During our third Mind, Move, Make class we talked about the importance of the human breath. I asked my students to tell me why humans need to breath. After a discussion, we came to the determination that humans need to breath to capture oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.
We talked about how consciously thinking about the breath can also help them in many other ways. I shared that when I'm worried, nervous, angry or sad I try to remember to close my eyes and focus on my breath. Breathing mindfully doesn't make an existing problem disappear, but it does bring a feeling of calm that didn't exist before engaging in the practice.
Together we discussed situations in which focusing on the breath could help them, like before taking a test or when a sibling does something frustrating. A few students shared times when they felt nervous or angry in the past when they could've used their breath to gather a sense of calm. Hopefully they remember to use this tool in the future when these feelings arise!
During the movement portion of the class we worked on Downward Facing Dog and talked about how that should feel in the body. We moved through a Sun Salutation sequence that we've been working on. At one point I asked the students if they wanted me to do the Sun Salutation with them or watch them do it and simply talk them through it verbally. They all wanted me to watch them instead of doing it with them! We finished the practice with a few balancing poses. Each student used the rock I gave them during the first class as a visual focal point, or drishti, to help maintain balance.
Artistically, the students started by creating two different drawings. For one drawing they used shape and color as the primary elements, and for the other they used line. When completed, both drawings were cut into pieces and woven together to create a new, integrated, finished piece of artwork.
Several interesting things were discovered from this project. My students learned how two very different artworks can be combined to create a completely new piece of work. To get to this point they had to take a risk and cut up their beautiful drawings. Everyone managed to sacrifice their two original works for the sake of creating something new, unique, and unexpected.
