When Your Child Asks, “WHY Do I Need To Do Relaxation Exercises?”

If you have been using ArtAchieve art lessons, you no doubt have come to the point in the lesson that asks you to follow

The ArtAchieve relaxation exercise

 

 

In the video versions of the art lessons, the instructions for how to do the relaxation exercise are often followed by this summary:

  • Rub your hands together until they are warm
  • Lay your palms over your eyes
  • Take a deep breath and hold it a moment
  • Blow the air away like a sigh
  • Do this several times
  • Remove your hands from your eyes
  • Enjoy the relaxed feeling!

If you have encountered this exercise, you may also be one of those people with a child who has asked,

“WHY oh WHY mom/dad/teacher do I need to do these? 

I'm relaxed and wanting to do art already!”

 

A mother who uses ArtAchieve recently wrote to me because her child had asked that very question, and she wanted to know what to say in response.

When one person takes time to write me a question, chances are that there are SEVERAL people who didn’t write, but DID have the same question. With that in mind, let me explain what this exercise is intended to do for art students.

 

 

I use the relaxation technique whenever I teach art classes.  I find the exercise important and helpful for the following reasons.

First of all, the relaxation exercise has to do with shifting our mind.

  • Much of school work and daily life involves analytical, reasoned thought, thought that is constantly evaluating and correcting the details we are working on.
  • If we come to an art activity with this kind of mindset, we set ourselves up to be constantly judging and worrying that it doesn’t look right.
  • This gets in the way of drawing and spatial/visual thinking, and is detrimental to creative work. 
  • The breathing exercise is a physical way of letting that kind of thinking go. It’s a way of reminding ourselves that we are switching from verbal, by-the-clock, analytical thinking to visual/spatial thinking. 

Secondly, it’s a way of helping us be more aware.

  • During the relaxation exercise, we take time to be aware of our breathing, and that aids in slowing down; it sets us up for
    • Being aware, 
    • Taking time to look carefully when we draw, 
    • Noticing how a color is working, etc.

Thirdly, the exercise is a routine that we set up.

  • We do it to begin every lesson, and the routine serves as a reminder of those things I just talked about - a reminder that during art classes
    • We have to think differently and operate differently than we do in math or reading, and
    • We want to let worries about time and deadlines slip to the side.

However, if you find yourself in tension with the exercise, it’s going to be counterproductive. In that case it may be better to ignore that part of the lesson. After all, the exercise is meant to be a help.

Either way, the important thing is to do some art!

Don't wait! Get started with free art lessons here!

 

If you have been using ArtAchieve art lessons, you no doubt have come to the point in the lesson that asks you to follow

The ArtAchieve relaxation exercise

 

 

In the video versions of the art lessons, the instructions for how to do the relaxation exercise are often followed by this summary:

  • Rub your hands together until they are warm
  • Lay your palms over your eyes
  • Take a deep breath and hold it a moment
  • Blow the air away like a sigh
  • Do this several times
  • Remove your hands from your eyes
  • Enjoy the relaxed feeling!

If you have encountered this exercise, you may also be one of those people with a child who has asked,

“WHY oh WHY mom/dad/teacher do I need to do these? 

I'm relaxed and wanting to do art already!”

 

A mother who uses ArtAchieve recently wrote to me because her child had asked that very question, and she wanted to know what to say in response.

When one person takes time to write me a question, chances are that there are SEVERAL people who didn’t write, but DID have the same question. With that in mind, let me explain what this exercise is intended to do for art students.

 

 

I use the relaxation technique whenever I teach art classes.  I find the exercise important and helpful for the following reasons.

First of all, the relaxation exercise has to do with shifting our mind.

  • Much of school work and daily life involves analytical, reasoned thought, thought that is constantly evaluating and correcting the details we are working on.
  • If we come to an art activity with this kind of mindset, we set ourselves up to be constantly judging and worrying that it doesn’t look right.
  • This gets in the way of drawing and spatial/visual thinking, and is detrimental to creative work. 
  • The breathing exercise is a physical way of letting that kind of thinking go. It’s a way of reminding ourselves that we are switching from verbal, by-the-clock, analytical thinking to visual/spatial thinking. 

Secondly, it’s a way of helping us be more aware.

  • During the relaxation exercise, we take time to be aware of our breathing, and that aids in slowing down; it sets us up for
    • Being aware, 
    • Taking time to look carefully when we draw, 
    • Noticing how a color is working, etc.

Thirdly, the exercise is a routine that we set up.

  • We do it to begin every lesson, and the routine serves as a reminder of those things I just talked about - a reminder that during art classes
    • We have to think differently and operate differently than we do in math or reading, and
    • We want to let worries about time and deadlines slip to the side.

However, if you find yourself in tension with the exercise, it’s going to be counterproductive. In that case it may be better to ignore that part of the lesson. After all, the exercise is meant to be a help.

Either way, the important thing is to do some art!

Don't wait! Get started with free art lessons here!

 

If you have been using ArtAchieve art lessons, you no doubt have come to the point in the lesson that asks you to follow

The ArtAchieve relaxation exercise

 

 

In the video versions of the art lessons, the instructions for how to do the relaxation exercise are often followed by this summary:

  • Rub your hands together until they are warm
  • Lay your palms over your eyes
  • Take a deep breath and hold it a moment
  • Blow the air away like a sigh
  • Do this several times
  • Remove your hands from your eyes
  • Enjoy the relaxed feeling!

If you have encountered this exercise, you may also be one of those people with a child who has asked,

“WHY oh WHY mom/dad/teacher do I need to do these? 

I'm relaxed and wanting to do art already!”

 

A mother who uses ArtAchieve recently wrote to me because her child had asked that very question, and she wanted to know what to say in response.

When one person takes time to write me a question, chances are that there are SEVERAL people who didn’t write, but DID have the same question. With that in mind, let me explain what this exercise is intended to do for art students.

 

 

I use the relaxation technique whenever I teach art classes.  I find the exercise important and helpful for the following reasons.

First of all, the relaxation exercise has to do with shifting our mind.

  • Much of school work and daily life involves analytical, reasoned thought, thought that is constantly evaluating and correcting the details we are working on.
  • If we come to an art activity with this kind of mindset, we set ourselves up to be constantly judging and worrying that it doesn’t look right.
  • This gets in the way of drawing and spatial/visual thinking, and is detrimental to creative work. 
  • The breathing exercise is a physical way of letting that kind of thinking go. It’s a way of reminding ourselves that we are switching from verbal, by-the-clock, analytical thinking to visual/spatial thinking. 

Secondly, it’s a way of helping us be more aware.

  • During the relaxation exercise, we take time to be aware of our breathing, and that aids in slowing down; it sets us up for
    • Being aware, 
    • Taking time to look carefully when we draw, 
    • Noticing how a color is working, etc.

Thirdly, the exercise is a routine that we set up.

  • We do it to begin every lesson, and the routine serves as a reminder of those things I just talked about - a reminder that during art classes
    • We have to think differently and operate differently than we do in math or reading, and
    • We want to let worries about time and deadlines slip to the side.

However, if you find yourself in tension with the exercise, it’s going to be counterproductive. In that case it may be better to ignore that part of the lesson. After all, the exercise is meant to be a help.

Either way, the important thing is to do some art!

Don't wait! Get started with free art lessons here!