I’m away for the weekend at a yoga training conference. I’ll be learning about teaching simple yoga practices to children through the art of play, music and fun. It focuses on introducing children to the general aspects of yoga, specifically the importance of the breath and movement. I was just looking over the manual before the course started and found some interesting points. In particular, I drew attention to this paragraph:
“Teach simple breathing techniques to children – medical research speaks about the intimate relationship between our breathing patterns and our physical, emotional and mental health. Breathing affects our respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal and muscular systems. It also has a general effect on our sleep, memory, energy levels and concentration. By refining and improving the quality of our breathing, we can feel its positive impact on all aspects of our being.”
I already knew how crucial our breath really is, but it’s easy to forget. Throughout a yoga class, you’re constantly reminded about aligning your breath with your movement. Even if you don’t do yoga, it’s so important to incorporate deep breathing into your life. It has numerous benefits that will positively affect the quality of your life. We generally use only 5-10% of our lung capacity, so start breathing deeper today. Draw the breath all the way down, way deep inside your body and use 100% of your lung capacity!
