Belly breathing for asthma

                                     

Have you ever tried Belly Breathing? It's a simple way to calm down and help control your breathing if you are having an asthma attack. Or you are at the dentist. Or you just saw your kid's report card. Or.....


There is a fun video on Youtube with Elmo, Common and Colbie Caillat about belly breathing. 
Elmo teaches kids to Belly Breathe if their "inner monster" wants to come out. They teach the same thing to kids in American Lung Association's Open Airways for schools program.

Open Airways is taught in schools to kids aged 8-11. They teach kids how to manage their asthma. One of the ways is to Belly Breathe if they're having an asthma attack. Not only is it physically hard to breathe. But when you have an asthma attack, it affects you emotionally too. We panic when we can't breathe. It's normal to do that. Belly Breathing helps you slow down and calm down.

Belly Breathing can be used anytime. I use it at the dentist, before an important meeting or while driving in crazy traffic on the freeway. I have been in several near accidents lately. It helps me calm down afterwards.  Some people need to learn how to drive...

Try watching the video and see if it works for you. It's made for kids, but you can practice with your kids so you can use it too. It helps if you Belly Breath WITH your kids when they are having an asthma attack or are upset. You can help them calm down by breathing with them.

And who doesn't love Elmo?!