This is because the breath is very closely linked with the mind. If the breath is calm, the mind is calm.
It’s easy to see how regular and steady a healthy baby’s breathing is by their tummy clearly moving up and down. Fast forward a few years and that natural skill may easily have been lost. The child might be shallow breathing, only into their upper lungs, with only the chest rising and falling. They may also be ‘inside out’ breathing, sucking their tummy in on the in-breath and expanded on the out-breath. They may also be taking quick, speedy breaths, particularly through the mouth. Mouth breathing can result in health issues. Nose breathing on both the in, and the out, breath is the healthy way to breathe.
Losing the art of natural full slow nasal breathing is common in children who have experienced early years trauma. As children enter a state of fear, the speed of their heart rate increases, and this is often matched by their breath. Breathing at an increased speed then becomes normalised and habitual, leaving them in a constant state of hyper-arousal and anxiety. Deeper breathing engages the parasympathetic nervous system which supports regulation through ‘rest and digest’ as opposed to shallow breathing in ‘fight or flight’.
Diaphragmatic nasal breathing is healthy. It supports physical, emotional and mental health through the systems it stimulates. Our children can often find it incredibly challenging. It’s important to practice with them when they are calm, so they can be encouraged towards it when aroused.
There are several ways you might engage your child in learning to breathe using their diaphragm:
· Lying down, putting a small toy on their belly and asking them to move it up and down.
· Slowly tracing up a finger breathing in, and down breathing out.
· Imagine they are breathing through their feet and the air goes straight into their belly. This is good for grounding.
· Blowing bubbles/ balloons.
Other helpful breathing techniques include:
· Focusing of the cold sensation on the end of the nose as the breath is inhaled and this changing to warmth as it is exhaled.
· Box breath: draw a box breathing in for 4, holding for 4, breathing out for 4, holding for 4.
· 7-11 Breathing. Simply counting on the in-breath 7 and out-breath 11 and using this as an extra focus. If this count feels too long when you start you can begin with counting to 4 on the in-breath and 7 on the out-breath.
· Naming “I am breathing in – I am breathing out”.
This is just a short piece to remind you about the importance of breath and practising breathing with your child. It is something you can do together. You will both benefit. It’s important to use breathing to find calm when using your grounding box. You might “share a breath” where when one of you breathes out the other breathes in, and then swap. Or passing an object from one to the other for the same purpose.
There are many resources available with more breathing ideas and tools. If you find one you and your child love, please do share it with us. Thank you.
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