Instructor: Chris Elersich
Community: 3-6 year olds, Setting?
Plan Creation Date: May 1, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly breathing – sitting/criss cross: feel the balloon in your belly filling up/slowly and letting it go.-then on back to continue belly breathing. Sometimes we pick our favorite rock and use it to feel the rock go slowly up and down on our bellies when doing belly breathing activity. *can use hoberman sphere/or use hands to show how the breathe can go in and out very slowly. Do this 10 breaths (approx.. or whatever number a child gives/varies)
- Pulse count – at this young age (3) pulse count is too difficult. With older children this works much better. We try to feel the pulse/then count together to practice the skill of counting.
Activate
- While on back, pull knees up and give them a hug.
- Rock and roll – activate the powerhouse (belly) to rock your body back and forth and on the fourth rock come up to
- Boat – hold still/ be strong/ imagine the boat is on the calm water/ very still water/ you can feel the sunshine on your shoulders and see into the water where the fish are swimming. Those fish are going under and around the boat and you want to be very still!
- Volcano breath – hold hands at heart space and imagine who you want to send your heart thoughts to today. Breathe in/hold at the top with hands above head/ breathe out and release the arms around and back to heart space. (pick child to determine how many times to repeat volcano breath –up to 10)
- Cat/Cow – come to all fours and into position for “cat/cow” – A cat can have two ways of showing emotion. If you see a cat by your house and don’t want to scare it, you would walk slowly up to the cat. If you startle the can it will raise its back and hiss! We will then release our backs and go to cow pose/ with the head looking upward-breathe in and open your heart to the world/ repeat cat/cow for 10 each inhale/ then 10 exhale or hiss!
- Child’s Pose – rest in child pose: it is important to take time to rest and take care of yourself! Come back to all fours/ remember to activate the four corners of your hands, curl your toes under and hips to the sky –
- Downward Dog – activate your arms/ you and wiggle your tails one way and then the next! Walk your feet forward and just hang in-
- Forward Bend – let yourself hang like a rag doll! All your worries and troubles are falling out and down like a waterfall! Inhale and come to-
- Chair Pose – (this is developmentally a bit difficult for 3 yr old children so we stay for only a few seconds) reminding each child how strong they are and that they can do it!
- Mountain Pose – feel the strength of your roots/ activate your legs to feel the strength of a mountain.
- Upward Mountain – feel the strength shoot out of the tips of your fingers/activate your arms! Hands at heart space-
- Mountain – While here/and still in mountain pose: sway from one foot to the other, feeling the strength in your legs. Find balance and go to
- Tree pose – (because I am working with 3 year old, she and I do support each other in tree pose/as this may be a bit too advanced for the a 3 yr. old developmentally. Feel the strength! Focus on your strength! Nothing can interrupt your concentration! You are in control!
Calm
- Quieting down and coming back to the mat and into relaxation pose
- Discuss – how proud you should feel to accomplish yoga today. Your body is strong and your mind is ready for anything!
- Relaxation – Options: Book/ “Ready, Set, Relax” page 106 – Bubble Blowing