Instructor: Anne Uphoff
Community: Grade 2, School Setting, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: April 17, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere –Have one student hold the ball, while another student counts. Imagine a still, safe, baby animal friend in your mind. Imagine taking one step closer to it with each deep breath. Stay there for 30 seconds after the last breath and enjoy the stillness together. Share the baby animal with others, if they choose. Share appreciations to each student.
Activate
- Mat 20 Flow – from mountain to mountain. Stand on your mat in MOUNTAIN. Reach up to UPWARD MOUNTAIN as you take a deep breath in, pull in sunshine toward your heart as you breathe out. Breathe in as you reach up and send out worries away from you as you breathe out. FORWARD BEND as you reach down to touch the earth. BENT KNEE LUNGE (right leg back) as we walk down the mountain. DOWNWARD DOG as we “be” the mountain. Come forward to PLANK as we connect with the earth. Push up to COBRA as we open our hearts to receive acceptance. Push up to DOWNWARD DOG again. Bring the right leg forward to BENT KNEE LUNGE (with the left leg back). Fold in half on FORWARD BEND as we simplify our day and “let go” of anything that stresses us. Bring arms up and sit back in CHAIR as we reach up toward the sunshine. Reach up toward UPWARD MOUNTAIN as we feel the freedom of being at peace with the outdoors. Finish with hands at heart in MOUNTAIN pose.
- Tree Challenge Activity – Put students with partners. One person is going to do yoga and one person is going to be the “distractor.” The yoga student should feel yourself swaying in ROOTS – smaller and smaller circles as you feel the four corners of your feet connecting to the earth. Find the stillness inside yourself and feel the oneness of being still. There are no expectations, no rushing to meet times. When you are ready, the yoga student chooses to move into a tree pose or a star pose. This is a signal to the distractor to try to pull you away from your stillness by making silly faces, making silly sounds, jumping around and trying to make you laugh or lose your stillness. Try to hold it for a few minutes, then trade jobs. Talk about how they kept their focus. Praise their ability to keep their stillness.
Calm
- Calm Voice Activity – Play calming music in the background. Slowly read the sentences on the Calm Voice Worksheet. Take time to connect with your calm voice. Fill out the Calm Voice Worksheet. Discuss.
- Relaxation – Take a few minutes to relax and imagine a time that their calm voice helped them or a time they think their calm voice could help them in their school day.