The Power of the Breath: A Lifelong Tool for Calm and Focus

Breath is the foundation of life, yet so many of us go through our days barely aware of it. When we take a moment to focus on our breath—drawing it deep into the belly—we tap into something powerful: the ability to calm our nervous system, slow racing thoughts, and ground ourselves in the present moment.

For me, breathwork hasn’t always come easy. I have what’s often called a “monkey mind”—thoughts swirling, jumping from one to the next, sometimes propelling me into a state of anxiety. Time and again, I return to the breath. My natural tendency is toward short, shallow breathing, so I have to be intentional about deepening each inhale and softening each exhale.

At times, I’ve felt frustrated—like my racing thoughts were winning out over my breath, making me question whether breathwork was even worth it. I’d think, maybe this practice just isn’t for me. (Spoiler alert: breathwork is for everyone!)

But over time, with patience and a lot of practice, I began to truly feel its effects. Those glimmers—the moments when I realize that, through my own breath, I’ve slowed myself down, broken free from a mental loop, or shifted my energy entirely—are what keep me coming back. Because I know we can retrain our brains. It’s not always easy, especially after years of letting the mind run wild, but it is possible. Growth and change are part of our nature.

Breath is a tool that every single person on earth has access to. For some of us, it has laid dormant for years, waiting to be rediscovered. But for these children, we have the chance to awaken it now — to give them a lifelong gift of self-regulation, focus, and inner calm.

Breathwork in Kids Yoga

This is why, in every single kids’ yoga class at The Balanced Child Method, we start with the breath.

We begin with belly breathing — placing hands on the belly and feeling it expand like a balloon on the inhale, then deflate (or even "pop!") on the exhale. The kids have come to expect this ritual when they step onto their mats. It’s a simple yet profound way to help them understand, from a young age, that their breath is a tool they can always turn to.

Even the youngest children, who may not yet grasp the concept intellectually, can feel it. They experience the shift in their own bodies. They notice the calm that follows. And over time, breath awareness becomes second nature to them.

At The Balanced Child Method, our mission is to ignite this understanding early. Breath is a tool that every single person on earth has access to. For some of us, it has laid dormant for years, waiting to be rediscovered. But for these children, we have the chance to awaken it now — to give them a lifelong gift of self-regulation, focus, and inner calm.

And that? That is powerful.