Mountain Breathing

When we take deep breaths our nervous system notices. When we practice slow, intentional breathing, like Mountain Breathing ,we activate something called the parasympathetic nervous system. This is our body’s “rest and digest” system. It slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and tells the brain, “Hey, it’s safe. You can relax now.”

For kids, this is powerful. Children experience stress just like adults do, but they often don’t have the words or tools to explain or manage it. Breathing exercises give them something simple, visual, and repeatable. When they trace the outline of a mountain with their finger, breathing in as they climb and out as they descend, they’re not just calming their body—they’re learning emotional regulation.

Science tells us that deep, slow breaths, especially when the exhale is longer than the inhale, can reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and increase feelings of safety and control. For young children, pairing breath with movement and imagery (like climbing a mountain) makes it engaging and easy to remember.

Exhale!

So the next time your child feels overwhelmed, try breathing with them. Be the mountain. Climb up slowly with an inhale. Exhale down gently. Let them feel grounded, strong, and safe.

It’s not just a calming trick. It’s science, and it’s a gift they can carry for life.

Mountain Breathing Practice

Mountain Breathing is a simple, calming breath practice that helps children (and grown-ups too!) feel grounded and steady. Using their hand as a guide, kids trace each finger slowly as they breathe in and out, climbing up and down like little hikers on a mountain trail.

With each breath in, they trace up a finger. With each breath out, they trace down. By the time they’ve traced all five fingers, they’ve taken five slow, mindful breaths, enough to help reset the nervous system and bring a sense of calm.

It’s an easy tool kids can use anytime they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or just need a moment to slow down.

Happy, Sad, Nervous, Mad? Maybe a little bit of everything all at once? In How Are You Feeling?, author Lisa Fyfe guides children through a range of emotions and helps them explore and identify their feelings. Guided breathing exercises teach kids to manage big emotions, and an interactive feelings wheel is a fun and engaging tool for parents and kids to communicate what’s going on inside. Colorful illustrations and simple text create a space where young readers can get comfortable expressing how they feel, no matter how big or small their emotions might seem.