Breathing

Make yourself comfortable. Lie down or sit up, spine straight, legs uncrossed…Take a slow, deep breath…Continue to take slow, deep breaths…Soon you will begin to feel very relaxed…This is how most guided visualizations begin. -Iris Martin

Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page to see our breathing cards.

1. Lie on your back with your legs flat on the floor. If you feel comfortable, you may close your eyes. Place your arms by your side and feel your body relax.

2. Place a stuffed animal on your belly. When you breathe in, watch the stuffed animal move up. When you breathe out, watch the stuffed animal gently fall back down.

Find a rhythm with your breathing as you observe the stuffed animal rock up and down with each breath.

1. Imagine that you are holding a candle.

2. Take a deep breath in through your nose and hold for a brief second.

3. Breathe out through your mouth toward the candle. Do not blow the flame out, but instead watch the flame flicker gently.

4. Take a gentle breath in and out.

5. Take a gentle breath in and out.

6. Take one final deep breath in and now blow out the candle.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight and body relaxed.

2. Breathe in gently through your nose and silently count one in your mind. Breathe out through your nose and raise one finger.

3. Breathe in through your nose and silently count two in your mind. Breathe out through your nose and raise two fingers.

4. Breathe in through your nose and silently count three in your mind. Breathe out through your nose and raise three fingers.

Relax your shoulders and gently open your eyes.

1. Imagine that there is a beautiful flower in front of you.

2. Look at all of the vibrant colors. Imagine how delicate the flower is as you count each petal. Imagine how sweet the flower smells.

3. Take a deep sniff of the flower.

4. Let the air out of your mouth.

5. Take another deep sniff of the flower.

6. Let the air out of your mouth.

1. Find a partner and sit on the floor back to back.

2. Sit up straight and close your eyes.

3. One partner will begin by breathing in deeply and then exhaling slowly.

4. Their partner will feel the expansion in their partner’s back each time they breathe in and out.

5. The other person will begin to breathe and will try to match their breathing to their partner’s breathing.

1. Sit up straight and get into a comfortable position in your chair.

2. Place your hands around your mouth as if you are about to blow up a balloon.

3. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

4. Start to spread your hands out as if you are blowing up a big balloon.

5. Hold your hand position as you inhale again and then spread your hands further as you exhale.

6. Raise your hands to the sky as you let the balloon go.

1. Then breathe out to a count of four and wait for a count of four before breathing again.

2. Repeat this one more time.

3. This time you will draw a square in the air to keep you on track.