Abstract

Learning self-regulation skills is essential for proper neurobiological and psychosocial development in childhood. In this study, we investigated the role of breathing, considered a fundamental resource for many meditation practices, as a tool to promote self-regulation in preschool-aged children. Respiratory modulation has been used as a technique in promoting psychophysiological regulation, due to its beneficial effect on the functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), to its important role in the regulation of metabolism, and for promoting the entrainment of all the oscillatory systems in the body. The study has the goals of reviewing the psychophysiological basis of respiration, its relation to cognitive and affective processing, and to evaluate the capacity of preschool children to learn a breathing technique for self-regulation, supporting the development of educational strategies and health intervention programs that adopt meditation practices as a method to promote psychophysiological self-regulation in children.