Instructor: Chris Elersich
Community: 3-6 year olds, Setting?
Plan Creation Date: May 1, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Strength
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – using Hoberman Sphere: with each breath feel how powerful and strong you are.
- Pulse count – with younger children , I count together to practice counting skills. They usually cannot find or count the pulse, but I like to practice this with them and if older children are in the group they can count their own pulse.
Activate
- Leg extensions/foot circles – get the body ready for the next positions:
- Rock and Roll – Lie on your back and hug your knees. Slowly start rocking , careful not to hit the back of your head, just roll on your back on the spine from the hips to the upper back. Now gently rock from side to side.
- Boat – from rock and roll go to boat. Feel the strength in your belly and your legs. “I am strong, I am in control. I can do it. I can be responsible.”
- Bridge – lie on your back with feel flat on the floor, close to hops and hip width apart, toes pointing straight ahead. While up in bridge position, I like to ask to children to imagine that a boat is going under the bridge! What a strong bridge to stay up and let the boat pass underneath! –go to standing position—
- Mountain Pose – imagine the mountains around us, they are very strong! Remember to make sure your shoulders are back and down, look straight ahead and activate, hugging in toward the center of the mountain.
- Upward Mountain
- Chair – remember, “I am strong, I can do it”
- Star – take feet wide apart, and point your toes straight ahead, arms out to the sides and parallel to the floor! Activate your muscles.
- Warrior II – turn standing from star pose, turn your left foot slightly to the right, and your right foot all the way to the right. Inhale and lift arms up parallel to the floor, palms down. Exhale and bend the right knee, shoulders back and down. Feel your strength! Like a warrior! Return to standing and repeat on other side. Back to floor/ lie on belly:
- Cobra – do three times then curl toes under and go into
- Downward Facing Dog
- Plank – see how long you can stay in plank! Feel your strength: “ I am strong, I can do it”
- Downward Dog
Calm
- Child pose
- Relaxation – ‘read “going places” from “ready, set, relax” page 156