Blooming Flower Breath
What is Blooming Flower Breath? Blooming Flower Breath encourages our mind and body to experience the freshness, peace and serenity of a garden in full bloom on a gorgeous spring day.
How does it help me? Tapping in to our senses we visualize our hands as a beautiful blooming flower encouraging a sense of relaxation. Building on this visualization we deepen the experience and sense of relaxation by introducing slow, even inhales and exhales to calm and relax the body and mind. The gentle hand movements provide a beneficial stretch for our — often over-worked and over-looked — very busy hands and fingers.
Ever heard the expression, “Slow down and smell the roses”? Well, here’s your opportunity to do so any time you need to:
How do I do it? • Begin in a comfortable seated position. • Bring hands in front of your torso and hook the thumbs together, spread your fingers wide – this is your flower in full bloom! • Keeping the thumbs hooked together, gently close the fingers and fingertips to touch – this is your flowing closed in a bud. • Gently lift your bud to your nose and take a deep, long slow inhale – taking in the scent of your flower. • Spread the fingers wide, allowing your flower to bloom and gently exhale, blowing the air on your flower’s petals. • Really enjoy the color, shape, scent and bloom of your flower as you continue this exercise for several rounds.
By Lisa Roberts
Lisa Roberts E-RYT 200, RCYT, and Certified Children's Yoga Therapist, has worked in the pediatric wellness field since 2006. The founder and director of YoYo Yoga Therapy (www.yoyoyogatherapy.com) she works with individual clients and small groups on a regular basis, and teaches at a variety of family and youth support centers in the Saint Louis area including a major children’s hospital where she founded the yoga therapy program offering yoga, meditation and relaxation to patients, patient siblings, parents/families and staff. Lisa also offers professional trainings on Kids Adaptive Yoga for professionals who work with children. She is the author of Breathe, Chill - A Handy Book of Games and Techniques Introducing Breathing, Relaxation and Meditation to Kids and Teens.