Restorative Cool-Down: Stretch and Talk It Through
A circle cool-down to close a lesson where there was tension or conflict: while holding gentle stretches, the group answers restorative questions, passing a ball as a talking piece. It helps bring heart rates down, make sense of what happened and agree on how to repair it and do better.
How to play
- Sit with the group in a circle on the mats and take three slow breaths with long exhales (2 min).
- Standing calf and quad stretches while, with the ball as talking piece, anyone who wants answers: «What happened?» and «What were you thinking at the time?» (3 min).
- Seated hamstring stretch while answering: «Who was affected, and how?» (2 min).
- Back and shoulder stretch in child's pose or seated while answering: «What do we need to make it right?» and «What will we do next time?»; close with a group commitment (3 min).
Rules
- Only the person holding the ball speaks, and no one interrupts.
- Describe facts and your own feelings without blaming or labeling.
- Speaking is voluntary; anyone can pass the ball without saying anything.
- Stretch without bouncing and never to the point of pain.
Variations
Easier
Answer only two questions: what happened and what we'll do next time.
Standard
Gentle stretches in a circle with all five restorative questions and a final commitment.
Harder
The students involved in the conflict lead the questions themselves, with the teacher's support.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student stretches seated in the wheelchair and is handed the ball.
- Autism: the student has the questions in writing and can answer with one word or a 1-to-5 scale.
- Hearing impairment: tighten the circle to make lip-reading easier and show the questions on a card.
Learning goals
- Calm down after the effort and tension of the game.
- Analyze a conflict with restorative questions instead of looking for someone to blame.
- Agree as a group on ways to make amends and improve how everyone gets along.
Equipment for a class of 25
- yoga mats: 28
- balls: 1
Teacher tip
Don't use it for a serious conflict between two people: that calls for a separate mediation. Model the first answer yourself to set the tone.
PatioLab has "Restorative Cool-Down: Stretch and Talk It Through" 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.