Teacher and Parents!
Welcome to the Kids’ Yoga Lab Blog
Teachers and Parents!
Welcome to the Kids’ Yoga Lab Blog
Where I mix science and storytelling, facts and philosophy, wisdom and practical tips into one Blog full of data, fun, and magic.
Shall we start with THE BEST and MOST underrated Yoga and Mindfulness tool?
The story bellow is based on real facts, you are more then welcomed to use as a marketing tool to explain the power of the breath to the parents and professionals that you serve.
The breath spell
The breath spell
“Now?”
“No, in 20 minutes.”
Here I go, taking my needle-phobic daughter to a surprise vaccination. Luckily, I know how stress works, and even better, I am an expert on bossing the naughty physio-psycho-social-biologically driven process.
“Darling, exhale,” I say.
“Sorry, mum. What?”
“Exhale, please.”
“Now inhale and exhale as you want to make the window smoky, like this ahhhhhhhhh. She does it.”
I tell her that she is going to the pharmacy. The eyes that are already two lanterns turn into lighthouses – slow breathing – focus on your breath – the breath goes in and slowly out – ahhhhhhhh.
Fast forward to the pharmacy – she feels like a breathing jelly.
Then…
Vaccination – done. Panic – averted. Trauma – cancelled.
But why? What happened inside of her? Why the exhale and not the inhale? How did the Yogis know that slow breathing is so calming?
In the world of Yoga, the breath reigns supreme, and it’s fascinating to see Western Science beginning to embrace the timeless wisdom that Yoga has cherished for millennia.
So, let’s mix the sciences to understand why:
- The breath is always with us, so we use it to bring us back to the present moment. (AnAlayo, 2019)
- The sound of the breath helps draw our senses inward, a concept known as Pratyahara in Yoga, which is one of the eight limbs of Patanjali. Western science has yet to catch up on the benefits of focusing on the breath through sound and sensation. However, do we really need science to tell us this? You can test it yourself and let me know!
- Constricting the throat while breathing simulates the Ujjayi breath technique, which has been shown to have numerous benefits. (Mahour & Verma, 2017; Niranjan & Balaram, 2022)
Now, you might not know why being in the present is the key or what Ujjayi breathing is, or maybe you know but need the hard truth of scientific facts. Perhaps you need to know…
– If you play mindfulness or loving and kindness meditation to prepare the child for a change in routine.
– If you choose a child pose or down-dog for that sequence to calm their brains.
– How to adapt Yoga Nidra to fix the sleepless nights.
– What breathing technique is the best for learning maths.
– Or how to live in the harmony and expansion of love and compassion.
Wherever place you are in the Kids’ Yoga journey, I have the right scientific directions to take to your destination. So follow me on any of the socials, and please share your thoughts via the comments so we can all join you in this beautiful Yoga and Mindfulness voyage.
Reference
AnAlayo, B. (2019). Meditation on the Breath: Mindfulness and Focused Attention. Mindfulness, 10(8), 1684–1691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01169-9
Mahour, J., & Verma, P. (2017). Effect of Ujjayi Pranayama on cardiovascular autonomic function tests. National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 7(4), 391-. https://doi.org/10.5455/njppp.2017.7.1029809122016
Niranjan, P., & Balaram, P. (2022). Immediate Effect of Ujjayi Pranayama on Attention and Anxiety among University Students: A Randomised Self-control Study. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 16(2), VC01–VC04. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2022/51480.15934
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