<aside> 👉 Use as needed or with any other strategy.

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The breath is the most essential mindfulness tool we have and is the foundation for many other strategies. Taking a deep breath after a long day is guaranteed to calm you down. Countless studies have been done on the positive effects of deep breathing. It reduces cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in your body; has been shown to help with depression, insomnia, and PTSD; and helps to enhance sustained attention (Ma et al., 2017). In other words, it helps you stay focused for longer.

Using the breath in the classroom doesn’t need to be fancy. Guiding students through a few slow, deep breaths is all it takes. I use deep breaths to transition from one activity to the next or to open the lesson if the kids are restless. You might also choose to use the breath to reset between classes (remember that these strategies aren’t just for the students)! There are several different ways to lead deep breathing. Here are a few of my favourites:

Ocean breath. Ocean breath (Ujjayi breath in Sanskrit) is a common breathing technique in yoga that helps to create a sound as you breathe. Place the tongue at the top of the mouth and constrict the throat just a bit. When you breathe, the should be a soft sound like the waves of the ocean. Using ocean breath can give you something to focus on besides the breath itself, and the sound of the breath can also help further relaxation. Use this technique with any other breathing technique listed below.

Box breathing. To do box breathing, inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, then exhale for four counts. The 4x4x4x4 counts are what make the “box.” You can adjust the number of counts to take longer or shorter breaths, as well.

7-11 breathing. 7-11 breathing is a simple count technique to ensure that your exhales are longer than the inhales. Breathing out for longer than you breathe in helps slow your heart rate (Ma et al., 2017). To do 7-11 breathing, breathe in for seven counts and out for 11. Make sure not to count too fast, either!

Alternate-nostril breathing. To alternate-nostril breathe, close one nostril with your thumb and then inhale, then close the other nostril and breathe out the other nostril. Then, with the same nostril closed, inhale through the same nostril and repeat the process.