Instructor: Margaret Craford
Community: Ages 3-9, children with SPD & spinal disability, Home Setting?, 45 minutes
Plan Creation Date: August 1, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Lengthen Spine, prepare for rest, family unity
Props/Music Resources Required: Bear puppet, lavender spray
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – on the ground, seated Leader uses bear puppet: 8-10 breaths – Breathe into your belly, close your eyes and listen to the stillness for 30 seconds – Modeling with bear: Can you feel your belly rise?
Activate
- Floor Twist – (5 min) supine – Lying on your back, can you find the Big Dipper? Did you look to the left? Look to the right? Can you find the moon?
- Star and Star Galaxy (1-2 min) – Coming to standing, imagine that you are a star in the night sky. Reach as far as you can and shine! Make a galaxy of stars together.
- Tree Circle – (5 min) standing – Star becomes a galaxy, then closes in to become Tree Circle. Leader models Tree Pose. Wild animals can be awake at night. Let your wild animal out to hunt and play!
Calm
- Roots – (2-5 min) standing – From Tree Circle, drop your arms and close your eyes. Sink your roots deep into the warm earth. Mother Owl comes to rest in your branches, bringing food for her young. Be very still, and you might hear her soft, “Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoot!” as she sings her fledglings to sleep. They are safe and warm in their nest in the gently swaying branches of your tree. Think of a time when you felt safe and warm. Feel your roots reach deep into the earth and take a breathe.
- Back Drawing – (5-10 min) – seated – Remember when you were a star? Did you send a wish into the starry night? If you had a wish for someone else, what would it be? Write that wish upon their back.
- Belly Breathing – Return to supine Belly Breath – Breathe into your back, sending one last wish into the night sky.