7_Mindful Breathing 3-5

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. —L. Frank Baum Mindful Breathing At Home Resources Level: Upper Elementary (3-5) Concepts: • Breathing • Coping Skills • Mindfulness Big Ideas For This LessonMindfulness means to pay attention, so mindful breathing means to pay attention to yourbreath. Mindful breathing is an effective method for increasing positive emotions, focus, memory,attention, and compassion while decreasing stress and negative emotions. All that is needed formindful breathing is to pause and pay attention to each moment of breath.Two simple ways to practice mindful breathing are: 1) To silently repeat the words ‘in’ and ‘out’ witheach in-breath and out-breath. 2) To count your breaths up to 5-10 breaths and then start over atzero, repeating this for several minutes. We practice mindful breathing so that we can learn to becalm, focused, and successful in life. Essential Vocabulary Mindful Breathing: Paying attention to, or bringing awareness to, your breath including breath quality, rhythm, physical sensations and emotional states. The practice of Mindful Breath involves making awareness of your breath your single point of focus, concentration, and attention. Mindfulness of Breath is one of three anchors of mindfulness.© 2018 Empowering Education, Inc. PAGE 1 of 2 All rights reserved.

MINDFUL BREATHING | GRADES 3-5 PracticePractice two minutes of mindful breathing with the candle and flower breath.Gather together a candle (you can light it if you feel your student is old enough) and a flower. Beginning with theflower, have the student take a deep breath (remind them slow and deep) through their nose as if they are smellingthe flower. When they are breathing in the flower, have them pretend they are breathing ingood, calm feelings. Instruct them to hold the breath for 2 seconds.Then, release the breath slowly and gently enough that the candle stays lit, pretending that they are breathing outthe negative feelings. Repeat 3 more times.Note: If you do not have a candle and flower, use another object (or imagination) to focus on as you breathe.Optional: Set aside a specific time of day (e.g., two minutes every morning) to practice mindful breathing for a week.You might choose to incorporate mindful breathing into your everyday routine. Student Resources • The Relaxation and Stress Workbook for Kids: Help for Children to Cope with Stress, Anxiety and • Meditation Is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids by Whitney Stewart (Grades K – 4) • Mindfulness Activities for Young Children (PDF) • Mindfulness for Kids I: 7 Children’s Meditations & Mindfulness Practices to Help Kids Be More Focused, Calm and Relaxed: Seven Meditation Scripts with Warm-up & Follow-up Activities (Audio CD) by Dr. Nicola Kluge (Grades K – 7) • Mindfulness for Kids II: 7 Children’s Stories & Mindfulness Practices to Help Kids Be More Focused, Calm and Relaxed by Dr. Nicola Kluge (Audio CD) (Grades K – 7) • Ready, Set, Breathe: Practicing Mindfulness with Your Children for Fewer Meltdowns and a More Peaceful Family by Carla Naumburg (Grades K – 5) Adult Resources • Free Guided Meditations (Podcast) by UCLA Health • Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness in and out of the Classroom (Book) by Meena Srinivasan • The Zen of Basketball (Article) by Tovin Lapan • Three Minute Mindful Breathing Meditation (Video) by Stop, Breath and Think • The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students (Book) by Daniel Rechtschaffen© 2018 Empowering Education, Inc. PAGE 2 of 2 All rights reserved.