Getting the attention from a group is done easily with
inhale and exhale pose. Use your oceanic breath.
You simply say, Inhale and raise your arms up, exhale, bring arms
down by your sides as you say exhale and release.
This will help calm your group of children and center their minds to enable them to focus on the task at hand and you. Often times we tell the class to be quiet and pay attention, clap our hands, make threats such as: (If you don’t pay attention we will leave late for recess). These don’t work more than half of the time. When the children focus on the breath and movement combined they are so focused they forget to speak making their attention for you much easier to grasp.
To start this in therapy, begin the exercises yourself and walk them through the exercise. Tell them to breathe in while you raise your arms and breathe out while you drop them to your sides. Keep doing this for a few moments. This will direct them to join in on the motion with you. Make this a routine every time you do therapy when the group gets too restless and chatty. It will help give them a small break from what they are doing and acts like a reset so that they feel fresh again to continue the therapy session. This is especially helpful when you have distressed and discouraged students. It will help balance their emotions and calm their thoughts.
The next time their minds wander from therapy again instead of asking them to pay attention or telling them to listen, stop everything and begin this exercise to re-center the atmosphere. It will help you as well.