Initially, I walked the line as the child would, putting one foot in front of the other, toe to heel, on a line made of masking tape or chalk. I imagined a young child outstretching his arms to help him balance as he proceeded walking the line.

I then walked carrying a pile of books on my head. I immediately noticed that I was more aware of my posture and balance in general. I had to walk with a slow, careful stride so as not to drop any of the books. I repeated the exercise a few times and noticed that with each successive try, I felt more relaxed and balanced.

Then, I attempted to walk to music. This initially proved to be a bit more difficult. As I concentrated on walking carefully, toe to heel, in time to the music, I was once again more aware of how I was balancing myself. Balancing the books on top of my head seemed cumbersome at first. After practicing a few times, my body acclimated, and I became more relaxed. This exercise, mentioned in detail in Montessori at Home: A Complete Guide to Teaching Your Preschooler at Home Using the Montessori Method is one of the exercises used to help children orient themselves in time and space and is a prequisitie to some of Maria Montessori's language presentations.

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