Help Children to Calm and Focus
Breathing
Exercise
CARDS FOR KIDS
www.KidsYogaStories.com
© Kids Yoga Stories
BREATHING EXERCISE TIPS
• Breathing techniques can be practiced
in various positions, such as sitting
comfortably cross-legged on the
ground, sitting in a chair, sitting on
your heels in Hero Pose, or lying flat
on your back in Resting Pose.
• Don’t worry if you don’t get the
breathing technique the first time. Go
easy on yourself and keep practicing.
Think of this as a lifelong practice that
evolves over time.
• The most important part is to become
aware of your breathing. Feel the rise
and fall of your breath and how your
breathing affects your body.
• These breathing techniques are
meant to inspire you with ideas, so
feel free to encourage the children’s
imagination and creativity.
© Kids Yoga Stories
BREATHING EXERCISE TIPS
(continued)
• On each exhale, work on releasing
stress and tension from your mind and
body.
• The number of breaths you practice
will depend on the age, energy levels,
and needs of your children. Tune into
your children, and you’ll know what is
best for them.
• Familiarize yourself with the breathing
technique before introducing it to your
children.
• Focus on playing around with these
breathing techniques and keep it light-
hearted and fun.
• Be engaging and enthusiastic as you try
new breathing exercises together.
© Kids Yoga Stories
BREATHING EXERCISE TIPS
(continued)
• Feel free to add your own props, music,
relaxation stories, or songs to make the
experience more meaningful for your
children.
• Set up the environment beforehand so
the children know what to expect by
practicing these breathing exercises. Slow
down, capture their attention, and help
them focus.
• . ractice specific breathing exercises that
P
match your learning topic. For example,
practice Flower Breath with your studies
of spring.
• After repeating the breathing exercise a
few times, open your eyes and come to
breathing naturally. Feel the effects of the
breath.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Deep Belly
Breath
© Kids Yoga Stories
DEEP BELLY BREATH
Place your right hand on your belly and your
left hand on your chest. Take a deep breath
in for four counts then exhale through your
nose for four counts, with your lips closed.
Feel the rise and fall of your chest and belly.
If you’re on your back, you could place
an object, like a stuffed animal, on your
stomach to help you feel (and see) the rise
and fall of your belly. Do this deep belly
breathing for a few minutes.
IMAGINE
Different things you are grateful for
during each inhale and exhale.
© Kids Yoga Stories
CHAIR
Yoga Poses
Cards
FOR KIDS
www.KidsYogaStories.com
© Kids Yoga Stories
CHAIR YOGA TIPS
• These yoga cards are a guide.
Adapt or change the chair yoga poses
to suit your needs.
• Focus on having fun with movement,
not on practicing perfectly aligned poses.
• Engage the children. Follow their
passions and interests.
• Create authentic, meaningful
experiences.
• Cater to their energy levels and
different learning styles.
• Be creative and enjoy yourselves,
but please be safe.
• Ensure that the chairs are firm and
steady so that the poses are safe to
practice.
• Gently introduce the idea of linking
breath to movement.
© Kids Yoga Stories
CHAIR YOGA TIPS
(continued)
• Add breathing techniques that suit your
needs.
• Finish each chair yoga session in a
resting pose to allow time for peace
and quiet.
For chair yoga monthly theme ideas, see:
http://www.kidsyogastories.com/
chair-yoga-ideas-for-kids/
© Kids Yoga Stories
Camel Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
CAMEL POSE
Come to a sitting position, with your feet
flat on the ground and your legs together.
Lift your head, open your chest, squeeze
your shoulders, and place your hands on
the back of the chair. Gently press your
hips forward while shifting your shoulders
back, slowly arching your back. Look up,
keeping your spine neutral.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Cat Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
CAT POSE
From a sitting position with your feet
flat on the ground, round your back and
tuck your chin into your chest, stretching
your back.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Child’s Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
CHILD’S POSE
Sit back on your chair, slowly bend your
upper body to rest on your thighs, rest
your arms down toward the floor, and
take a few deep breaths.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Cobra Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
COBRA POSE
Come to sit at the front of your chair.
