Karma® Key Initiative: Youth Empowerment Of Wholeness - YEOW! YEOW Promotes youth empowerment through kind karma® kid's yoga, (shamanic themed events).
"Kind Karma® Kids Yoga incorporates simple and, easy to learn, breathing methods as mindful learning tools to develop healthy coping skills. Our breathing techniques teach positive ways to channel energy, emotions and feelings, and to cope with uncomfortable, painful, conflicted or turbulent life situations." - Dean Telano
Why Do We Teach Breathing Techniques in Our Kind Karma® Kids Yoga Classes?
Kids love working with the breath!
It's fun...there's so much fun to be had with breathing exercises.
Teaching children breath awareness and breath control encourages relaxation, regulates emotions and provides stress management tools.
It teaches children how to deal with nerve-wracking, fearful or anxiety-inducing situations.
Depending how it’s done, it can energize both the body and mind.
Improves respiratory function and strengthens the muscle of respiration.
Strengthens abdominal muscles.
Improves digestion.
Clears and eases the mind before school tests or exams.
Promotes mindfulness, imagination, creativity and visualization.
They are wonderful, portable mood elevators.
Breathe with Kindness
"Create Kindness with Balloon Breathing"
Ballon Breathing Relaxation Technique
As known as: Belly Breathing, Deep Breathing or Diaphragmatic Breathing (In Rahini Yoga® we also use the term: Adham Pranayama).
Deep breathing can elicit a relaxation response in as little as 90 seconds.
How to Practice Balloon Breath
Sit on your chair, yoga mat, or floor. If you are able to, cross your legs or cross at the ankles.
Keep your spine straight and shoulders down and relaxed.
Place your hands on your belly, with your fingers forming a circle or any fun shape ("shape of the day"). As you breathe in, try to make your belly bigger, like you are blowing up a balloon. Try to breathe in through your nose. Kind Karma® Kids Yoga Tip: Another method is to place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. Take a deep breath by feeling your belly expand with air as you breathe in and deflate as you breath out while your hand on your chest does not move.
Breathe out of your mouth, pursing your lips, like you're slowly releasing the air from a balloon.
Repeat and relax.
Kind Karma's Kindness Approach with Ballon Breath
Have the children breathe in positive and, feel good, thoughts, emotions feelings or images. Have the child breathe out, release or let go of any negative thoughts, feelings or emotions.
We teach kindness and, what its is, what it feels like and what its does for others and the world.
Breathe in kindness for oneself and exhale kindness for others.
Have the child visualize their favorite colored balloon.
Additional Kind Karma Yoga® Tips
Encourage children to take deep belly breaths, not shallow chest breaths. When they breathe in, their belly should expand, and when they breathe out, their belly should contract.
Lay down. Often it’s easier to practice belly breaths if you lay down. The child can place their hands on their belly or use a stuffed animal or yoga block: placing a stuffed animal or yoga block on their stomach (by belly button) will teach the child how to belly breath. As they breathe in, the stuffed animal should rise, and when they breathe out, it should go down.
To develop concentration and focus, and promote meditation: when the child gets the hang of belly breathing, use breath counting. For instance, count to four as we breathe in, count to four as we breathe out.
Anatomy Lesson: Teach kids their lungs are like balloons - they inflate, and deflate. Teach older kids that their lungs are like sponges, too. Be yoga creative for "diaphragm facts for kids".
Adult Awaken Qigong Practice.
The photo demonstrates one method of our
"balloon breath" or "belly breathing". So much fun!!!
For More Information
Kind Karma® Yoga Website:
Awaken with Meditation Courses:
Gong & Sound Training (GST):
https://www.kindkarmawithdean.com/kind-karma-with-dean-gong-training
https://www.kindkarmawithdean.com/kind-karma-with-dean-gong-kids
Disclaimer: Any physical activity has some risk of injury. Please be aware of your child’s limitations and encourage them not to force or strain their bodies, and supervise and help as necessary. While yoga poses and breathing exercises are helpful, they are not a substitute for medical advice.
© 2020. All Rights Reserved. Dean Telano.