Teaching can be stressful work. Here's a three-minute relaxation routine for you. Incorporate the sequence regularly into your day and feel the tension drain away. Do this simple relaxation exercise at your desk, sitting at traffic lights, waiting in the dentist's waiting room - or any time you're feeling the strain. Getting rid of tension in your body helps relax the mind.

Sit in a balanced, upright position with both feet flat on the floor, hands resting on your thighs. Sit up straight and feel your head balanced on the top of your spine.

If you feel comfortable doing so, close your eyes. Take a big deep breath in, keeping your shoulders still and relaxing your tummy as you do so.

Now breathe out pulling your stomach in.

Next time you breathe out, you're going to relax your body from the top down.

Breathe in again and as you breathe out relax your face, relax your neck, relax your shoulders, relax your arms, relax your hands, relax your tummy, your bottom, your legs, your feet. Finish breathing out.

........ and let go.

Let all the tension drain out through your feet into the ground.

Once again, consciously relax your body from the top down. Breathe in.... and as you breathe out relax your face, your neck, your shoulders, your arms your hands, your tummy, your bottom, your legs, your feet.

........ and let go.

One more time, and this time as you relax, say mentally to yourself, 'I'm relaxing my face, I'm relaxing my neck, I'm relaxing my shoulders.....' and so on.

So breathe in ..... and in your own time, as you breathe out, relax.

And now take another deep breath in and smile. And breathe normally. And stretch. And open your eyes.

Tip

Sometimes in order to relax a part of the body, it helps to tense it first. You gently bring just enough tension into your whole body in order to feel it - your face, your neck, your shoulders, your torso, arms, legs, feet, everywhere - and then let it go.

Transfer to Teaching

Do this activity with learners. It's a great way to counteract tiredness and boredom - or high spirits - and to get learners into a good learning state.

....things to think about....

What language would you need to pre-teach before doing this activity with learners for the first time?

Who could you use it with? Who couldn't you use it with?

Do you think your learners would take to this type of activity readily?

If you felt you would need to convince them of its value, how would you do it?

...Psst!!!!

Does this exercise work for you?

Have you tried it with your students?

How did it go?

This exercise is taken from In Your Hands, NLP in ELT by Jane Revell and Susan Norman, published by Saffire Press. We would like to thank them for their kind permission to reproduce this exercise. In Your Hands is available by mail from KELTIC bookshop.