Open your chest, squeeze your shoulder
blades together, look up, and bring your
hands to the back of the chair. Arch into
a baby backbend.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Crescent Moon
Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
Eagle Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
EAGLE POSE
Come to sitting up tall on your chair with
your feet planted firmly on the ground.
Wrap your left leg around your right.
Bring your bent arms out in front of
you, wrap your right arm around your
left arm, and bend your knees slightly.
Switch sides and repeat the steps.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Extended
Mountain Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
EXTENDED
MOUNTAIN POSE
Sit comfortably on your chair with your
feet flat on the ground, look up, take
your arms straight up to the sky, and
touch your palms together.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Extended Side
Angle Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
EXTENDED
SIDE ANGLE POSE
Sit toward the front of your chair with
your feet flat on the ground and your legs
and feet together. Tilt your upper body
forward, then twist to the right, rest your
left elbow on your right knee, lengthening
your left hand toward the ground. Look
up and reach your right arm straight up to
the sky. Repeat on the other side.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Knees to Chest
© Kids Yoga Stories
KNEES TO CHEST
Sit tall on your chair with your feet flat on
the ground. Bend your right knee and hug
it close to your chest. Then place it down
again. Switch sides and repeat the steps.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Resting Pose
© Kids Yoga Stories
RESTING POSE
Sit comfortably in your chair. Rest your
forehead on your folded arms on your
desk. Rest and breathe.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Seated Twist
© Kids Yoga Stories
SEATED TWIST
Sit upright in your chair. Check that your
spine is straight and your feet are flat on
the ground. Twist your upper body to the
right. Take your left hand to your right
knee and your right hand back behind
the chair. Repeat on the other side.
© Kids Yoga Stories
www.kidsyogastories.com
Copyright © 2017 by Giselle Shardlow
Illustrations by Valerie Bouthyette
All images © 2017 Giselle Shardlow
Find printing instructions here:
www.kidsyogastories.com/about-menu/printing-instructions
Sign up for our Kids Yoga Stories newsletter here:
www.kidsyogastories.com/sign-up
These digital yoga cards are intended for personal use
only. Please do not forward these files on to anyone
else. Personal use means non-commercial use of
the PDF downloads for making prints or soft copy
reference. The digital files may not be used in any way
whatsoever in which you charge money or collect
fees. The author, illustrators, and publisher accept no
responsibility or liability for any injuries or losses that
may result from practicing the yoga poses outlined in
these yoga cards. Please ensure your own safety and
the safety of the children.
[email protected]
www.pinterest.com/kidsyogastories
www.facebook.com/kidsyogastories
www.twitter.com/kidsyogastories
www.amazon.com/author/giselleshardlow
www.goodreads.com/giselleshardlow
Developing a Personal Toolbox:
Working with a Class or Group of Students
1. Introduce vocabulary for determining current level of arousal as per gauge shown at
training and use it daily until students feel confident with this language and model. You
can also use language like: “How was is your engine running? Are you feeling that like
you could go as fast as a Cheetah or as slow as a turtle? (This is from the Alert Program)
2. Expose students to a variety of “Tools” (see Calming/ Alerting activities) using this
protocol:
Current Introduce a "Tool or Current
State Technique during a State
Break"
3. Have students indicate what effect the tool had on them by placing their name tag on a
tally board:
This tune up made me:
Slow down Stay the same Speed up
Ready, Set, Regulate! By Lynda Swain, Occupational Therapist and Anna Lenarczyk, Inclusion Support Teacher; SD 43: Learning
Services- Self-Regulation
4. Record where most students were with the break? Engines got revved up? Down?
5. When recording include only strategies that have been tried and have proven to be
effective for that student
• Soft Starts with Sensory Bins/Free choice of activities
• Soft Starts or breaks with music (soft, slow)
• Breaths
• Breaths and Movement
• Go Noodle
• Breaths and Yoga (Chair or Floor) kids bring washable mats from home to outline
their spaces
• Walks, field trips, learning activities outside
• Water bottles and individual personal crunchy snacks
• Opportunity to use seating tools/standing/floor mats for learning
• Having a chill out/calm corner in your classroom
• Other ideas:
ELEMENTS FOR ALL BREAKS for Now:
Learning Target: I can return to my activity ready to learn!
