An Exercise: Breath of Joy

Ever felt like you just need a quick burst of energy to continue with your day? Find yourself going for the umpteenth cup of coffee or energizer drink? Well here is an exercise you can try to help you feel alert and bring back focus. It is called the breath of joy. There are four parts to it. Make sure you have space  and are standing in an isolated space as to not disturb anyone. This exercise entails you to take three short inhales and exhaling in one big “ha!”.

Each inhale has an arm movement:                                                                                 

1. arms lift to the front-inhale,

2. arms move to the side-inhale,

3. arms swing upward-inhale, and

4. swing arms and upper body down-exhale “ha!”

It may sound silly but this exercise will have you smiling or laughing after the first try. We have tried this activity with first and second graders and find that it would work well when students need a boost of energy or even when they are jittery and need to bring back focus to the tasks at hand. Overall, the exercise is suitable for anyone who needs a little burst of joy!

An Option: Brain Breaks

At the “gonoodle” website (https://www.gonoodle.com/), teachers can find exercises that can help them calm the classroom or energize their students as they see fit throughout the day. Thus far, we have been working with a first and second grade classroom, teaching them different tools for their mindful toolboxes. Along the same lines as our classroom exercises is the calming exercise, called “airtime”. It is a breathing exercise that helps calm students and regain focus. As they practice breathing in and out, they ‘travel’ across the country (U.S) in an air bubble learning different state facts. In addition to this exercise, there are others that help students get re-energized such as “to the Maximo” which has students get up and stretch their bodies. Such an activity would be a part of mindful movement as long as students were focused on how their bodies were moving, how it made them feel, and the effects the activity had on their whereabouts afterward. The activities only take five minutes and if utilized efficiently, can have great results.

Because when kids are active throughout the day, they can be themselves: awesome, engaged, ready to learn.

An Exercise: Mindful Breathing

We all go through stressful times whether it be at home, at school, or at work. Here is a quick tool to place in your handy mindful toolbox to help you relax and regain calmness: Breathing Meditation 

It is a simple exercise that involves just your breathing and once you learn how to do it, can be done anytime, anywhere.  Click on the hyperlink above and it will take you to a guided meditation clip. As Diana Winston says in the clip, “offer yourself some appreciation for doing this practice…finding a sense of ease and well-being for yourself and this day.” Enjoy!