Just b-r-e-a-t-h-e. 2 yoga breaths to beat the heat

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When it's 90 degrees in the shade, kids need to slow down and cool off, frequently. Pranyama breathing exercises can help little ones to calm their minds and bodies whenever an extra hot summer day strikes.

Here are *2 yogi breathing exercises to try when the temperatures spike...

Easy Breath

Sit in a comfortable spot. Close your eyes. Imagine your belly is the ocean and your breath, the waves. As the waves roll in, you breathe in, as the waves roll out, you breath out.

Allow your breath to be natural and easy, flowing effortlessly. Just watch it happen like the ocean at the beach. Enjoy becoming more and more relaxed and peaceful.

Sounding Breath

Sit up tall. Relax your face. Lengthen the back of your neck. Open your mouth. Breathe in and out making a 'haaah' whispering sound.

Now close your mouth and continue to breathe slowly in and out of your nose making that same 'haaah' sound.

Cover your ears, close your eyes and listen.

Sounding Breath is calming. Yogis use it to help them stay focused.

*Excerpted from Yoga Planet Card Deck: 50 Fun Activities for a Greener World, by Tara Guber and Leah Kalish (Barefoot Books).