Mindful Breathing
Mindful breathing is a simple mindfulness activity that encourages students to focus on the sensations of their breathing. There are multiple variations of this activity that can be adapted to many grade levels. As part of the .b Mindfulness in Schools project, students are encouraged to practice 7/11 breathing, in which they count to seven while inhaling and to eleven while exhaling (TEDx Talks, 2013). For young students, Kira Willey recommends having them imagine they are a bear during hibernation, taking long, deep breaths in and out through their nose (TEDx Talks, 2018). The Greater Good Science Center, at the University of California-Berkeley, recommends having students trace their fingers while breathing, inhaling while tracing UP each finger, and exhaling as they trace DOWN it (Greater Good in Education, n.d.). The videos below, created by Headspace and Sesame Street include a few additional suggestions and guided mindful breathing exercises.


Grade Level: | All |
Materials: | None |
Duration: | 5 minutes daily, or as needed. |
Implementation: |
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References:
Greater Good in Education. (n.d.). Finger tracing: Mindful breathing for students. Greater Good Science Center: University of California- Berkeley. https://edtechbooks.org/-hZZUS
TEDx Talks. (2013, February 14). Mindfulness in schools: Richard Burnett at TEDxWhitechapel [Video]. YouTube. https://edtechbooks.org/-mpD
TEDx Talks. (2018, January 10). Bite-sized mindfulness: An easy way for kids to be happy and healthy - Kira Willey TEDxLehighRiver [Video]. YouTube. https://edtechbooks.org/-GKcC

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