BeWell Breathing Strategies

BeWell in School teaches mindfulness and movement-based stress reduction as a proactive behavior management system. Slow down + breathe using two BeWell guided breathing strategies below.

Balloon/Deep Belly Breath

Self-awareness

Use this breath to self -sooth and feel calm when feeling sad, hurt, overwhelmed and/or frustrated.

• Sit up nice and tall with your spine, neck and head in line.

• Feel your feet on the floor. Feel your sitz bones on the chair. Feel the crown of your head pressing towards the ceiling.

• Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let it out your nose.

• Bring your right hand to your low belly — thumb on belly button and fingers lie below.

• Take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your belly up like it’s a balloon.

• Leave your hand where it is, and exhale. Pull your belly button to your spine letting all the air out your nose.

• Repeat 6+ times.

RAINBOW Breath

Compassion & Love

Use this breath to feel grounded, calm and awake.

• Sit up nice and tall with your spine, neck and head in line.

• Let hands fall by your side — palms face up.

• Take a deep breath in through your nose and sweep your arms overhead as if you were tracing the rainbow.

• Bring your hands together overhead.

• Flip your palms and as you breathe out of your nose, retrace the rainbow all the way back to where you started.

• Visualize the colors — this rainbow is unique to you; you decide how it looks.

  1. What colors are present and what order do they come in?

  2. Is it a typical rainbow?

  3. Is it an atypical rainbow?

• See your colors reach further and further with each breath — letting your colors spread and brighten up the world around you.

• Repeat 6+ more times.

Learn more about BeWell in School.

BeWell in School is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Nashville, Tennessee that teaches mindfulness and movement-based stress reduction tools to workplaces, schools, and communities.