Respiratory therapist Betsy Thomason shares a page from her book, Just Breathe Out — Using Your Breath to Create a New, Healthier You. In this surreal covid-19 moment in history, kids, and their parents and friends, can discover a healthy breathing technique called the BreatheOutDynamic system (BODs) simply by making, and using, a pinwheel, from instructions provided below. So have some fun making a tool that will help all of you to just breathe out for relaxation and management of anxiety, fear, and pain. This is the time to discover all your inner healing resources and maintain a healthy body.
For a free Just Breathe Out e-book file, email Betsy at bzthomason@gmail.com. Just Breathe Out is also available in paper, iTunes/Audible, and in braille and audio at the National Library Service at the Library of Congress for folks with low or no vision and those who cannot hold a regular book. Check out the Betsy Thomason Channel on YouTube for a 10-minute outbreath lesson.
PINWHEEL
Template & Instructions
MATERIALS
scissors
small piece of clear tape
push pin
pencil with eraser
DIRECTIONS
Cut a 3-4”square of paper.
Decorate your square, if you wish.
Fold the square to create a triangle—note dotted lines above.
Open and fold in the other direction to create another triangle.
When you open it up, you’ll have 4 smaller triangles.
Crease the folds to make them sharp.
Open the square. Draw a short line on each fold up to 1” from the center.
Cut or tear along the folded lines up to the short line
DO NOT CUT THROUGH THE CENTER.
Gently bend (do NOT fold) EVERY OTHER (4) point so that the tips overlap the center and each other.
Hold or tape the points in place.
Take the pin and push it through the overlapping tips at the center of the pinwheel.
Push the pin into the top of the pencil eraser, leaving room for the pinwheel to spin.
Now you’re ready to discover the power of your outbreath.
Thanks to pinwheelsforpeace.com for the template. Feel free to copy.
If every body experiences peace, everybody will be at peace.
Pinwheels are a visual stimulus for teaching breathing dynamics