What if the magic to help us feel better was inside us all along?New York Times bestselling author and Newtown resident Nick Ortner dives into the subject of mindfulness and the power of intentional breathing in his new children's picture book, My Magic Breath, released May 15.The Tapping Solution for Parents, Children, and Teenagers. His brother, Alex Ortner, even wrote a children's book called Gorilla Thumps & Bear Hugs to help kids understand the basics of tapping.My Magic Breath leads children through a step-by-step process of how to find a sense of calm through mindful breathing. The child is instructed to focus on something positive that happened to them, inhale and exhale through the feelings; then follow that by breathing through something negative that is stuck in their mind in order to feel better.My Magic Breath with his sister-in-law, Alison Taylor, who also lives in Newtown.The Big Book of Hugs: A Barkley Bear Story,Mr Ortner says he "loves collaborating" with Ms Taylor and Michelle Polizzi, the illustrator of My Magic Breath is considered a children's book, Mr Ortner hopes that the adults reading it participate in the breathing, too. That way, they not only gain the benefits of the exercise, but they can be a mirror for the child to feel comfortable following their example. is available for purchase through major in-store and online venues, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. It is also available as an audiobook. For more information about Nick Ortner, visit nickortner.com and thetappingsolution.com.

For nearly 20 years, Mr Ortner has been practicing breathing techniques through his experiences with yoga and meditation. He describes mindful breathing as "being conscious of your breath and having the thought about the fact that you are breathing."

The simple exercise has been transformative for him in his own life as he continues to explore alternative ways to help himself and others feel better naturally.

"I think mindful breathing is about bringing a little quiet to our lives, which we need now more than ever," he said.

As CEO of The Tapping Solution LLC, a company looking to bring the healing method known as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or "Tapping" to the mainstream, Mr Ortner gives people the tools to navigate through their emotions and live stress-free lives.

The group shares its expertise through a variety of mediums, including live sessions, videos, and books. Earlier this year Mr Ortner released an all-ages guide to tapping called

"It all relates," Mr Ortner said about mindful breathing and the techniques taught with The Tapping Solution. "Tapping is bringing a form of mindfulness, and we are stopping and bringing the physical process in. Even when we tap, we take a couple deep breaths beforehand."

With that in mind, he wanted to create an interactive children's book that simplified the concept. His goal was for the book to be able to open a dialogue between children and adults about what makes them happy and what makes them stressed.

"The book is the third party that helps facilitate that discussion," he said.

Whether that discussion takes place at bedtime or in a classroom, it avoids the child feeling put on the spot by being asked directly why they are sad or mad. Instead, the book starts the conversation more naturally.

An excerpt from the book explains, "Sometimes when you are worried, or nervous, or sad, deep breaths can help push some of those thoughts away."

The importance of identifying those negative thoughts is so that the child has an opportunity to work through them and not repress their emotions.

When educating children on mindful breathing, Mr Ortner intentionally wanted to show that they should train their mind to start with a positive thought before the negative thought.

"If we are used to running the same thought pattern again and again, it's going to be a default loop, like a record that plays," Mr Ortner said. "When we start, we acknowledge some positive and anchor in the positive with the breathing, then we can use the energy of that to clear out the negative thoughts."

Mr Ortner says his 3-year-old daughter, Jane, has already begun participating in the book's mindful breathing exercises and she "thinks it's really fun" getting to blow out the air with all her might.

His daughter is not the only family member to be involved with the book's practices. Mr Ortner co-wrote

Ms Taylor's background as an elementary school teacher helped influence much of the book. Today, she works in the children's area of The Tapping Solution, and she welcomed a new baby earlier this year.

My Magic Breath. The team previously worked together on Mr Ortner's first children's book, published in 2016.

Even though

"Sometimes we need it to be simple, as opposed to some complicated practice. Let me take one deep breath in and think of something positive [and exhale]. Let me take another deep breath in and release something negative," Mr Ortner said.

He added, "If the world just did that for five minutes - that's transformative."

My Magic Breath