The Practice
There are those moments when the energy in the room is like a pot of water about to boil over—or a volcano about to erupt or a dam about to burst...you know the feeling. Rather than try and contain this energy, it can be useful to have an exercise that taps into it, allowing children to harness and release all of that zeal.
For younger learners, Freeze Dance is a fan favorite. Put on some tunes, and when the music freezes, the students also freeze. It is helpful to have a consequence should someone fail to freeze in time (five jumping jacks, three deep belly breaths, etc.). It is remarkable how still the room can get when you hit pause, and this blend of action and silence is an excellent way for classrooms or families to reset.
For older learners, progressive muscle relaxation can function as a dynamic body scan. This can work as a group or individually. Instruct students to breathe in, tense a specific muscle group (hard but not to the point of pain) for about five seconds, then breathe out, and completely relax that muscle group. Spend a few moments noticing the difference between how the muscles feel when they are tense and how they feel when they are relaxed, and then move on to the next muscle group. There are numerous videos and resources available to help guide instructors and practitioners through a set of PMR, but the basic practice involves clenching, holding, and releasing muscle groups one at a time, from the forehead on down to the toes.
Resources: Progressive Muscle Relaxation
The Language
Here are some sample ways to introduce these mindful movements to your students:
Sometimes when we have a big feeling, it's helpful to shake it all out. Let's notice how our bodies feel when we dance. How did you feel in your body before? Afterwards?
When we have a big emotion, it can sometimes feel like we have no control over our bodies. Has anyone ever done something when they were really upset that they wouldn't normally do? We're going to learn how to pay attention to our bodies so that we can notice what's going on inside in tough moments.
It can be very helpful to use our bodies as an anchor when we need to refocus our attention. Focusing on how our muscles feel can help bring us back to the present moment which gives us more control over what we do next. Are you up for trying some Mindful Muscles?
Our bodies give us a ton of useful information throughout the day. For example, when we're stressed our muscles usually get tight. This exercise helps you start to notice more quickly when your muscles are tightening so you can do what you need to do to destress. It also usually has the added bonus of feeling good and relaxing us.
We hope these exercises help bring a little joy, movement, and calm to your days. Bear in mind that older students also appreciate the chance to get silly with Freeze Dance, and younger students may be totally down for Mindful Muscles. Let us know how it goes when you bust a move!
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