It’s back to school time!  Often with back to school there can be increased anxiety.  Time to help your child fill her backpack with relaxation techniques!  It’s important to find ones that he likes and enjoys practicing.

Here is another fun, brilliant idea from the School Counselor at my school, Michelle Bourgeois, LCSW.  She uses this magic expanding ball (to purchase, please visit amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Plastic-Expanding-Enlarge-DDStore/dp/B00LNDJW0W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1408467387&sr=8-3&keywords=expanding+linked+ball), to help children learn the balloon breath.  It’s an awesome visual!

1.  Explain the balloon breath.  Breathing in, allowing the stomach to expand out making a balloon, breathing out, the stomach collapses back down.  Practice a couple to make sure your child understands the concept.

2.  Next hold the magic expanding ball in front of the belly button.  As you breathe in, slowly expand the ball and pause, holding the breath slightly once it is expanded.  Then release the breath, moving the ball back to its original compact size.  Repeat!

3.  Experiment with different rhythms and lengths of breath using the ball as your visual guide.  Breathe in slow, expanding the ball out to the count of 4, then breathe out fast, collapsing it to its small form.  In…. slow.  Out……fast (whooshing the breath out).  Repeat!

Have fun relaxing!!