KS4 · Physical education · Year 11
Basic poses and breathing techniques
Health and wellbeing: yoga, pilates and mindfulness for life
Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.
IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/9
Your learning goal
I can perform Downward Facing Dog, Child's Pose and Warrior in any variation I choose.
1 of 9
Basic poses and breathing techniques: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
What you’ll learn
I can perform Downward Facing Dog, Child's Pose and Warrior in any variation I choose.
Key learning points
- Move: in Downward-Facing Dog, spread your fingers, press heels down, lift hips, keep spine long and engage your core.
- Think: exhaling while deepening the movement helps the body stretch more effectively and achieve greater flexibility.
- Feel: feeling the stretch until it's tight helps you understand your limit, ensuring a safe and effective stretch.
- Connect: a group practice allows a shared sense of calm and unity through synchronised movement and breath.
Words to know
- downward facing dog
- hips lift up and back, forming an inverted 'V' shape, pressing heels towards the ground
- child's pose
- a resting yoga pose where you kneel on the floor, sit back on your heels and stretch your arms forward on the mat while lowering your head to the ground
- warrior
- one leg forward with knee bent and other leg extended back, arms reaching overhead
Common mistakes
Holding your breath when performing different moves or going deeper into a stretch is beneficial.
Holding your breath while performing movements or deepening a stretch can create tension, reduce oxygen flow and limit flexibility. Focus on steady, controlled breathing to help the body relax, move safely and maximise the benefits of each pose.
For parents, carers and teachers
- Use the additional materials to support when pupil's are creating their own routines. Ensure pupils are practising safely within their limits by walking round and checking each group.