Thankfulness vs. Gratitude
This article explains the difference between gratitude and thankfulness. Gratitude is a mindset that grows with the practice of thankfulness. I suggest ways to model gratitude to your kids and how to cultivate it as a family.
Dear sweet families,
As the seasons shift and we gather a little closer, many of us find ourselves reminding our children to “say thank you.” It’s a beautiful habit — a small phrase that teaches kindness and respect. But beneath those two simple words lies something even deeper, something that grows slowly in the heart like a seed: gratitude.
In my children’s yoga classes, we talk a lot about feelings — where they live in our bodies and how they change. Gratitude is one of the most magical feelings to explore. It’s softer and quieter than thankfulness, yet it stays with us longer.
🌿 Thankfulness: A Moment of Appreciation
Thankfulness is often a reaction — something we feel in the moment when something kind happens.
When someone shares a snack, offers a hug, or gives us a gift, we feel thankful. It’s that spark of warmth that reminds us life is good right now.
For children, thankfulness is often taught first through words — saying “thank you” to express appreciation. It’s beautiful and important, but it’s also fleeting. Thankfulness lives in a single moment, like the sparkle of sunlight on water.
🌸 Gratitude: A Way of Seeing the World
Gratitude, on the other hand, is deeper. It’s a way of noticing and appreciating all the good that surrounds us — even when things aren’t perfect.
Gratitude asks us to pause and see beauty in small things: the smell of morning pancakes, the warmth of a blanket, the sound of laughter from the next room.
While thankfulness is what we say, gratitude is what we feel and carry.
It lives in the heart and grows through awareness, mindfulness, and connection. When children begin to notice how much goodness already exists in their lives — from family and friends to simple moments of joy — gratitude becomes part of who they are.
🌈 Helping Children Experience Gratitude
Here are a few gentle ways to help gratitude bloom in your child’s life:
🌸 Practice “finding little delights.”
At bedtime or mealtime, ask: “What made your heart happy today?” It doesn’t have to be big — it could be a hug, a funny moment, or a favorite snack. This helps children shift from saying thanks for things to feeling gratitude for moments.
🌿 Create a gratitude ritual.
Light a candle or take a deep breath together before eating, and each share one thing you’re thankful for. Rituals help children connect gratitude with presence — the feeling of being right here, right now.
💛 Model mindful gratitude.
Children learn what we live. When you pause to notice a beautiful sky or say aloud, “I’m so grateful for our cozy home,” your child absorbs that awareness. Gratitude becomes something they feel, not just something they’re told to do.
🕊️ Pair gratitude with movement.
In yoga, gratitude can be expressed through the body — a gentle bow, a heart-opening stretch, or a hand on the chest. Encourage your child to take a deep breath, place a hand over their heart, and say, “Thank you, body. Thank you, day.”
🌻 When Thankfulness Turns Into Gratitude
When children practice both, thankfulness becomes the doorway to gratitude. It starts with a “thank you” — but with awareness, it deepens into a steady sense of joy and appreciation that shapes how they see the world.
Thankfulness teaches children to acknowledge kindness.
Gratitude teaches them to feel it, hold it, and pass it on.
And that’s the magic — when thankfulness moves from words to the heart, it grows into a lifelong practice of love.
💕 A Gentle Invitation
If you’d like to help your child explore mindfulness and gratitude through movement and play, ask them if they’d like to try a yoga class made just for kids. Together, we’ll stretch, breathe, and open our hearts — learning that gratitude, like yoga, is something we can always return to.
With love and light,
Alexis Billings
Just Breathe
Learn new ways to breathe and connect with the breath through these techniques! It’s a powerful tool that is always available. Be more present together by practicing these exercises.
Simple Ways to Bring Calm and Connection into Everyday Moments
Children are natural feelers. Their hearts are big, their emotions are bright, and their energy can shift in the blink of an eye. Breathing is one of the simplest, most powerful ways we can help them move through those feelings — and it doesn’t require any special tools or extra time. With just a few mindful breaths, you can turn ordinary moments into opportunities for calm and connection.
🌬️ 1. Balloon Belly Breaths
Perfect for: mornings, transitions, or winding down
Invite your child to place their hands on their belly and imagine it’s a balloon. As they breathe in through their nose, they gently fill the balloon — round and full. As they breathe out through their mouth, the balloon softens and deflates.
This simple visualization helps children feel their breath and body working together. It encourages slow, deep breathing that sends signals of safety and calm to the nervous system — helping everyone start the day grounded and peaceful.
🐝 2. Bumblebee Breath (Bhramari)
Perfect for: calming strong emotions or releasing energy
Ask your child to close their eyes, take a slow breath in, and hum softly like a buzzing bee on the exhale. The gentle vibration soothes the body and focuses the mind, creating a peaceful hum that kids love.
