Use Dragon Breathing to Calm Kids: A Powerful Kids Yoga Tool to Release Tension and Negative Energy
Note: This post was updated in July 2025 with new tips, research, and activity ideas to help you teach kids yoga and mindfulness with confidence.
Feeling anxious and need to calm your nervous system?
Is your mind racing, scattered or all over the place?
Do you feel angry or upset looking for a way to release negative energy?
Breathe Fire Like a Dragon!
Mindfulness for kids doesn’t have to be complicated. One of our most popular Yo Re Mi breathing exercises for kids is Dragon Breathing. 🐉 This fun, imaginative kids yoga tool helps children release tension, regulate emotions, and return to calm, making it a must-have for every educator and caregiver.
Dragon Breathing releases tension and negative energy. It is a great exercise to practice for those moments when we are angry or feel like we might explode. A few rounds of dragon breathing can help us calm ourselves down.
Why Dragon Breathing Works
When children (and adults!) breathe out fully, they activate the parasympathetic nervous system, our body’s “rest and digest” mode. By exhaling with intention (imagine breathing fire like a dragon), they:
Release built-up tension and negative energy
Ground themselves in the present
Improve focus and impulse control
This makes Dragon Breathing a perfect addition to any kids yoga, mindfulness, or social-emotional learning moment.
How To Teach Dragon Breathing
Sit comfortably, cross-legged, kneeling, or in a chair, with a straight spine.
Breathe in quietly through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth with a “HAHHH” - like a fire-breathing dragon.
(Optional) Stick out the tongue and open the eyes wide.
Repeat 3–5 times, breathing out longer than you breathe in.
Tips for Mastering Dragon Breathing:
Breathe out forcefully and fully - really commit to a complete exhale.
Relax your jaw to open your mouth wide.
Try to make the exhale longer than the inhale to trigger a relaxation response.
Practice dragon breathing with children often, when they are calm, so it is readily available during moments of upset or anger.
Fun Variations of Dragon Breathing:
Dragon Wing Flow: Lift arms on the inhale, lower on the exhale.
Roar & Release: Add a playful “ROAR!” at the end.
Dragon Family: Have pairs breathe together—connecting breath and building social-emotional bonds.
Breathing Ball Boost: Use a Hoberman breathing ball to visualize each inhale/exhale and encourage longer and deeper breathing.
Bring Dragon Breathing to Life in Your Classroom
Use during transitions: after recess or before quiet time
Pair with story time: “Inhale like a dragon, prepare to ROAR!”
Include in kids yoga routines as a powerful cooldown to prepare for relaxation
Want to Teach Kids Yoga with Confidence?
If you’re ready to integrate Dragon Breathing and other mindfulness for kids strategies into your teaching practice, check out our online Kids Yoga Teacher Certification. You’ll learn how to bring musical yoga, carefully designed breathing exercises, and evidence-based mindfulness tools into your classroom and be supported by a vibrant community every step of the way.
Practice Makes Powerful Magic
Conscious breathing is powerful and can help us increase our energy, improve focus and concentration, calm anxiety, reduce stress and positively impact every system in our bodies.
Dragon Breathing is more than a breath - it's a tool kids can use for a lifetime. Whether riding the wave of big emotions or enjoying a peaceful moment, this kids yoga strategy empowers them to move, breathe, feel, and grow with joy and confidence.
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