Instructor: Ivett Almaguer
Community: Grades 1-3, 8 to 11 students a public Montessori Elementary School, After School Enrichment Class, 45 minutes
Plan Creation Date: October 14, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
Props/Music/Resources Required: Hoberman Sphere
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – One student leads with Hoberman Sphere and another counts off a selected number of breaths.
- Forward Bend – (sitting) breathing in to arms raised
- Forward Bend – (standing) breathing in to arms raised in Mountain
Activate
- Mother Earth – with movements.
- Introduce the 4 corners of hands and feet – Direct students to press down through the four corners of their feet while doing the following affirmations.
- Affirmations – Have a student lead these. Lines can be fed to leading students while the rest of class does response. “I am strong. (Horse stance with fists raised.) I am in control. (Activate star pose.) I am responsible. (Warrior I) I can do this! (Warrior II)” switch sides.
- Volcano Breath – Imagine you are a Mountain and with each breathe, you grow a little bigger. Are you pressing down through the 4 corners of your feet?
- Downward Dog – jump forward and back 3 times, donkey kick 3 times, jump forward and back 3 times in Downward Dog once more
- Strong Voice activity
- Yoga Flow – Interactive Visualization through Warrior I, Mountain, Star, Chair, Warrior II, Downward Dog, and Celebration poses- You are a warrior standing on a mountainside. You notice a falling star. You reach out to catch it but it moves too quickly. You make a wish. You go back to Warrior I stance on the other side. You notice another falling star in another part of the sky. You reach out to catch it, but it moves too quickly again. You rise up into Warrior II stance. (Cartwheel arms to move back to downward dog.) Your dog is with you and barks at something below. (Rise up to Warrior II on the other side) You crouch low in Warrior II legs to check out what he is barking at. You can’t see at first so you jump switch legs to see from the other side, and you see it! A pod of dolphins are swimming below where the Mountain dives into the ocean. (Donkey kicks in dolphin pose. Lower knees, and raise arms skyward in Celebration pose.) You look up and see another falling star! This time it is headed right to you. You catch it between your upraised hands and draw the fallen star into your heart. You are now your wishes come true.
- Harassment Prevention Activity
Calm
- Back Breathing and One Minute Exploration – Imagine there is such a thing as a wish seed, meaning when planted in fertile soil, watered, and cared for, this seed sprouts into whatever you wished for- good times with your family, free time to do whatever you want anywhere, or even your favorite food to eat. Imagine you found such a wish seed. What would it look like? What would it sprout into? Now imagine you are the wish seed. When I tell you to rise up, do so quietly, and gently lay on your back in Relaxation. Imagine someone is planting you in fertile warm soil, watering you, and patiently waiting for you to sprout. Rest and breathe and focus only on your breathing. Trust that you will sprout when you are ready.