Using props to balance in meditative balances
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use a beanbag to help me focus when I perform each meditative balance.
Key learning points
- Move: balancing a beanbag on my body and holding a meditative balance requires being still and slow breathing.
- Move: linking our meditative balances together can help to extend our focus, combining different relaxation techniques.
- Think: whilst performing our meditative balances, we can notice how being still helps our mind and body relax.
- Feel: when linking our balances, showing self-motivation to keep practising improves our performance.
- Connect: supporting our partner if they find it difficult to balance the beanbag requires encouragement.
Keywords
Meditative - being very calm, quiet and focused
Focus - the concentration of attention and mental resources on a particular object, task or goal
Slow - reducing our speed or pace when completing a task
Common misconception
Once pupils start to link their mediative balances, they focus on creating a sequence of movements rather than the relaxation purposes of the process.
Explain that medatitive balances aren't the same as gymnastic balances and provide examples to support pupil understanding.
Teacher tip
Remind pupils of the animal meditative balances and how animals form these shapes when they are in a relaxed state. Ask pupils to compare these to gymnastic balances and note how the focus is on deep breathing and stillness.
Equipment
1 beanbag between 2, additional materials: meditative balance cards
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.In what type of position do we hold a meditative balance still?
Q2.How long should you be able to hold a meditative balance still for?
Q3.What should your breathing be like when you are holding meditative balances still?
Q4.What are you using if you encourage others and provide helpful feedback?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is the purpose of linking meditative balances using melting?
Q2.How can we support our partner when we are working together?
Q3.What can help us to concentrate when we are performing a meditative balance?
Q4.What can self-motivation help us with?
To help you plan your 3 physical education lesson on: Using props to balance in 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: Using props to balance in 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.