Cooling Downs

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After lively debates, discussions or role-playing games it can be very useful to introduce an exercise that helps to calm down, relax and to come out of the roles of the game. The aim is to get from a very high level of concentration back to a normal level. Therefore, the exercises (in contrast to the Wups) has to start with quick, strong and big movements and should go over to doing slow, small and calming movements.

  applicable for online settings
  two persons
+   more than two persons

Waking up

+

The participants stand in a circle, their feet have the same distance from each other as their shoulders and they start to swing their body from one side to the other one. They try to keep their balance, stretch themselves to one side (the arm diagonal up into the air) and breath in. Second variation: For this exercise couples are formed. One partner leans forward and stretches his back, the bottom is in the air behind him and the arms are hold by the partner who tries to pull softly in order to stretch the partner's back.


Ballono

+

The participants are standing in a circle and are holding each others hands. They are a big balloon. When breathing in they go into the middle of the circle, when breathing out the circle becomes bigger and bigger. In this way the balloon changes its size.


Tree

+  

The participants are trees that move with the wind, slowly at first and then stronger and stronger when it starts to storm. In the end they jump to the stars. Every tree has a fixed place. The trees move with the autumn wind, the winter comes and it snows, the branches get heavier and heavier, the becomes really small, he feels the energy inside himself and finally it is spring and the trees stretch themselves to the sun.


Relaxation exercise

The participants are lying on the floor, listen to music and recall the last exercises and the day.


Walking

+

Everybody moves freely in the room. They imitate different ways of going, e.g. like a child, an old man, a rocker, as a couple, with three people or in a group.


Key words

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Several key phrases on the topic of training (two times less than the number of participants) write down on cards, then cut them in half. Each participant receives one half. The task is to collect the whole phrase and discuss it in a pair./