You can make it playful — “Let’s see who can make the softest, calmest buzz!” — or use it as a quiet reset when emotions feel big. Bumblebee breath teaches children that calm can come from within.
🌈 3. Rainbow Breathing
Perfect for: mindful playtime or before bed
Hold your arms out to the sides and imagine drawing a big rainbow over your head as you breathe in, then lower your arms as you breathe out.
Each color of the rainbow can represent a feeling or wish: red for love, orange for courage, yellow for happiness, green for kindness, blue for calm, purple for peace.
Rainbow breathing blends imagination and mindfulness beautifully — helping children connect to their breath while exploring emotions and gratitude.
🕊️ 4. Smell the Flower, Blow Out the Candle
Perfect for: anywhere, anytime
This sweet and simple breath is one of my favorites for young children. Ask your little one to imagine holding a flower in one hand and a candle in the other.
🌸 “Smell your flower” — deep breath in through the nose.
🕯️ “Blow out your candle” — gentle breath out through the mouth.
It’s short, visual, and easy to remember — the perfect go-to breath when kids (or parents!) need a quick moment of calm in the car, at the table, or before bedtime.
💛 5. Heart-to-Heart Breathing
Perfect for: reconnecting after a busy day
Sit together with your child, either side-by-side or facing each other. Place a hand on your hearts and breathe together slowly — in, and out. Notice if your heartbeats begin to match.
This simple practice builds emotional connection and safety. It reminds your child that they are loved, supported, and never alone — that calm can always be found in closeness and care.
🌿 Bringing It All Together
The beauty of breathwork is that it fits into the rhythm of everyday life.
A breath before breakfast.
A breath before bedtime.
A breath between laughter and tears.
These small pauses teach children that peace is not something they have to look for — it’s something they can create inside themselves, anytime they need it.
💕 A Gentle Invitation
If your little one enjoys these moments of mindful breathing, they might love exploring more through a kids’ yoga class made just for them — full of movement, breath, and calm connection. Together, we’ll breathe, stretch, and grow — one peaceful moment at a time.
Namaste,
Alexis Billings
Children’s Yoga Teacher & Mindful Guide
Helping Little Hearts Grow: How Kids’ Yoga Nurtures Emotional Health for Life
A few reasons why yoga is important to incorporate into your child’s life.
Dear sweet families,
As a children’s yoga teacher, one of my greatest joys is watching little ones discover the world within themselves. It’s a beautiful thing to see a child notice their heartbeat after a moment of rest, or to hear them say, “I feel calm now.” In those moments, I know something special is happening — they’re learning to understand their emotions.
🌱 Yoga Helps Children Understand Their Feelings
In yoga, we help children explore how emotions show up in their bodies. When we reach tall like a mountain or curl small like a mouse, children begin to sense what excitement, peace, or worry feel like. Through gentle movement and simple reflection, they start to connect physical sensations with emotional experiences — learning to name what they feel instead of being swept away by it.
💛 Breathing Brings Calm and Control
Our playful breathing exercises — blowing bubbles, buzzing like bees, or pretending to fill our bellies like balloons — are more than just fun. They’re early lessons in self-regulation. When a child learns they can calm themselves with a slow breath, they begin to trust their ability to handle big feelings. This is an incredible gift that supports emotional balance far beyond the yoga mat.
🌈 Movement Builds Confidence and Connection
Kids’ yoga creates a space where there’s no pressure to be perfect — only permission to explore. When children wobble in tree pose and try again, they learn resilience. When they share smiles during partner poses, they learn empathy and connection. These gentle lessons in movement help them feel safe in their bodies and confident in who they are.
🌸 Mindfulness Cultivates Awareness
At the end of class, when we rest quietly and listen to our breath, children learn to find stillness inside themselves. This mindfulness — noticing the moment just as it is — becomes a tool they can use anytime they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure. It teaches them to pause, breathe, and respond with awareness rather than reaction.
🌿 A Lifelong Foundation
The lessons from kids’ yoga reach far beyond childhood. A child who knows how to listen to their body and calm their mind grows into an adult who can meet life’s challenges with steadiness and grace. Through yoga, we’re not just helping children stretch their bodies — we’re helping them stretch their hearts.
Thank you for sharing your children with me and for allowing them the space to grow in body, mind, and spirit. Every breath, giggle, and wobbly pose is a step toward a lifetime of emotional well-being.
💕 A Gentle Invitation
If this sounds like something your little one would love, ask them if they’d like to try a yoga class made just for them — full of play, calm, and heart-centered connection. You might be surprised by how much joy they find in it.
With love and light,
Alexis Billings
Children’s Yoga Teacher & Mindful Guide