🎈 Calm Down with Balloon Breaths

Hello. Today we are going to watch a slow, calm episode. How do we settle our bodies when we feel sad, cross or excited? Let’s learn together.

Sometimes we feel sad, cross or very excited. Then our breathing gets faster and our heart pounds. Our body is in a flurry. But slow breathing can calm it down.

Now let’s play a game. Imagine a tiny balloon in your tummy. When you breathe in, the balloon gets bigger. When you breathe out, the balloon gets smaller. That’s all.

Let’s try it together. Sit comfortably. Breathe in slowly through your nose: one, two, three, four. The balloon in your tummy is growing. Now hold for a moment. Then breathe out slowly: one, two, three, four. The balloon is shrinking.

One more. Breathe in slowly: one, two, three, four. The balloon is growing. Hold. Now breathe out slowly: one, two, three, four. Let your shoulders go soft.

One more, the last one. Breathe in: one, two, three, four. Hold. Breathe out: one, two, three, four. Well done, that was lovely.

Look how slow and long your breathing is now. Your heart is calming down too. You can do balloon breathing anywhere: in class, at home, on the way. Nobody will even notice.

There are other calming ways too. Breathe in as if you are smelling a flower, and breathe out as if you are blowing out a candle. Go into your shell like a turtle and rest. Or count five things you can see around you. You can try them all in the game.

Lovely. When our fast breathing slows down, our body calms down too. Remember the balloon in your tummy: in, hold, out. Now try it in Balloon Breathing!