Shiva Dance (Shiva Nata)

Recognizing one's emotions, strengths, needs, and reactions; not body awareness.

Recognizing body position, movement, and bodily signals; not balance or coordination.

What it is: Movement is the child's current need for physical action or an outlet for bodily energy. Why it matters: meeting it can support bodily comfort, regulation, attention, and readiness for other kinds of participation. When it rises: the body may have been still for too long or may have energy that needs an active outlet. When it lowers: active play, sport, walking, stretching, or another suitable opportunity may have helped meet the need. Why this is the same: wanting to run, move, stretch, or use the body points to the same need for physical action. Why this is different: Restlessness is an uncomfortable feeling that may accompany the need, while Challenge is a need for achievable difficulty rather than movement itself.

Sustaining attention and filtering distractions; includes focus and concentration.

Capabilities of body control and physical effort practiced through movement; excludes health outcomes, sport techniques, and mental or social qualities.

Available range of bodily motion; not cognitive flexibility.

Controlled synchronization of body parts; not balance or rapid direction change.

What it is: Calm is a settled present feeling with relatively little tension. Why it matters: it can give a child room to recover, notice what is happening, and participate without feeling rushed. When it rises: the child may feel more at ease and less activated. When it lowers: tension or activation may be becoming more present; this is not automatically a problem. Why this is the same: peaceful, at ease, and relaxed describe Calm when they refer to the same settled emotional state. Why this is different: Rest is something the child may need, Low energy is depletion, and inactivity is only a behaviour; none necessarily means the child feels calm.

Recognizing stress signals and using safe, age-appropriate strategies or support to return to a manageable state; not absence of stress, relaxation alone, or treatment.