continuing on our theme of reducing stress, this time i've got another way for you to help slow down your breathing and pay attention to the in-breath and out-breath. by syncing up our breath and our body and our thoughts, and by gently lenghtening the exhale, we can change our nervous system to be more peaceful and calm.
finger tapping ::
on the inhale, count to four by tapping your pinky, then ring, then index, then pointer finger against your left thumb.
on the exhale, count to four on the right hand, using your index, middle, ring, then pinky.
it's even better if you can have a longer exhale than inhale, so you can add some extra counts by going back towards the middle, counting five, six, seven as you touch your ring, middle, and index finger again.
another option for kiddos is what i call "video game breathing" ::
on an index card, write IN on one half and OUT on the other half. kids can hold it in their hands like a video game controller and all they have to do is 'touch' IN when they're breathing in, and OUT when they're breathing out. it brings their body and breath and mind all together and is really powerful! you can also just lay the card on a table or on the ground and have them use the pointer finger of one hand to move back and forth between the IN and OUT. laying on the ground on their tummies can be a great way to really notice their breath, since the ground kind of pushes back against them! it's great to teach kids that kind of breath awareness and self-regulation, and is so simple. it's best if you do the activity with them!
sometimes when we're frustrated, it's hard not to take it out on the card ...
if you have any questions, about these practices or others, don't hesitate to reach out! my email is drstephvos@gmail.com and i love to chat about bodies :)
stay tuned the last wednesday of the month for "i've got your back" at 8:20(ish) on wtip.org's north shore morning show!
Comentarios