You can teach children how to breathe mindfully to let go of bad feelings and encourage happy ones!
When we get a bruise or a scratch on our bodies, we are typically very certain that it will heal with time, because that’s what the body is designed to do. And because we can actually see it happen, we become very familiar with the healing process.
For young children, we even go out of our way to ensure that everything will be alright after a tumble or a scrape. We offer added attention, we pour on the encouragement, we kiss the boo-boo, and we bandage up the injury with care.
But what about the emotional stings and wounds that we can’t see? Don’t they deserve as much attention as physical ones?
What I’ve experienced time and again when Tapping with clients (and what any academically trained and board-certified psychologist or therapist can confirm) is that a great majority of our adult problems are rooted in unresolved emotional events from our childhoods.
That’s because the child’s mind is very much influenced by their immediate environment and can’t always correctly process the events that take place. Something simple like an embarrassing moment at school can be misinterpreted as “dangerous”.
Feelings of anger, stress, sadness, fear, or loneliness can remain with the child for long periods of time if not properly released.
Whether they are big or small, we all have emotional wounds. But what if we were able to teach our kids how to properly take care of them and heal them when they happened, so that they wouldn’t be carried into their adult lives?
Healing the emotional wounds of our children
The good news is that there ARE tools we can teach our children, and they need nothing more than what our bodies are already equipped with.
One of these tools is Tapping, of course. And we are building quite a library of resources to help kids learn how to tap. You can find a few of those at the bottom of this post.
Another tool that every single living human on the planet has is our breath.
Yes, that’s right, simply breathing in a certain way can help to reduce and even eliminate many of the negative emotions kids can experience.
Mindful breathing has been practiced for thousands of years, and is a core component of most meditation practices.
It’s also the focus of my newest children’s book, “My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing”.
With co-author Alison Taylor and beautifully illustrated by Michelle Polizzi, this picture book will help children to find a sense of calm through the magic of breathing.
Whether read and practiced during story time, or even as a bed-time story to help your kids relax for a more peaceful sleep, this book is a wonderful tool to have on hand.
In a fun and interactive way, “My Magic Breath” will teach youngsters how to use their breathing to make themselves feel better. And the more we can help kids release their negative emotions and stress, the better off they’ll be as they grow into adults!
Until next time,
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
Here are some other children’s resources that you can also explore:
Bring Tapping to Your School
Tapping for Kids Video – YouTube
The Tapping Solution for Parents, Children & Teenagers
Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs: A Tapping Solution Children’s Story
The Big Book of Hugs: A Barkley the Bear Story
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