The children are seated. Enlist their attention by some statement such as: "I am going to make a snowball for you."

Standing before them, I do the exercise as I talk:

"I'm going to roll into a snowball. My head drops down, down, down. My fingers touch the floor. One knee slides behind me. The other knee slides down. I sit back on my heels. I place one hand here (at the sternum). I place the other hand on top, like this. I put the top of my head here on the floor, like this. Now I am a ball!"

"Mary, come touch me gently and roll me over." (I roll out, flat on my back and lie quiet for a moment. The children are delighted. Everyone desires a turn. Turns are allowed, as long as the group as the group interest sustains).

"Now, it is your turn to make a ball for me to roll over."

I give the same directions and follow along with the children, at first.

At the end I move about, rolling over each little ball. From the feeling of the body I can tell the degree of "centeredness".

The body should be in equilibrium around the diaphragm center. The pattern of the rollout indicates the relationship of center to circumference. I don't change that. I watch it grow free as the weeks go on.

To play the "going up part" of the games, after the roll-out, I say: "take a big yawning breath against your back and roll over onto your side. Your knees and your head try to touch. Feel your nice stretchy back. Close your eyes. You can feel your back breathe.

Now, let another big yawning breath roll you over onto your knees. There, you are a ball again! Then one foot comes forward with the knee at right angles; and with another big spring against the floor you come up to a standing position.

Continue coming up until your head balances easily on top of your neck."