Abdominal — Breathing

"I can't catch my breath," Leo whispered. "My chest feels like it’s full of rocks."

They did it again. In through the nose, belly out. Out through the mouth, belly in.

Grandpa sat down beside him. "You’re breathing with your shoulders, Leo. That’s 'scared breathing.' Let’s try 'mountain breathing' instead." abdominal breathing

He guided Leo to lie flat on his back. "Imagine your belly is a big, colorful balloon," Grandpa said softly. "When you breathe in through your nose, don't let your chest move. Instead, try to blow up that balloon in your stomach."

"The air is like a deep well," Grandpa said. "When you only breathe from the top, you stay thirsty. But when you breathe from the bottom, you find the quiet water." "I can't catch my breath," Leo whispered

"Everything okay, Leo?" his grandfather asked, leaning against the doorframe.

As Leo focused on the rhythmic rise and fall of his stomach, the "rocks" in his chest began to melt. His heart slowed its frantic drumming to a steady, calm beat. The word "encyclopedia" didn't feel like a mountain anymore—it just felt like a word. Out through the mouth, belly in

Leo sat on the edge of his bed, his heart drumming against his ribs like a trapped bird. Tomorrow was the big spelling bee, and every time he thought of the word "encyclopedia," his throat felt tight and his breaths became short, shallow gasps in his upper chest.