Breath Practice:
Waterfall Breath
Waterfall Breath
Waterfall Breath is a engaging and fun breathing prating that incorporates and synchs movements of the body with the breath. During this practice, children use their imaginations to help them visualize a waterfall as they move and breathe. As this practice invites you to notice the breath in unison with movements of the body, it can be meditative in nature and can be both calming and energizing as a result.
reduces stress and anxiety
calms and down-regulates the nervous system
soothes the mind
releases tension in the neck, face, hands, and arms
slows down the breathing rate
lowers the heart rate and blood pressure
promotes relaxation
Instructions:
Find an alert but relaxed posture in which you can extend the spine long to breathe deeply and fully. Relax the shoulders down from the ears. Take a few rounds of mindful breathing to settle in.
Sitting or standing, take a few letting go breaths breathing in through your mouth and out through your nose.
As you inhale, raise your arms up towards the sky.
As you exhale, move your arms in wave-like motions as you move down.
Take several waterfall breaths and release the effort to breathe in this particular way. Return to a regular breath.
Notice how you feel.
Connecting your breath to your movement
Inhale your arms slowly up towards the sky
On your exhale move your arms down in a circular motion.
Repeat for a few rounds ending with your arms at your side
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 working to help build a predictable routines. 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.
Slightly longer attention spans, 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
Helpful Hints
Modeling this breath and breaking down the movements into steps, before having children engage in it may be helpful as you introduce this practice. After students have time practicing the steps they can layer and synch the breath to the movements.
Options
The Waterfall Breath can be done sitting, standing or during a yoga posture.
Precautions
Respiratory inflammation: practice moderately
Sinus congestion: breathe through the mouth as needed
Injury of neck, shoulder, rib cage, upper back: avoid or practice with care
Content from NYCDOE YMTP² curricular materials