Mindful Breathing Exercises for Little Minds
posted on Dec 28, 2023
Gurukul The School, one of the schools in ghaziabad, understand the significance of breathing exercises for the overall health of children and have thus maintained a special place for them in our pedagogy.
We are delighted to share that our Gurukul Gem, Vanshika, made us proud by bringing home a bronze medal in the recently conducted State Yoga Championship 2023. Needless to say, Vanshika has earned the medal owing to her discipline and commitment to practicing the art of Yoga regularly with undying zeal and passion. We at Gurukul The School, ranked among the top 5 CBSE schools in Ghaziabad, firmly believe that mindfulness is something each one of us, irrespective of age or gender, must practice regularly. This is why we constantly encourage our pupils to invest their time in the areas of yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, etc.
We have always been of the opinion that in order to get the best out of children and tap on their inner hidden talent, it is essential that they move forward in life with a clear mind. This is something where breathing exercises help immensely. In today's blog, we will shed light on how breathing exercises can contribute positively to the lives of young minds.
Understanding the basics
While many of you may relate breathing to the organic human functionality where you inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide to keep your heart beating, this isn't what we are attempting to focus on here.
What we are really bent upon is the "purposeful act" of regulating and concentrating on one's breath by working out different breathing forms like deep breathing, pranayam, anulom vilom, etc.
The goal here is to watch one's breath in order to free oneself from mental turmoil, anxiety, lack of clarity, distress, and other severe physical and mental ailments as well. Let's go further deep into this from the perspective of children.
Here's why every child needs exposure to mindful breathing exercises:
- Living in the moment with Anulom Vilom
In times when a fast-paced life has become a common scenario, what's really important for the overall well-being of children is access to the stable and calm side of life. We at Gurukul The School have observed that the mindful breathing exercise Anulom Vilom works well in this regard as it pulls children out from the dark hole of unhealthy competition, 24/7 running behind the clock, and the unsaid perpetual struggle of making oneself and one's immediate associates proud.
Anulom Vilom is basically done by first blocking one nostril with the thumb while the ring finger remains on the other nostril. Next, breathe in from the nostril on which the ring finger is placed and exhale while opening up the blocked nostril. This practice needs to be alternated between nostrils for at least 12 times.
- Sowing the seeds to self-aware souls with Bhramari
If there is one pre-requisite that can help shape children into well-informed, well-groomed, and responsible individuals, it has to be self-awareness.
Self-awareness can be introduced into children’s lives by teaching them to practice Bhramari or Honeybee Humming. To practice this breathing asana, you need to close your eyes and inhale deeply from your nose. The next step involves a slow exhale wherein you need to make a humming sound like a bee buzz. Surely effective in getting to know oneself better.
- Improved Emotional Regulation with 5 Finger, Abdomen, Deep Breathing
We humans are emotional beings. At Gurukul The School, we see this as the most relevant to children because, in their growing-up years, emotions are a new concept and their understanding scarce. That said, one cannot make the mistake of overlooking the criticality of emotions in molding children's present and future.
This is where introducing children to five-finger breathing, abdomen breathing, and deep breathing becomes useful. Five-finger breathing works around a 5-5-5 format. Inhale at a count of 5 seconds, exhale at a count of 5 seconds, and wait for 5 seconds.
Abdominal breathing involves leading the belly to grow with breath with one hand placed on the belly and the other on the chest. Deep breathing has to do with passing a few deep and conscious breaths.
Conclusion
Mindful breathing exercises have a strong history of helping mankind get rid of the unnecessary stress buildup. They are associated with bringing calmness and peace to the human mind. Be it adults or children, both benefit massively from these exercises. The key, however, lies in consistency.
We at Gurukul The School, one of the schools in ghaziabad, understand the significance of breathing exercises for the overall health of children and have thus maintained a special place for them in our pedagogy. We have witnessed how beautifully mindful breathing exercises navigate a boost in self-awareness and resilience in children. We would thus like to urge parents to encourage your kids to regularly practice breathing exercises so that they can successfully embark on a lifelong journey of health and well-being effortlessly.