Performing meditative balances
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can hold and perform various meditative balances to help my mind and body to feel more relaxed.
Key learning points
- Move: we can use meditative balances to help us focus and relax as well as increase our strength and flexibility.
- Think: performing meditative balances correctly requires focus in order to relax.
- Feel: trying our hardest even when we find it difficult to focus and relax shows that we have self-discipline.
- Connect: cooperating together to create high quality meditative balances shows that we trust and respect one another.
Keywords
Meditative - being very calm, quiet and focused
Balance - keep stability and control over the body's position to stay stationary
Focus - the concentration of attention on a particular object, task or goal
Common misconception
Pupils over complicate the balances they are holding and fail to hold them still. This also means they will not be able to focus as they try to hold the balance.
Encourage pupils to create a stable base, enabling their body to focus throughout and successfully use the balances as a tool to relax.
Teacher tip
Take the class through the first few meditative balances, one at a time, before pupils go off on their own to explore the rest.
Equipment
additional materials: meditative balance cards
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is a benefit of using relaxation techniques?
Q2.What do we mean by technique?
Q3.What are deep breathing, moving and stopping examples of?
Q4.What life skill are you demonstrating if you keep trying to focus on your breathing when you are feeling stressed?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What do we mean by meditative?
Q2.What are we if we are concentrating on a particular object, task or goal?
Q3.What do you show if you try your hardest, even when you find it difficult to focus and relax?
Q4.What else do meditative balances enable us to be, other than in a state of calm and more focussed?
To help you plan your 3 physical education lesson on: Performing meditative balances, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 physical education lesson on: Performing meditative balances, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 2 physical education lessons from the Health and wellbeing: mindfulness and meditative balances unit, dive into the full primary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.