The children should sit on their knees and then bend forward in majariasana, the cat pose. Stretching their arms and meowing and curling inwards. Then they should silently relax sideways, as cats often do when basking in the sun, lying completely limp and still but listening to your voice. If a cat hears a meaningful noise, it will immediately spring onto its feet.

So while the children are relaxing on the floor, keep on speaking to them.

“Now you are lying down as if you are asleep, but you are not. You are clever alert cats, so even though you look like you are sleeping you can still hear me. As soon as I say the word mouse really loudly, you must spring into the full cat pose again really quickly.

Try placing a few paper mice (origami) around the children while they are in relaxed cat pose so they can pounce on them when they assume full cat pose.

A great way to teach children that relaxation can be done while being completely alert.

By Shyamala