Check-In with Gauge
Activity
Check-Out
Ready, Set, Regulate! By Lynda Swain, Occupational Therapist and Anna Lenarczyk, Inclusion Support Teacher; SD 43: Learning
Services- Self-Regulation
Count Down
to Calm
© Kids Yoga Stories
COUNT DOWN TO CALM
Take your right hand out in front of you,
fingers spread. Take in a deep inhale, then
exhale slowly while counting down from
5 to 1 and bringing a finger down for each
count. Bring your thumb down; count
“one.” Bring your second finger down;
count “two.” Bring your middle finger
down; count “three.” Bring your ring finger
down; count “four.” Bring your pinky finger
down; count “five.” Then take a deep inhale
for five counts while slowly spreading open
your fingers. Repeat the steps a few times
until you feel calm.
IMAGINE
Your fingers are foxes
and they go home to their den.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Figure Eight
Breath
© Kids Yoga Stories
FIGURE EIGHT BREATH
Take your pointer finger out in front of you.
As you trace a figure “8” in the air, practice
inhaling and exhaling deeply. Focus your
eyes on your moving finger and feel your
belly expand and contract with your deep
belly breathing.
VARIATION
Trace a zero or any other shape.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Flower Breath
© Kids Yoga Stories
Flying Bird
Breath
© Kids Yoga Stories
FLYING BIRD BREATH
Standing in Mountain Pose, imagine being
a bird flying through the sky. As you inhale,
lift your arms over your head, touching
your palms together. Then as you exhale,
bring your arms back down to your sides,
touching your palms to your outer thighs.
Continue this flow for a few minutes,
pretending to sync the movements of your
body with the motion of flapping wings.
VARIATION
Be a butterfly flapping its wings
or a peacock opening its feathers.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Hoberman
Breath
© Kids Yoga Stories
HOBERMAN BREATH
Bring your Hoberman sphere in front of
your chest. Inhale slowly, expanding the
Hoberman sphere to mimic your chest
expanding with your deep breath. As you
exhale slowly, make the Hoberman sphere
smaller to mimic pushing the air from your
lungs. Repeat this exercise a few times.
IMAGINE
The Hoberman sphere is a balloon
or a ball that you are blowing up.
© Kids Yoga Stories
Lion’s Breath
© Kids Yoga Stories
LION’S BREATH
Come to an all-fours position (or Hero
Pose). Then take a deep breath in through
your nose then look forward. As you
exhale, open your mouth, stick out your
tongue, and exhale audibly, making a
“ha” sound. Repeat the steps, ending by
exhaling through your mouth with your
tongue out, pretending to be a lion. Repeat
the lion’s breath a few times while it feels
comfortable then breathe naturally.
VARIATION
Be a dragon breathing fire.
© Kids Yoga Stories
www.kidsyogastories.com
Find printing instructions here:
www.kidsyogastories.com/about-menu/printing-instructions
Sign up for our Kids Yoga Stories newsletter here:
www.kidsyogastories.com/get-updates
Learn yoga card games here:
www.kidsyogastories.com/yoga-cards-for-kids-games
Copyright © 2018 by Giselle Shardlow
Illustrations by Valerie Bouthyette
Images © 2018 Giselle Shardlow
These digital breathing cards are intended for personal
use only. Please do not forward these files on to anyone
else or post on the internet. Personal use means non-
commercial use of the PDF downloads for making prints
or soft copy reference. The digital files may not be used
in any way whatsoever in which you charge money or
collect fees. The author, illustrators, and publisher accept
no responsibility or liability for any injuries or losses
that may result from practicing the breathing exercises
outlined in these breathing cards. Please ensure your
own safety and the safety of the children.
[email protected] www.pinterest.com/kidsyogastories
www.facebook.com/kidsyogastories
www.twitter.com/kidsyogastories
www.amazon.com/author/giselleshardlow
www.goodreads.com/giselleshardlow
