Happiness Class | Delhi Government: Session 10: Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Time allocation:
1. a. Mindful check-in: 3-5 minutes
b. Discussion on Mindfulness:10 minutes
2. a. Progressive Muscle Relaxation - I: 5 minutes
b. Discussion on Progressive Muscle Relaxation - I: 15 minutes
3. Silent check out: 1-2 minutes

1. a. Mindful check-in: 3-5 minutes

Learning outcome: Through this activity, the teacher will prepare the students for the mindfulness class

The steps of the activity

Teachers should tell students that through this activity we will take our attention off the work we were doing before this and bring it to the present. This exercise can be done by the students anywhere and at any time.
Tell the students to sit comfortably and, if comfortable, they can straighten their backs and close their eyes. If someone is finding it difficult to close their eyes then they can lower their eyes and look downwards.
Tell the students to keep their hands on the desk or on their lap.
Tell the students that we will begin the class with the mindful check-in activity. We will do this for 3 minutes.
Tell the students to focus first on the sounds they can hear around them and then take their attention to their own breathing.
Tell the students that the outer sounds may reduce … or increase, they may be heard at intervals … or heard continuously.

(Wait for 20 seconds.)

Tell the students to become aware of these sounds, however they might sound. Ask them to listen to where they are coming from.

(Wait for 30 seconds.)

Tell the students that now they should focus on their breath. Focus on inhaling and exhaling.
Ask the students not to change the rhythm of their breath. Just be aware and focus on them.

(Wait for 10 seconds.)

Ask the students to focus on when they are inhaling and when they are exhaling. Is there a difference between the breath they are taking in and the one they are giving out? Are these breaths cool or warm … fast or slow … light or deep?
Tell the students to be aware of each breath.

(Wait for 20 seconds.)

Now ask the students to slowly focus on how they are sitting and whenever they are ready, they may open their eyes.

Dos and Don’ts:

Before beginning with check-in, give time to the students to sit comfortably.
During the activity, if you see a student getting distracted, without naming him/her, ask the whole class to pay attention.

1. b. Discussion on Mindfulness: 10 minutes

Learning outcome: To know the students’ experience on the process of mindfulness and its benefits.

Proposed points of discussion:

Ask the students to think about the changes they experienced within themselves during the process for 2-3 minutes. Ask them to think about the experience and the practice of the previous week’s activity. Ask them to think also about where and when they used this activity other than the happiness period.
After this, teachers can discuss with the students about the learnings and benefits of mindfulness and how it has improved their lives in ways like –

Reduction of stress within
More focus in the classroom
Realising what is going on within them (happiness, sadness, anger etc.)

Tell the students that they may write their thoughts in their notebook. After this, some of them can share their experiences.
In this period, a discussion can be held on the particular experiences, challenges or questions that arose during the mindfulness activity.
A discussion can be held on the articles on mindfulness brought by the students.

Dos and Don’ts

Every week, ask the students to bring a few articles on mindfulness to the class so that a discussion could be held on them.
Encourage all students to give answers.
The students who hesitate in speaking up, may write their thoughts somewhere.
Accept all answers given by students, don’t contest them.

2. a. Progressive Muscle Relaxation - I: 5 minutes

Learning outcome: Students are able to focus on their body.

Note: Refrain the students from straining too much during this exercise, they should only do the steps to the extent comfortable to them. If anyone feels uneasy during this exercise, they should discontinue doing it.

The steps of the activity

The teachers should tell the students in a simple language that Progressive Muscle Relaxation is an activity through which we take our attention towards the tension and relaxation being generated in our muscles.
Ask the students to imagine that they are holding a lemon. Now they should imagine that they are squeezing the lemon to take out its juice. While doing this, they will experience a stress in their muscles. They should feel this tension. Now students should imagine that they have dropped the lemon. They would be able to feel the tension in their muscles has reduced.
Ask the students how they are feeling.
Now, ask the students to peacefully sit at one place and close their eyes. Tell them to focus their attention only on their body. If they get distracted, they should take their attention back to the same muscle on which they were focusing earlier.
Now, the students should make a tight fist with their right hand. Ask them to hold this fist for five seconds and feel the tension rising in their hands. Now ask them to open the fist gradually and loosen their hand. Let their hands rest. Students should repeat this activity once more.
Now, ask the students to make a tight fist with their left hand. Ask them to hold this fist for five seconds and feel the tension rising in their hands. Now ask them to open the fist gradually and loosen their hand. Let their hands rest. Students should repeat this activity once more.
Now ask the students to make a tight fist with both hands but without putting stress. Now they should experience the tension rising in both their hands. Now open the fists and loosen the hands.
Ask the students to loosen their entire body.
Now ask the students to tighten and straighten their hands and arms. They should straighten them as much as possible. Now, feel the tension rising in the arms. Wait for 5 seconds. Now let the hands relax and loosen them. Feel the relaxation in the hands and arms.
Students should feel the relaxation in their whole body and breathe normally.

(Wait for 10 seconds.)

Now tell the students to raise their eyebrows as much as they can and tighten their forehead muscles. Wait for five seconds and feel the increasing stress on the forehead. Now relax and loosen the forehead muscles. Relax completely.
Tell the students to feel the increasing relaxation in their bodies.
After this, ask the students to close their eyelids and tighten their eye muscles. Wait for five seconds and then loosen the eyelids. Loosen them completely. Feel the increasing relaxation on the eyelids.

(Wait for 10 seconds.)

Now, tell the students to put their necks backwards as if they are looking at the wall. Feel the tension in the neck muscles. Wait for five seconds. Now, gradually bring the neck back in place. Loosen the entire body and now feel the increasing sense of relaxation in the whole body.
Continue to breathe normally.
Now ask the students to rotate their shoulders as much as possible. Feel the tension in the shoulder muscles. Now, gradually relax the shoulders.
Ask the students to feel the state of relaxation in their neck and shoulders.

(Wait for 10 seconds.)

Now ask the students to take a deep breath and gradually release it.
Breathe in … and gradually breathe out.
Ask the students to focus on how they would be feeling peaceful, relaxed and stress-free. Now feel the relaxation in the entire body.
Ask the students to mentally count from 1 to 4 and then back from 4 to 1. As and when they feel ready, they may open their eyes.

2. b. Discussion on Progressive Muscle Relaxation: 15 minutes

How are all of you feeling?
When did you experience stress in your body and when did you feel relaxed?
What is the difference between tightening your muscles and loosening them?
What are the advantages of this practice? (Indication: When we feel stressed our body and muscles also feel the stress. By practising Progressive Muscle Relaxation our body relaxes because of which our mind also feels peaceful.)

(Stressful thoughts » Stress in the body » Progressive Muscle Relaxation » Relaxation of the body » Relaxation in the mind)

3. Silent check out: 1-2 minutes

Learning outcome: The purpose of this activity is to get the students to reflect on the thoughts and feelings generated while doing the activities in the happiness class.

Steps of the activity

The mindfulness class should be ended sitting quietly.
During this, a reflection should be made by the students on the thoughts and feelings generated by today’s activities.
Do not give any other instructions to the students.
Whether the students want to close their eyes and reflect, or would want to lower them – this should be left on them.

Dos and Don’ts:

The teachers should not ask any questions after the silent check out.
If a student wants to share his/her experience, the teacher may give them a chance to do so.

------------------------------

Pages

Session 10: Progressive Muscle Relaxation - I

No comments:

Post a Comment