Life can get very harsh sometime and we need to find healthy alternatives to help us cope. Breathing is so important for so many reasons. Deep breathing can bring you from a high anxiety state to a very calm and soothing one. Many people take drugs for anxiety, when all you really need is to breathe and lower your heart rate and center you mind, body, and spirit. When I do my deep breathing, I close my eyes and imagine breathing in all the white and pure energy around me, then as I exhale I release all the bad and negative energy that could be around me. Other times I will take a long deep breath, hold it for 4-5 seconds and then slowly exhale to calm myself down. All you need is three or four rounds of this breathing technique to calm your nervous system 
down and relax your mind. It truly works. My children also use these breathing exercises when they get upset and need to calm down. My son is seven years old and the breathing is the only thing that relaxes him when he gets angry or has a temper tantrum. Sometimes they get so mad at me and say, “No I will not do your stupid deep breathes,” then they do it and it always works. It is so important for us to teach our children alternative methods than the usual yelling, spanking, punishing to get them to listen. My kids have been taught to love nature, and be grateful for everything that life has to offer. They come with me to do volunteer work and help the homeless and they love it. My kids are 7 and 8 and they love to help people and spread the love. My son loves to talk to me about God, and the sun, the sky, and the moon. I have taught him about the full moon and new moon, and we even do rituals with the intentions and the candles that each New moon brings. Both my kids love to think positive, they teach their friends that you could turn your day around by just speaking or feeling better. My daughter is such an artistic free spirit. She loves nature, animals, and helping kids with special needs. She fights with other kids and tells them not to make fun of people or bully kids. When my kids come home from school, the first thing we do is sit and I listen about their day. They tell me good and bad, and everything in between. I make sure I listen with undivided attention and give then eye contact so they know I truly want to hear what they have to say. When they talk about mean kids, I try to make them see that maybe those kids are going through rough times in their homes or are taught bad values. I also teach my kids about Ego vs Spirit. They might not grasp the concept, but they listen and try to understand. I explain to them that they need to send love and light even to the mean kids because they might need it. They need to not take things so personal and understand that it is not about them, it is about whatever is happening in the child’s life at the time. When I talk about Ego, I place my hand on their head, and when I talk about Spirit, I place my hand on their heart. The connection to head and heart helps them. I don’t expect my kids to be perfect, but I do want them to learn about spiritual enlightenment and I try to lead by example.
Society teaches us to mask our problems with drugs, alcohol, work, relationships, hard discipline for our children when none of this truly works. It is so simple to breathe deeply when stress is at a high level. Taking three long deep breathes does wonders for the nervous system and it is quick and efficient. Children and adults benefit so well from this technique. Remember to meditate as much as possible because this will also bring more peace to your life. Be aware that the things you do as an adult have so much affect on your children lives, so be a good role model. Stay healthy and happy and live in the moment.