Instructor: Mary Tesoro
Community: Ages 5-8, Aikido Gym Setting
Plan Creation Date: April 29, 2014
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Grounding is the ability to connect to the earth, to be physically present in the body and to develop a sense of competence, physical safety, and security. A strong sense of balance and other healthy sensory-motor functions are building bocks for academic, behavioral, and emotional growth.
Props/Music Resources Required: Hoberman Sphere /Music & Player/Signs (Ground Rules & Positive Self Talk)
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere – Student Leader. Choose Breaths, Leader, Counter. Compliments.
Activate
- Woodchopper
- Woodchopper #2 – Student-leader
- Yoga Flow – Mountain—Upward Mountain—Crescent Moon—Upward Mountain—Mountain—Forward Bend (Repeat)
- Mountain – with Grounding Images
- Sharing – Brief Share about Mountain/Grounding
- Roots Activity – (breath connection with roots, rocking, side-to-side, circles)
- Tree
- Trees in a Circle – (forest, animals, share)
- Tree Challenge 1
- Tree Challenge 2
- Partner Pull
Calm
- Guided Relaxation – (Sweet Pea Meadow – w/real sweet peas for sensory tie/additional body memory) – You are walking through a beautiful grassy meadow filled with luscious flowers and soft green grass. Your feet can feel how soft the grass between your toes and on all four corners of your feet. And there are so many fresh smells in the air. Up ahead, you see a beautiful bright blue stream. As you walk closer you can see the sunlight dancing on the water. And you can hear the soft sound of the water moving. It’s so soothing. You feel a gentle breeze softly kissing your skin. And you feel the soft, plush green grass makes such a nice, soft ground for your feet. You can tell how strongly the earth beneath the grass supports you, and you know you are totally grounded – even when you walk. You turn your head just a little bit…. and you notice some beautiful wildflowers. You begin to walk toward them and ….oh…. you can tell by their sweet smell that you’ve just found a bed of sweet peas! The kind that make you just melt into relaxation. They’re all your favorite colors, and they smell soooooo good. You feel so safe and warm and peaceful here in this beautiful soft grassy meadow by the stream…..that…. You wonder what it would be like to lie down on your back next to these beautiful fragrant flowers for just a minute. So you do it. You stretch out on your back and let all the weight of your back just settle down onto the soft green grass. You can feel the soft cushion of the grass holding your arms and legs in perfect positions. And under the weight of your head, this lovely plush grass moves into the shape of the nicest pillow you’ve ever felt. Ahhhhhh….You close your eyes for a one minute rest. You feel the warmth of the sun on your body as your nose breathes in the yummy smell of the sweet peas. You can hear the water moving by. You feel completely safe and warm and peaceful here on the ground in this beautiful soft grassy meadow. You’ll never forget the peace and rest and beauty of this place. Your body is next to the earth and it feels so good. You decide it’s time to go, so you give your body a nice big stretch. You open your eyes and move around a little. You sit up and realize you’re back on your mat in your YogaCalm class with your friends…….and you can’t wait to tell them about your beautiful meadow.
- Share and Close