breathe

breath: the air inhaled and exhaled in respiration; and or/ a momentary pause or rest

Our yogees work on their breath in every class. We work on teaching the children to breathe in through their noses and out through their mouths. The reason we teach children this method is so they can have a better understanding of how the breath actually works. Have you heard the saying "in with the new and out with the old?” Well, this holds true when we breathe in through our nose. The tiny hairs in our nose are there to help weed out pollution, dust, dirt... things harmful to our bodies. When we let the breath out of our mouths, we are getting rid of toxins that should not be in our body.

However, the definition of breath as a momentary pause or rest is what yogees practices. I believe this to be a more yogic approach to the word; it is more mental than physical. Yes, breathing is part of our everyday experiences, but to stop and take a breath adds a whole other dimension to our thoughts and our approach toward our day and to our lives. You have heard the saying "stop and smell the roses?" When we do this, we naturally pause, and in the moment, we are able to look around and appreciate what we are doing, what we are feeling, the moment AS IT IS. This stopping, breathing, pausing... this is a moment of Mindfulness that we teach our little yogees to do over and over again in each class. Our everyday lives move so fast and we just go and go and go. If we do not stop from time to time to take a breath, we will miss it. As parents, we do tend to forget to stop and breathe. Our children grow so fast, but when you stop and take a breath, those are the moments you are actually going to remember and treasure. Ask your children to stop and take a breath when looking at a full moon, or the clouds in the sky, or a moment of craziness when your entire family is around, or the middle of a sporting event, or even just a day at the grocery store. If we ask our children to “stop and smell the roses;” these are the memories they will carry with them forever. Theses are the memories that are created and imprinted in their minds. Happy November! We thank you for sharing your yogees with us. Take a deep breath and enjoy your day.