People Powered Plane

Last week’s post featured two new summer olympic themed movement videos for kids that I posted to my Youtube channel. If you haven’t checked them out as yet, I highly recommend you visit the links provided below. Obviously, Tokyo is quite far away so the videos include a mindful breathing technique from my book Teach Your Child Meditation (Sterling 2018) called People Powered Plane to transport young imaginations off to the host city.

This week we take a closer look at the benefits of this mindful breathing and movement technique for kids.

Happy breathing (and flying!)

Lisa Roberts xoxo

People Powered Plane

What is People Powered Plane? Exploring the breath can be fun, especially when we explore it with our friends. People Powered Plane is a game to be played with a small group of friends that reaps the many benefits of deep breathing and linking body movements to the breath.

How does it help? Working together requires teamwork; and flying a plane together while breathing in unison teaches the invaluable lesson that, TOGETHER, anything is possible – even flying! The physical body movements made while practicing People Powered Plane help kids to develop co-ordination skills and create space in the torso to allow deep, full breaths.

Simple steps:

· Sit on a row, on your knees with one person behind the other and facing the same direction (see illustration below).

· Inhale: rise to stand on your knees and slowly lift your arms out and up overhead – like the wings of a plane. At top of your inhale, you should be standing on your knees with your arms stretched up overhead.

· Exhale: lower your arms down to rest alongside your body as you slowly lower your hips down to rest your heels. At the end of your exhale, you should be kneeling and sitting on your heels, with your arms resting by your side.

· That is one round. Repeat up to 5 full rounds of breath. Try and synchronize (match) your movement and breath with your friends so that you fly in unison.

*Tip: In the beginning it may be difficult to tune your breath in with those of your friends. This is okay, we all breathe differently – as long as you are doing your best and following your own breath without forcing or straining it. Eventually, you will fall into a rhythm with your friends and you will all breathe – and fly – at a similar pace.