Heartwarming video shows a six-year-old boy using a controlled breathing technique to calm his younger brother down during a tantrum

• Ashley West, 30, from Los Angeles, California, filmed the moment and shared the footage on Instagram, where it has been viewed more than 185,000 times
• In the video, her four-year-old son Cory is upset because he can’t play with his Nintendo Switch until the controllers are charged  
• The little boy is on the verge of a meltdown when his older brother Noah steps in and shows him how to inhale through his nose and exhale through his mouth
• The breathing technique works almost immediately, and once Cory is feeling better, Noah pats him on the shoulder and says: ‘See it helps you calm down’

A six-year-old boy has captured the hearts of thousands after a video of him using a breathing technique to calm his younger brother down during a tantrum went viral.

Ashley West, 30, from Los Angeles, California, has practiced controlled breathing with her three boys, but she was surprised to see her middle son Noah walking his brother Cory, four, through the technique when he was on the verge of a meltdown. 

The proud mom filmed the heartwarming moment and shared the footage on Instagram, where it has been viewed more than 185,000 times and has earned plenty of praise. 

Brotherly love: Ashley West, 30, from Los Angeles, California, shared a vide of her son Noah, six, using a breathing technique to help his younger brother Cory, four, calm down 

In the video, Cory is upset because he can’t play with his Nintendo Switch until the controllers are charged. His whimpers are about to turn into a full-on tantrum when Noah steps in. 

The older brother kindly shows Cory how to inhale through his nose and exhale through his mouth, telling him to ‘breathe’ when he tries to protest. 

The breathing exercise works like a charm, and once Cory is feeling better, Noah pats him on the shoulder and says: ‘See it helps you calm down.’   

‘Okay so… I really was not expecting this video to blow up the way it did!’ West captioned the video last Tuesday. ‘If you know me then you know the kids and I are ALWAYS meditating and practicing controlling our breathing/managing our emotions.’ 

West, who is pursuing a master’s degree in social work at the University of Southern California, told Today that she learned the calming techniques while working with psychologists and behavioral therapists as a social worker. 

‘Coping during COVID has been stressful as a stay home parent and graduate student,’ she said. ‘I do yoga and meditate as a form of release and relief as well as exercise. The kids will sometimes join me, but they definitely watch me all the time.’

The mom taught her children the calming techniques to address their negative behaviors, and she has noticed a difference, particularly with Noah, who used to have an ‘extremely bad’ temper. 

Three boys: West, who learned the controlling breathing technique from her job as a social worker, also has a nine-year-old son Amar

Busy mom: West is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work at the University of Southern California

Lesson learned: The mom taught her children the calming techniques to address their negative behaviors, and she has noticed a difference, particularly with Noah

‘I’ve made a habit out of encouraging them to stop, and take a few breaths when they are upset and angry, or when their emotions are heightened,’ she explained.  

‘Noah will usually stop and talk to himself when he is angry or upset and tell himself to calm down, but in that moment, seeing him co-regulate with his brother was a first for me, which prompted me to record it.’ 

West, who also has a nine-year-old son Amar, was blown away by the positive responses to the brotherly moment, saying she has received thousands of messages from people all over the world telling her how much the video meant to them.  

‘They fight and bicker like normal siblings do but they are also absolutely the best of friends,’ she said of her sons. 

‘I encourage them to believe and move as if they are each other’s “keepers” and they do — they are always looking out for one another.’

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