Instructor: Mary Tesoro
Community: Ages 6-10, Aikido Gym Setting
Plan Creation Date: August 1, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening
Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Listening is the ability to tune in to what the heart, mind, and body have to say. This is important for developing self-understanding, discrimination, self-regulation, and imagination. Appropriate listening reduces the chances of injury and self-destructive behavior.
Props/Music Resources Required: Hoberman Sphere /Music & Player / Signs (Ground Rules & Positive Self Talk)
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Pulse Count – (15-30 seconds)
- Breath Count – (15-30 seconds)
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere (with focus on listening to breath and heartbeat) – Student Leader. Choose Breaths, Leader, Counter. Compliments.
Activate
- Woodchopper – Have students listen to the “huh” sound in the room for 3-4 chops. Then, before the next 3-4 chops, ask them to pay attention to how their “huh” sounds or feels from the inside of their body. They might enjoy being told that there is only one person in the whole world who can hear/feel their “huh” from the inside!
- Child’s Pose—Cat Cow—Forward Bend
- Mountain—Upward Mountain—Forward Bend
- Tree—Forward Bend
- Modified Dancer—Forward Bend
- Cat Cow—Child’s Pose
- Back Breathing – Focus students on Listening (sensory attunement, somatic experience) in each role
- Back Drawing – (Listening with body) – Can vary by having only every other person draw, as recipient focuses all attention on sensation. Then switch roles.
- Trust Walk – (Listening with body and Attuning to Other’s body language) – Leaders can add rising and lowering, reversing, etc. after seeing appropriate non-verbals that partner has good sense of comfort/safety. Tune in for each response. Followers listen with entire body. They may appreciate being told that their senses to do this get stronger when their eyes are closed.
- Yes No Game – (Gestures Variation)
- One-Minute Exploration – Tune-in to what you are feeling (heart, mind, body).
- Sharing – Students Share
Calm
- Progressive Relaxation – (See Yoga Calm For Children page 133)
- Listening – (or feeling) internal sensations (e.g. heartbeat, breathing, etc.) for 1-2 minutes
- Share / Close