Guided Breathing Exercise Activity

Objective: Guide students through a structured breathing exercise to enhance focus, self‐awareness, and emotional regulation.

Audience: 5th Grade Group
Time: 5 minutes
Materials:

• Quiet, comfortable seating area
• Optional chime or timer

Preparation (2 minutes):

• Choose a calm spot free of distractions.
• Ensure each student has a comfortable seat with feet flat and hands in their lap.
• Set up a timer or chime to help pace the breathing counts (optional).

Instructions

1. Introduction (1 minute)

• Invite students to sit tall with eyes gently closed or softly focused on the floor.
• Explain: “Using our breath helps calm our minds and notice our bodies. We’ll practice a simple inhale–hold–exhale pattern together.”

2. Guided Breathing Cycles (3 minutes)

• Lead the group through 4–5 cycles of box breathing:
  1. Inhale deeply for a count of 4 (“1…2…3…4”).
  2. Hold the breath for a count of 2 (“1…2”).
  3. Exhale slowly for a count of 6 (“1…2…3…4…5…6”).
  4. Pause silently for 1 second before the next inhale.
• Offer gentle, rhythmic verbal cues or ring the chime at each phase to keep everyone in sync.

3. Silent Body Awareness (30 seconds)

• After the final exhale, remain still and silent.
• Invite students to notice any sensations—such as warmth in the chest, tingling in the fingers, or calmness in their mind.

4. Reflection Prompt (30 seconds)

• Ask students to think of one thing they noticed during the exercise.
• They can either share aloud or write a quick note/draw in their My Mindful Moment Prompts Journal:
  “What did you notice about your body or mind during our breathing practice?”

Follow‐Up Tip: Encourage students to practice this 4-2-6 breathing anytime they feel stressed or distracted—at home, in class, or before a test.

My Mindful Moment Prompts

Use this journal each day after your mindfulness practice. Answer each prompt with complete sentences or drawings to explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

1. Date:

2. After completing the Guided Breathing Exercise Activity, what sensations did you notice in your body? How did your thoughts or emotions change?

3. Choose one technique from the Mindfulness Techniques Slide Deck (e.g., Box Breathing, Body Scan, 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding). Describe step-by-step how you practiced it and what you observed.

4. Think of a moment today when you felt stressed, distracted, or upset. Which mindfulness technique could you use next time to help you feel calm? Explain why you chose that technique and how you would use it.

5. Mindful Listening Reflection:

Recall a sound you focused on during mindful listening (Technique 4). What did you notice about the sound and your reaction to it? How did this exercise affect your awareness?

6. Emotional Check-In:

On a scale of 1 (very calm) to 5 (very stressed), how do you feel right now? What clues in your body or mind helped you choose this number?

7. Creative Expression:

Draw or describe a symbol, color, or shape that represents how you feel after today’s practice. Explain your choice.

Use the Mindfulness Participation Rubric to rate your effort and focus each day. Reflect on one area to improve tomorrow.

Mindfulness Participation Rubric

Use this rubric for both teacher- and self-assessment of daily mindfulness sessions. Circle or highlight the level that best describes performance for each criterion.