Breath Practice:
The Balanced Breath
Balanced Breath
This technique, helps students experiment with and explore the duration and relationship of the inhale and exhale. Scientific research has shown that the sympathetic branch of the nervous system is stimulated during an inhale, while the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system is stimulated on the exhale. This creates natural fluctuations in our heartbeats knows as a heart rate variability. High heart rate variability is seen as a marker of good cardiovascular health and overall responsiveness of the automatic nervous system. Balanced Breath, along with other mindful breathing practices has been shown in research to contribute to the dynamic balance of the automatic nervous system.
Promotes equilibrium of the automatic nervous system
Deepens awareness of breathing mechanisms
Tones breathing musculature
Focuses attention
May relieve feelings of depression, anxiety or anger
Instructions:
1. Sit in a relaxed and alert position.
2. Close your eyes if you choose or soften your gaze. Relax your jaw, the features of your face, and shoulders. Breathe in and out through the nose naturally with no extra effort.
3. Take a few full letting go breathes to begin, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
4. When you feel ready, begin to modulate the inhale and exhale so that they gradually become the same length. Breathe in to a slow, steady count of 4, and out to the same slow, steady count of 4.
5. If the count feels rushed, extend the number; if the breath feel restricted or you become anxious, reduce the number. Work with a count that feels comfortable in your body and created a feeling of ease and alertness in your mind.
6. Continue with the Balanced Breath for several minutes.
7. To release, gradually reduce and then let go of any effort to breathe in a particular way and allow the breath to come and go naturally. Pause to notice how you feel.
1. Begin to count the length of your natural inhale and your natural exhale for a few rounds.
2. Begin to slow your breath to the longer count bringing your inhale and exhale to equilibrium.
3. Inhale for your count and exhale for your count.
4. Take several rounds of your natural balanced breath, making sure your inhale and exhale are the same length.
Teaching Cues for Students
Implementation & Development
See our Child Development Page for more information to help tailor your instruction to best meet the needs of your students.
All children learn best given clear, concise, instructions, trying to reduce directional cues down to 4 steps.
Enjoys learning through games, songs, and stories. Cues for Balanced Breath can be woven into a song, built into an entry routine, or supported by fun props such as expandable spheres such as these.
Keep cues limited, simple, and be consistent with your language to help build a predictable routine. Modeling and pointing to the body parts you are engaging is useful.
Still enjoy routine, learning through games, group activity.
Appreciates praise and being noticed. After you teach the Balanced Breath, and students are comfortable and familiar, you may engage student leaders to guide the group.
With slightly longer attention spans, children may be able to take in more instructions. You might invite students to notice the connections between the Balanced Breath practice, how they feel, and the quality of their minds, and feelings.
As adolescence begins and continues, students will start to feel preoccupied with body image. It is important to cultivate a safe space for students to practice the Balanced Breath where they don’t feel singled out and they have the option to close their eyes or to soften their gaze.
As students assert a greater level of autonomy, it is important to build in more opportunities for choice and agency. If possible give students options as which breathing practice they would like to explore, or choices within that practice. This can be as simple as choosing their count, choosing the direction of the count, etc.
Video
Essential Principles
As the Balanced Breathing pattern becomes more familiar, the overall rate of breath may naturally slow. Research has suggested that the benefits of slow, deep breathing on the nervous system seem to maximize around a rate of 4-6 breathes per minute. However, the relationship between breath and the nervous system is influenced by many factors unique to the individual, and young children in particular, with their smaller bodies and higher metabolic needs, naturally have higher resting breath rates. Think of 5-6 breathes per minute as a maximum, not a goal – the subjective experience of ease and alertness matters much more than the number.
While the Balanced Breath technique uses a 1:1 ratio between inhale and the exhale, you and your students can experiment with the experience of adjusting the ratio and observing how the body and mind respond. The longer the exhale compared to the inhale, the more stimulation the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated, which may contribute to feelings of alertness.
Options
Maintaining a mental count can be frustrating, and our sense of timing often subtly and unconsciously shifts from inhale to exhale. It can be helpful to use a ticking clock or metronome to set a tempo for you to count with.
Precautions
Respiratory inflammation: practice moderately
Sinus congestion: breathe through the mouth as needed
Helpful Hints
Never overdo any breathing exercise or force your breath into a pattern that is uncomfortable. If you begin to feel anxious or lightheaded, stop practicing and breathe normally.
Practice with self-compassion and non-judgement.
Balanced Breath can be done from a seated, standing, or reclining position.
Content from NYCDOE YMTP² curricular materials