Strategos: Kautilya Plan

In this class we learned about a thing called Kautilya. The idea behind Kautilya is to make us realize a mission that we want to complete in a certain amount of time by asking ourselves these simple questions: Why? How much/many? When/where? and What if? The purpose of this exercise was to inform people about how important it is to breathe. When people get into a situation where they find themselves getting stressed they often forget to breathe. I chose this mission because I often get stressed from things like forgetting to do my homework or when I’m being questioned about my day from my mother; things that usually stress out teenagers.

I got this exercise from my dad who works as a social worker for teens and adults. He is also a long time believer in meditation and finding peace within yourself. He told me that at first it may not do anything but the more you practice the exercise the easier it is to relax. Some people feel instant release of tension when they do this exercise. I am proud that I practiced this and that I now have a better understanding of how breathing is a very important part of feeling relaxed.

Lesson Plan

QUESTION?
What is one way of releasing stress in my own life?

WHY?
I’m sharing this lesson with you today because it informs you about one way to release stress and tension from your life.

HOW (when, resources, what ifs…):

• Ask everyone to get comfortable
• Ask one or two people what is a way that they release stress in there lives.
• Now close your eyes and listen to my voice (talk slowly)
• (Read the instructions) clear your minds and just listen to my voice as I read the instructions –  are NOT to start yet, they are to only listen to the instructions.

Instructions
When I say go, I want you all to let all the air out of your lungs
Then breathe in, through your nose, slowly, as I count to 10…
When I get to 10, I want you to hold your breath, as I count to 10 again….
After I reach 10, I want you to slowly let the air out, through your nose, until I count to 10 again.

Lets practice —- breathe in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7,8,9,10
Now hold your breath 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7,8,9,10
And now let your breath out slowly, through your nose — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7,8,9,10

Now let’s begin

Breathe in 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Hold 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Breathe out 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Repeat this three times…..keep your eyes closed….

After the third time, slowly open your eyes – pay attention to how you are feeling, what thoughts have entered and left your mind, how your body feels…

Ask for comments and talk a bit about it….
Talk about the importance of breathing ….often when we get stressed out or tense, the first thing that happens is we forget to breathe.
Not breathing creates more tension — remembering to breathe relaxes our bodies and allows for clear thinking…..

How much? Who?  (resources)
1 Presenter/Facilitator
11 peers
Whiteboard, marker
Pens/Pencils & Journals