In my own life, after crippling depression, anxiety, and a host of other problems, including ADD and ADHD as a child, I've realized that I don't breathe right. Even after years of yoga teaching. That deep breath eludes me. After working on the breath for a while now, I completely see the benefits! I'm so much more relaxed, grounded and happy! I am connected more to my body, and when I am connected to my body I feel safe and less anxious and connected to the unity of things.

Trauma can cause children to not breathe correctly. It's scary to be in the body, to feel safe and secure when you have a domestic violence problem in the home, such as an unstable mother violently screaming at you and beating you. That trauma stays in the nervous system and one remains in the fight or flight pattern of chest breathing. Those patterns can remain for a very long time habitually. 

I've been amazed to see just how many kids don't breathe right. Either from trauma or other physical/emotional problems, they typically have anxiety as well. I've noticed they tend to have leg problems and foot/ankle problems as well. Mula banda and any connection with the pelvis, where our consciousness needs to rest instead of in the head and chest all the time, is lost. With deep breathing, the pelvic floor is reached, the upper body muscles aren't used to breathe anymore, and tension lessens. 

The breath is comforting and relaxing. For young kids, I teach simple breath awareness. For kids at least 8, you can start having them focus on evening out their breath with counting in and counting out even breath counts. Hyper kids teach the to breathe while walking or moving in yoga asana. Really hyper kids hold their hands  as you breathe and move their arms, etc, in movement with the breathe. Older kids still can get the whole lecture on anatomy of breathing and why it's so important. And why it's so important to do the asana, as posture affects our breathing and how poor breathing affects our entire health and attitude and brings on a whole host of mental and physical problems. And for teens and kids over 12, pranayama is introduced. The Volumna breath is especially helpful in stopping an anxious, overactive mind. With teens you can also teach them about the various koshas, the anaamayakosha, the body/food sheath, the pranamaya kosha, the breathe sheath, etc. This gives one a non-linear approach to being that is outside of the western body-centric consciousness. 

Breath is everything and it's so often overlooked in children's well-being. Teach kids to breathe and watch their health and concentration go way up!