Five Finger Breathing

It's just another 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭 Monday. Anyone else get that song stuck in your head every Monday, or is it just me? Let's try another mindful breathing exercise to make today more mindful than it is manic.

As you might have noticed by now, I really like breathing exercises that give children something tangible to show them how to breathe. Just saying "take a deep breath" doesn't really mean much to most children, so when we can give them something that actually shows what that looks like, then we're that much closer to having it be an effective exercise.

This mindful breathing exercise is a favorite of mine because it requires nothing but a hand. Demonstrate this first for your child, then do it together a few times until she gets the hang of it.

Hold one hand out and take your index finger from your other hand and trace up from the base of your thumb, breathing in as you do so. When you reach the top of your thumb, pause for a moment, and then breathe out as your trace down your thumb. At the bottom of your thumb, pause again, before inhaling as you trace up your index finger. Continue breathing in as you trace up each finger, pausing at the top, breathing out as you trace down each finger, and pausing again at the bottom.

The next time you notice your child becoming overwhelmed, frustrated, or in need of refocusing, remind him to hold out his hand and do some five finger breathing.