Instructor: Lynn Hernandez
Community: 5th Grade Classroom, School Setting, combined with Steps to Respect, an Anti-Bullying Curriculum, 45 minutes
Plan Creation Date: April 13, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Academic Goals: To further develop our sense of community and trust between each other. As we prepare for a Steps to Respect (STR) lesson, it will be important to engage in activities that encourage trust between peers.
Resources required: Hoberman sphere, music downloaded on phone or computer, STR curriculum
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Opening Remarks – Before we engage our STR lesson, I would like us to take a few minutes to prepare ourselves by taking in a few deep breaths (begin using Hoberman Sphere).
- Belly Breathing – Follow this sphere as you breath in and out. Slow your breathing down. Begin to let go of all the things you think you have to do today, and just breathe and be in the present. As you breathe in, take in all of your strength, know that you are strong. Breathing out, let go of any doubt you have about your abilities. Breathing in, take in all of your wisdom, knowledge about yourself and your world. Breathing out the noise that keeps you from focusing. Breathing in, take in stillness and calm strength. Breathing out all that keeps you from being thoughtful. As you take in a few more breaths, recognize your strength, and calmness, be present in the moment, right here, right now. Notice the pause at between breathing in and then exhaling. (breathe in and out 2-3 more times.)
Activate
- Mountain Pose (pg. 79) – ground feet to the floor, square shoulders. Be strong, lifting your head straight up. Think of this class like a mountain range, being strong for each other, think about how you can hold each other up during a “storm.”
- Roots Pose (to ground, calm and center, pg. 85) – Think of yourself as a single tree, swaying in the wind as you make your circle smaller and smaller. As you begin to center yourself by making the circle smaller, imagine that there is a forest of trees swaying in the wind, and as you get centered, how does being together as a forest help you?
- Tree Pose (pg 91) – As you concentrate and focus on this pose, again think of what it is like to be among others who are strong for you (like a forest).
- Trust Walk – Social Emotional Activities – (develops trust, sensitivity and personal awareness, pg 126) – First time, make two lines facing each other. Give directions for each line. Second time, students leading the other line can’t pick the person who chose them during the first walk.
- Discussion – This is a great class, and I can tell you care about each other. How did it feel to be led through the walk? How did it feel to lead another person, perhaps someone you don’t play with or hang out with regularly?
- Move into STR lesson – focus is on developing friendships and building trust, determining friends intentions and how to clarify intentions.
Calm
- Relaxation – To be done after the STR lesson. Begin by using the Hoberman Sphere again, going through the breathing activity above. Remember all of the people who can and do support you at school. Think of those who support you throughout your life. Think of one person right now who is someone you can count on. How do they support you? What are the things they do that make them a safe person? Who is someone you support? What is it about you that makes them know they can depend on you?
- One Minute Exploration – Finish by resting your heads on your desk (One minute exploration). Imagine you are going on a vacation. This might be a place you have already been or a place you would like to go. It’s only for one day. Imagine that you are in a boat on the water. This boat will take you to your destination. As you sit in the boat, it starts to float, up, up above the trees and houses. It’s taking you to this special place for your one day vacation. As the boat starts to float back to the ground, notice what it looks like when you get to your vacation destination. What kind of day is it? Is it hot and sunny where you are? Cool and windy? Cold and sunny? Waiting for you are special people in your life. Who is there with you? Think how you feel as you look forward to this time together. Imagine how you will spend your time. Start in the morning and think about all the things you will do with the people who are with you. Imagine having your favorite foods for lunch. What happens in the afternoon? When it’s time to climb in the boat, how are you feeling about the time you spent with special people in a favorite place? Imagine the boat beginning to rise again, taking you home. Think about how you feel after this trip as the boat gently sets you back down. It suddenly vanishes, and you are here, in this moment, breathing in and out deeply from your belly. When you are ready, you can lift your head.
- Discussion – Have short discussion about how the yoga activities felt, and how they impacted the lesson.