Story and photos by Zoya Cheema ’30
In the Winter Term course Relax and Revive, taught by Middle School PE and Dance Teacher Summer Beasley, fifth and sixth-grade students dive into the world of relaxation, learning through lessons, stations, journaling, walks, and crafts. By participating in different activities, students learn about what works best for them, ultimately leaving the class with a toolkit of strategies to use to relieve stress, focus, or relax.
A variety of physical and mental strategies are learned in this class. Students not only learn techniques, but dive deeper, learning the science behind them, and when and how to use these techniques. Everybody needs dedicated time to calm themselves, and this course is perfect for the end of the day! “It’s very relaxing and chill, especially for people who might be stressed all the time,” said Brenda Huang ’32.
The class begins with a journal entry, and next goes to circle talk. Then the students participate in an activity including creating mind jars, malas, coloring, self-massage, relaxation stations, breathing techniques, and more, says Mrs. Beasley.
Different crafts in this class are used as tools for relaxation. Brenda says, “We’ve been making these malas, which are like necklaces; we count the beads to relax.” Malas are sacred strands of typically 108 beads used as a tool for meditation and relaxation.
In the class, students create mind jars, which are like snow globes for relaxation. “When you shake it, all the glitter flies up, and then it goes down really slowly. It’s just cool to watch, and you can just focus on it,” says student Eliza Krieger ’32. When asked what their favorite thing about the class was, Severin Spannring ’32, D.J. Day ’32, Cash Alexander ’33, Jackson Lewin ’33, and Drew Samson ’32 all agreed that they loved creating mind jars, which they made in class with glitter, glue, glycerin, and water.
“We also did some mandala coloring, where it’s all symmetrical, so it can be very soothing and relaxing because you’re not having to think about things,” says Mrs. Beasley. Another activity in the course is self-affirmation messages. Where they drew an outline of everyone’s bodies, and everyone went around and put a kind statement about that person in their outline. Everyone gets to see good things about themselves. They also did self-massages, learning how to help their bodies relax if they have tense muscles.
When the weather was nice, the class spent time outside. One day, they went on a nature walk around the campus, and a few days later, they went outside to journal. Fresh air really helps with relaxation!
This class is unique because the students will be able to use these strategies not only in class, but also in their daily lives. “Before, I used to just focus on something else, or eat something to make me feel better,” says Brenda, “Now I’d probably either take deep breaths or self-massage.” Eliza says, “When I’m stressed out or angry, I just read a book. In the class, I realized that a mind jar is a really good way to relax.”
This is Mrs. Beasley’s first time instructing this class. She states, “I hope that they take away at least one good technique that helps to calm themselves, relieve stress, or just help them focus.” When asked why she created this course, she reflects, “I hear kids say, ‘I’m stressed, I’m stressed, I don’t know how to relax. It’s just another opportunity to relax, because without practice it doesn’t get better.”