Example Week 22: Cool It Breathe with Stuart Sandeman
Breathwork for emotions
We all get angry sometimes. It’s part of human nature and sometimes this strong feeling can come from nowhere and it’s difficult to know what to do with this feeling when you experience it in the body. Where do you feel anger in your body? You may notice you feel your anger in your jaw, belly or sometimes you can feel it within your whole body. Next time you are feeling angry or frustrated, and it’s completely OK to feel this way, here’s a great breathing exercise to help you release this anger without acting angry. You should notice you are feeling lighter in just a few rounds but the longer you can practice for the better you can feel.
Habit Anchors
This is a good one to teach children if they have had a burst of anger. A few rounds of this breath exercise can help dissolve any heated emotions and help children feel calm and centred again. Practice any time of day to help cool the system down.
Benefits
o Calms the nervous system
o Releases anger and stress
o Relaxes the mind
o Transforms negative feelings
Tweak the Technique
Tuesday: Ask the children where they feel tightness or tension in the body. Does their feel jaw tense or are their shoulders slightly raised to their ears? Ask them to take 3 slow breaths and imagine the tension melting away.
Wednesday: Can you ask the children to write down (or talk about for younger children) 3 things that make them angry? Ask them next time they feel angry to take 3 deep belly breaths and slow breaths before they act.
Thursday: Ask the children where they feel ‘anger’ in their body. Then ask them to place their hands over this area and take three calming breaths in through the nose and out through the nose. This will make them feel calm and relaxed.
Friday: Can the children draw or paint what they feel ‘anger’ looks like. Then ask them to take 3 calming belly breaths or enjoy the Cool It Breathe whilst looking at this picture. You can ask them to imagine this if there is limited time / resources to get creative today.
Downloadable Materials
