Instructor: Zila Phillips
Community: Ages 6-12, Kids Center, 60 minutes
Plan Creation Date: January 12, 2015
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Name Toss – Students toss ball to each other while saying the person’s name.
- Seated Belly Breathing with Hoberman Sphere – Teacher models breaths before asking a student to lead breaths for the class and another student to count the breaths. Students give compliments to both.
- Cat/Cow – Students come to all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Breathe out, lower head and tuck tail like a cat. Breath in, lift head and collarbone, drop belly like a cow. Breath smoothly and slowly, matching motion with breath.
- Dog Chasing It’s Tail – From Cat/Cow make big side bend by looking over shoulder toward one hip and then the other. Inhale bending to the side, exhale back to center. Try to keep hips centered over the knees to encourage more side bend.
Activate
- Alternate Arm/Leg Kicks – From Cat/Cow position stretch right leg back, pointing toes down, lift and lengthen left arm with thumb pointing up. Hold for ten seconds and alternate leg and arm.
- Downward Dog – Come to all fours with hands under shoulders, knees under and slightly behind knees; point fingers straight ahead and spread them like rays of the sun; press down through the four corners of the hands and feet; activate and strengthen arms; turn toes under and press thighs and hips toward wall behind creating an A shape; keep arms straight with head and chest slightly lifting up to create a flat back from head to hips; knees and be slightly bent to keep back from rounding up.
- Dancer Modified – Stand with feet hip-width apart; shift weight to right; lift left foot behind and hold it with left hand; when in balance raise right arm; look straight ahead focusing on a spot on the wall to help balance. Students imagine a loved one holding them while balancing; use positive talk “I am strong, I am in control, I can do it”.
- Eagle – Students rock forward and back with body activated and feet firm into the ground. Repeat rocking left and right. Make circles smaller until balanced in the middle. Discuss meaning of being centered.
- Activate/Relax Walk – Students demonstrate Mountain and how to Activate (firm muscles and focused attention). Students walk around the room. Upon the command Activate students freeze, firm and focus. Upon the command Relax the continue walking. Discuss situations in which activating, relaxing and both may be useful.
- Trust Walk and Sensory Adventure – Teacher models activity for students first with a volunteer. Student holds index finger out and shuts eyes. Teacher hooks own index finger with student’s and leads student around the room with eyes closed. Watch for nonverbal cues to check whether student feels safe or not. Explain to students that their role as guide is to make other person feel safe. Half of the group finds a place in the room and closes eyes. The other half finds a partner and leads with index fingers hooked. All students must be quiet. Any sound made might give away the surprise of who the leaders are. Students try to guess who their leaders are before opening their eyes. Switch roles. Sensory Adventure: Students guide each other in pairs as described above to an object in the room. Student being led is to feel the object and guess what it is before opening eyes. Discuss friendship, trust, importance of leading and following in different situations, being able to read nonverbal cues and letting someone know you are a person who can be trusted.
Calm
- One Minute Exploration – Read from stillness card for visualization.
- Mindful Snack – Students instructed to wait until everyone has their snack, open the wrappers together and eat slowly, savoring each bite.