The magic breath

Calming and empowering through mindful breathing**

When your child feels overwhelmed or restless, The Magic Breath offers a simple yet powerful way to help her find calm. This playful breathing technique combines movement, imagination, and mindfulness to reduce stress and encourage emotional regulation.

Materials needed

• None.

Instructions

1. Introduce the activity. Say, "Let’s do some magic breathing to feel better! We’ll use our breath to bring in calm and let go of worries."
2. Demonstrate the breath. Inhale deeply while raising your arms slowly above your head, showing how to create a flowing movement with the breath.
3. Exhale slowly. Lower your arms as you exhale, letting the movement mirror the calming release of breath.
4. Invite your child to join. Encourage her to imagine inhaling something calming (like her favorite color or a peaceful feeling) and exhaling worries or tension.
5. Repeat together. Continue for 3-5 breaths, letting the movement and rhythm guide you both into a calmer state.

Tips

• Use vivid imagery. Invite her to imagine breathing in a soothing color, a scent she loves, or even a magical sparkle.
• Focus on rhythm. Keep the breaths slow and steady to maximize the calming effect.
• Adapt the movement. If raising arms is too much, have her place her hands on her belly to feel it rise and fall with each breath.
• Make it fun. Frame it as a magical game, pretending the breath has special powers to "blow worries away."

Expected outcome

• Immediate calm. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to reduce stress.
• Mind-body connection. Combines physical movement with mindful breathing to ground and soothe.
• Empowerment. Gives her a simple, accessible tool she can use independently to regulate emotions.

Why this works

The Magic Breath leverages the calming effects of deep, rhythmic breathing. This type of breathwork increases oxygen flow to the brain, reducing cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and activating the parasympathetic nervous system to promote relaxation. By incorporating movement, the exercise also engages the body, which can help release tension and make the breathing feel more engaging.

Using imagination—like visualizing a calming color—enhances the experience by tapping into the right brain, which processes emotions and sensory input. Over time, practicing this tool empowers your child to use mindful breathing as a self-regulation strategy whenever she feels anxious or dysregulated.

Further Reading:

For more on mindful breathing techniques for children, check out Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snel.

Final word

The Magic Breath is a playful yet effective way to help your child manage her emotions and find calm in stressful moments. Try using it during transitions, before bedtime, or whenever she needs a gentle reset. Let us know how it works for you in the comments below, and subscribe to our newsletter for more tools to support your child’s emotional resilience and mindfulness.