Mindful Movement – Nature

We love following the Noongar seasonal calendar here at Yogazeit – not only is it way more accurate than the Eurocentric ‘Summer/Autumn/Winter/Spring’, it’s also a respectful way to honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and seas, Noongar Boodja, that we are so lucky to share. The Noongar seasonal calendar reflects the changes in nature that we can observe around us. 

Have a go taking your class for a short walk outside as a brain break. 

Your students are sure to return from this energising, grounding activity in a more ‘learning-ready’ state. What’s even better is that you, as a school staff member, will feel more refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day too! 

Activity 1: Mindful Bushwalk 

● If you can, head outside for this activity. 

● Let’s stand up mindfully and balance on both feet evenly. Gently lift one foot, then place it back down. Gently lift the other foot and place it back down. 

● Now try matching it with your breath: breathe in and lift up, breathe out and place down. Repeat. Now we’ll take one small, slow step forward. 

● Breathe in, lift one foot. Breathe out, place it down a little in front of you. Try a few steps forward like this. Now breathe normally and keep your attention on your feet. 

● Feel each foot touching the ground. 

● Keep your attention to the bottom of your feet and let’s 

slowly take three mindful steps forward. This time, notice how 

your foot feels when you lift it up. Can you feel the bottom of 

your feet on the ground and in the air? 

● Now stop and stand mindfully. Take three mindful 

breaths. Slowly turn around. 

● This time, see if you can pay even closer attention. 

Maybe you can notice something new. Take mindful steps back 

to class.

Activity 2: Partner Shapes 

Partner shapes are an excellent way to teach social-emotional learning 

outcomes. It is important to emphasize safety and respect in all partner shapes. Encourage your students to ask their partner if the stretch feels okay, and to check before touching another person. Also encourage your students to 

celebrate differences and to learn from one another. 

Partner shapes help to foster a collaborative classroom community and 

encourage students to embrace diversity. 

Try this partner shape with the students in your class and guide them to notice how it feels to be balanced in both their bodies and their minds! 

Partner Shape: Two Trees 

Cues: when you are both ready… 

• Let’s begin standing beside our partner, close. 

• Bringing our outside arm to our hip. 

• Bringing our outside foot to a kickstand, like in Tree. If it 

feels good and you’re balanced, you can move this foot higher 

up the leg – just don’t press against the knee. 

• Stand up really tall on the inside leg. 

• Reaching our inside arms around our partner’s torso. 

• Bringing our inside hands together with our partners. 

• What other tree shapes can you make? Can you try 

something different, so we can make a classroom forest of 

different trees? 

• To come out, let’s bring our outside foot down and drop our 

hands. 

• Standing tall. 

• Repeat on the other side.

Physical benefits: Mental benefits: Stretches the hips and groin • Allows students to notice how a calm, • Improves balance and stability balanced mind leads to a calm, balanced • Strengthens the ankles and legs body • Improves motor planning • Encourages compassion

Teaching Notes: 

There are lots of great variations to this partner activity. You could try a simpler version, just holding the inside hands together (or hooking arms). For a challenge, you could try lifting your arms up together! You could even make a love heart shape with the two arms curling in. 

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About Yogazeit Ltd.

YOGAZEIT Ltd. is an Australian registered Charity and Not for Profit organisation (DGR status 1) dedicated to empowering and educating Australian Youth and Seniors with Yoga and Mindfulness classes, programs, training, and professional development courses founded on the principles of education, ethics and research. 

At YOGAZEIT, we believe that the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of yoga and mindfulness should be accessible to all School Communities and Aged Care facilities across Australia, regardless of financial circumstances, gender, age, backgrounds, abilities, challenges and talents. 

We are a team of highly experienced Educators, Business Professionals, Aged Care Workers, Social Scientists and much more. We are committed to changing the scope of Education and Ageing, meeting the needs of the Young and Young at Heart through the tools of accessible Yoga and Mindfulness for every BODY.