Breath Waves on the Floor: Slow Closing Dance
A cool-down inspired by contemporary dance floor work: spinal waves guided by the breath and slow spirals up to sitting. It brings the heart rate down and lets the body take in what was practiced in the lesson.
How to play
- Lying face up on the mat with knees bent, slow belly breathing: four counts in and six counts out (2 min).
- On each exhale, a wave rises from the pelvis one vertebra at a time and rolls back down on the inhale (2 min).
- Roll very slowly onto one side and spiral up to sitting, leading the movement with the head (2 min).
- Seated with eyes closed, repeat three movements from the lesson at half speed (2 min).
Rules
- Waves are done without straining the lower back and without lifting the shoulders off the floor.
- Work in silence and respect other people's space.
- Anyone who feels dizzy coming up stays lying on their side for a few seconds.
Variations
Easier
Only breathing and rolling to the side, no waves.
Standard
Breathing, waves, spiral and a slow replay of the lesson.
Harder
Continue the spiral all the way up to standing without using the hands.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: does the breathing and torso waves sitting in the wheelchair.
- Lower back injury: replaces the waves with very small pelvic tilts.
- Autism or sensory sensitivity: may keep eyes open and look at a fixed point on the ceiling.
Learning goals
- Lower heart rate and muscle tension after activity.
- Become aware of the spine and the breath.
- Recall the lesson content through the body.
Equipment for a class of 25
- yoga mats: 28
- speaker: 1
Teacher tip
Play very soft ambient music and dim the lights if the space allows. It's ideal after urban dance or high-energy folk dance lessons.
PatioLab has "Breath Waves on the Floor: Slow Closing Dance" and 5176 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More cool-downs for High School
24-Hour Recovery Plan After Training
Seated and stretching gently, students rate how hard the session was and design a concrete recovery plan for the next 24 hours: hydration, food, sleep, light movement,…
4-7-8 Breathing and a Sleep Hygiene Plan
A cool-down lying on mats using the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which also helps with falling asleep.
5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Grounding While Stretching
A sensory grounding technique: students name five things they see, four they feel, three they hear, two they smell and one they taste while doing gentle stretches.