New
New
Year 3

Performing meditative balances in pairs

I can execute meditative balances correctly to help me feel more relaxed and I can work with my partner to help improve their breathing technique.

New
New
Year 3

Performing meditative balances in pairs

I can execute meditative balances correctly to help me feel more relaxed and I can work with my partner to help improve their breathing technique.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: to perform a meditative balance and hold for 10 seconds, we need a strong posture, focus and slow deep breathing.
  2. Think: focusing when balancing for a long period of time and being still helps us feel calm and less anxious.
  3. Think: creating meditative balances helps improve our focus, strength and flexibility benefiting our minds and bodies.
  4. Feel: performing meditative balances to the best of our abilities demonstrates self-discipline.
  5. Connect: encouraging others and providing feedback shows excellent communication skills.

Keywords

  • Hold - maintaining a still position without movement

  • Balance - maintaining stability and control over the body's position to remain stationary

  • Partner - someone who collaborates or works together with another person or group towards a common goal

Common misconception

Pupils think that performing animal themed meditative balances requires acting like animals and making animal noises. This also means that pupils forget to control their breathing as they balance.

Explain to pupils that if we make noises and actually act like animals, we are creating actions and using characterisation, not balancing to ensure calm, focus and relaxtion. We must remain silent and focus on long, slow breaths in and out.


To help you plan your year 3 physical education lesson on: Performing meditative balances in pairs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Take the class through the first few animal themed meditative balances one at a time before pupils go off on their own to explore the rest.
Teacher tip

Equipment

additional materials: meditative balance cards and suggested music

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What is a benefit of creating meditative balances?
Correct answer: to feel relaxed
to feel excited
to feel angry
Q2.
What have we lost if our balances are wobbling and moving?
breath
Correct answer: focus
feelings
Q3.
What are we maintaining, if we are able to hold balances still?
excitement
agility
Correct answer: stability
Q4.
Which life skill helps you to work successfully with a partner?
speed
coordination
Correct answer: respect

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Performing all types of meditative balances improves your focus, strength and what else?
height
Correct answer: flexibility
speed
Q2.
What is the name used to describe the person you collaborate with?
leader
friend
Correct answer: partner
Q3.
What should we do when we perform animal themed meditative balances?
Correct answer: focus silently
make animal noises
focus on others
Q4.
What are you showing if you can perform meditative balances to the best of your ability?
self-respect
self-reflection
Correct answer: self-discipline

Additional material

Download additional material