Ulog No. 41: "Deep Breathing"

I think most Steemitians were in a panic mode due to whatever happened after HF20 (I mean, what the fork?!!!). But hey, they said, we just needed to relax. There was nothing to worry. The "experts" knew what they were doing and they surely fixed the issues/bugs and everything is now back to NORMAL. (On Steemit, what is normal, anyway?)

But anyway, I'm not going to talk about Steemit at all. I urge you before you read on, stop for a moment and take that deep breath I was talking about in the title.

How did that feel (if you really did take that deep breath)? Did you feel anything? Or is it something that made you think, "Nah, it's just normal!"?

Well, fortunately for us, breathing is an automatic function that we don't even have to think about. But even though it's automatic, it goes through a process and it's not so simple. We breathe in oxygen which makes its way to our blood vessels, and then we breathe out carbon dioxide which works its way back out of us (either through our nostrils or mouth). Also, our lungs move and the diaphragm contracts and relaxes. These are just some of the parts of intricate and amazing processes that keep us alive.

My point is, since breathing is an automatic function of our body, and we don't have to think about it, either that or we just tend to forget that we need to breathe. We are so preoccupied with everything that's going in our lives that we forget that we need to breathe. Sometimes, all we need is to make a conscious decision to PAUSE and give ourselves a break to breathe and relax, and we will be amazed by what breathing can do for us.

At the school where I am presently employed as a teacher/educator, children are given ample opportunities every day to engage themselves in free play outside and to use the school playground equipment so that they are able to work on their combined gross and fine motor skills, balance and coordination. After playground play and/or outside free play, children are asked to sit on the grass and we, teachers, will then use "deep breathing technique" with the children before we all go back inside our room. We also sing with them a song that they're all familiar with (e.g. Baa Baa Black Sheep, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, etc.) before or after the deep breathing technique because it makes everyone of them participate in the singing and it also leads them to look at the teacher and get ready for next instruction.

Deep breathing is one of the strategies that we use to help children regulate their bodies or calm themselves down especially after being engaged in different vigorous physical activities. This technique is very important to prepare the children for mat time (also known as group time or circle time - this is when teachers read a book to the children, or teach new concepts or revise previous lessons, followed by games, songs or nursery rhymes), and simply for transitioning from a louder and active environment to a quieter space.

It makes a whole lot difference on the children's behaviour when they are able to calm their bodies down before doing a less vigorous activity. They are able to engage in a "learning table activity" that requires deep concentration and problem solving skills.

For children, we use "deep breathing" as a strategy and it does work wonders. As for us, some of the benefits of deep breathing exercise _{(also applicable to young ones)} are as follows:

Apart from its calming effect, relaxation, and the benefits listed above, deep breathing also helps us clear our thoughts and reflect on life:

• What am I thankful for today?
• What are other ways I can solve my problem?
• What is my itinerary for today?
• How can I better use my talent and skill that God has blessed me with?
• What relationships do I need to mend?

Those are just some of the questions that you may think of whilst doing the deep breathing exercise. You may find that your thoughts will become less muddled up when you stop for a while and do this exercise.

Reference:
Tucker, M. (2017). Benefits of Deep Breathing. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/493323-physical-social-emotional-intellectual-benefits-of-outdoor-recreation/