Instructor: Joan Bellontine
Community: Bodyworks, ages 5-7
Plan Creation Date: September 6, 2012
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly breathing – Children sit quietly after I ring the bell (I have a small chime that rings and slowly fades away) and listen closely until sound goes away completely…they raise their hands as soon as they can no longer hear the sound. They then place their hands on their bellies and breathe in and out for 30 seconds, listening to the quiet and calmness of their breath as it goes in and out of their bellies.
- Calm voice – Have children lie on their backs and do the “calm voice worksheet” exercise with them (pg. 107 in Yoga Calm book)… what does your calm voice say to you?
Activate
- Roots – Begin by rocking and then make big circles with your whole body. What are you circling around… where is your “center.” Can you pretent there is a bright light coming from the sky down into your body and out the bottoms of your feet to the center of the earth?? Can you be that light?
- Leg Extentions/foot circles – Lie flat on your back, lift one foot up toward the sky, keeping the opposite thigh pressed against the floor as if a dear friend was holding it down for you. Listen…what does that friend have to say to you about your pose??
- Twist – Begin by lying on your back and placing your arms out like a “T.” Lift your knees up to your chest and then slowly move them over to the side until they are on the floor. Turn your head the opposite direction as your legs, all the while keeping your arms firmly planted on the ground. Can you hear what the earth below you has to say?
- Rock and roll – Activate! Roll to standing with power!
- Forward Bend – Turn your awareness inward… what is your body saying?
- Warrior I – Listen for your strong voice in Warrior 1. Feel your power. What tone is the voice, high or low? What is the volume of your strong voice?
Calm
- Volcano breath – Send peaceful thoughts to someone special… What message are you thinking of sending them?
Tell a story/visualization – Lie on your backs and close your eyes. Melt into the floor as if you were made of liquid, feel your body get completely relaxed. You are taking a walk and all of a sudden it starts to rain. You do not have an umbrella and you get all wet… You feel the raindrops falling on you and you can hear the rain hitting the ground beneath you and the trees around you. It is raining a lot so the sound is getting louder and louder. All of a sudden the rain stops and the sun begins to shine through the clouds, the world becomes much quieter. Listen for the quiet. Reflection/discussion time – How does quiet sound after such a noisy rainstorm?? What would your calm voice say now??