For nearly six years, my wife and I lived and worked in China, where we taught in both a public
school and a Waldorf school before founding our own Montessori preschool. Those years shaped
us profoundly. We witnessed how education can bridge cultures — how children thrive when
they are guided by choice, discovery, and love rather than pressure and competition. Our little
school in Beijing became a joyful, bilingual community of learning and peace.
Then life took an unexpected turn. During Chinese New Year, we traveled to the United States,
and the pandemic, along with new regulations in China, made it impossible for foreign nationals
to continue owning schools. What was supposed to be a two-week vacation turned into an
indefinite stay, and overnight, we lost the place we had built with years of love and care. At that
moment, we didn’t know that one ending might be a new beginning.
As we began to settle on Cape Cod, I noticed something familiar in this new landscape: parents
searching for high-quality, nurturing, and affordable early-childhood education. That realization
planted the seed for Bayside Montessori Preschool — a school that carries the spirit of three
countries: the resilience of Ukraine, the mindfulness of China, and the independence of America.
But the most fascinating story of Bayside Montessori isn’t about its founding — it’s about its
legacy: a small, sensory-based innovation that helps children restore peace within themselves —
the Triangle Breathing Tool.
Turning Experience into Innovation
Long before the war in Ukraine, I had been searching for a way to help children manage strong
emotions. I tried every traditional method I knew — breathing exercises, talking about feelings,
the Peace area — but for many children, especially those who had lived through stress or
instability, it wasn’t enough.
Then, when war touched my home country, the urgency became personal. My daughter — who
had never even been to Ukraine — began waking up at night trembling and crying. I saw how
fear could travel through generations, through families, and into classrooms. Children needed a
way to release that energy safely — not just calm their minds, but their whole bodies.
Drawing on my dual background as a Montessori educator and a Master of Sports in Boxing, I
designed a tool that integrates movement, breathing, and sensory input into a single experience.
A Simple Triangle, a Powerful Shift
The Triangle Breathing Tool consists of three soft, color-coded bags arranged in a triangle. The
red and blue bags invite a child to exhale and release frustration through a controlled movement
— a soft punch or a “high five.” The green bag, filled with lavender from our school garden,
supports slow inhalation.
The process is rhythmic and intuitive: exhale on red, exhale on blue, inhale on green. Over time,
the pattern becomes second nature. Children eventually trace the triangle in the air or imagine it
in their minds to self-regulate — anywhere, anytime.
Rooted in Montessori values, the tool supports independence and agency. Children choose when
to use it, learning that emotional regulation is something they can control, not something that
must be done for them.
From Cape Cod to Ukraine — and Beyond
The first children to use the Triangle Breathing Tool were refugees from Ukraine. Their teachers
noticed profound changes within weeks — calmer behavior, better sleep, and stronger focus. At a
Ukrainian orphanage supported by our school, the director shared that children who once
experienced daily panic attacks began showing confidence and joy in learning again.
What began in one Cape Cod classroom has grown into an international model for healing and
emotional growth through education. Teachers from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Canada, China,
and Germany are incorporating our method as a core part of their own programs, shaping
curriculum and supporting children’s emotional growth — some after visiting Bayside
Montessori Preschool, and others learning about it remotely. Our work has also been featured in
outlets such as The Washington Mail, The New York Today, The Boston Courier, and Wall Street
Publication, bringing wider attention to the potential of this approach in early childhood
education.
Peace as a Practice
Maria Montessori once wrote that “establishing lasting peace is the work of education.” I see that
truth every day when a child takes a breath, regains balance, and returns to learning with calm
focus.
The Triangle Breathing Tool isn’t just an educational material — it’s a bridge between cultures,
between science and empathy, and between Cape Cod and the wider world. It’s proof that even
small, heart-led innovations can ripple outward to bring healing where it’s needed most.
On Cape Cod, we’re known for our creativity, community spirit, and care for one another. My
hope is that this little triangle, born here among the dunes and sea air, continues to help children
everywhere find peace — one breath at a time.
About the Author:
Mykhaylo Bokhenok is the founder and director of Bayside Montessori Preschool in Centerville,
where he blends Montessori philosophy with modern child-wellness practices to support young
learners on Cape Cod. Originally from Ukraine, he has taught in multiple countries, including
China, and brings a global perspective to his work as an early childhood educator and
entrepreneur. Mykhaylo is also the creator of the Triangle Breathing Tool, a Montessori-inspired
innovation helping children develop emotional regulation through movement, breath, and
sensory integration. His work has been featured in the Cape Cod Times and is informing
educators across the United States, Europe, and Asia.