Breathing for relaxation or invigoration Dr. Andrew Weil was recently a guest on the Ellen show - perhaps because of the pandemic you saw it also? He discussed the 4-7-8 breathing exercise as "life changing" and demonstrated how easy it was to do anytime, anywhere. This exercise is for lowering anxiety and calming. He has also used it for remedying health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiac Afib, headaches, sleep disorders and more.
We know that many children with special needs, and many without, struggle with anxieties. Maintaining calm, clear self regulation is a daily challenge for them. But can these techniques also assist with preventing future health ailments? | | | Begin by sitting up straight, hands on knees or laying on the floor supine (face up), hands beside legs or on abdomen to feel breathing movements. Eyes closed. This position allows chest and diaphragm to expand unrestricted. | | Inhale through nose for a count of 4. Hold for 7 count. Exhale through mouth for count of 8. Make blowing noise while exhaling. Repeat 5 times twice a day. Adjust counts as needed, but maintain the 4-7-8 ratio. Counts are fairly quickly- by the time you say 1 Mississippi 2 - all 4 inhale counts are done. | | Yoga Spinner Game Yoga is now a group game designed around fun, flexibility and balance. Players give the spinner a whirl. If they can hold the corresponding pose for 10 sec, they keep the card. First player to collect a card in each of the 4 colors, wins. Some poses even require players to work together requiring teamwork and social interaction. The 54 yoga pose cards store neatly inside the spinner making it a very compact and perfect for travel and therapy bags. | | | | | |
