Instructor: Zila Phillips
Community: Ages 6-10, Kids Center, 60 minutes
Plan Creation Date: January 26, 2015
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
Lesson Plan:
Intro
- Name Toss – Students toss ball to each other while saying the person’s name.
Calm
- Seated Belly Breathing with Hoberman Sphere – Therapist models breaths before asking a participant to lead breaths for the group and another participant to count the breaths. Participants give compliments to both.
- Child’s Pose – Kneel of the floor, touch big toes together and sit back on heels. Relax neck, hips and back, let head be heavy. Breathe into back and let it puff up like a parachute.
- Back Breathing – One participant takes child pose while another kneels alongside and places hand on the first participant’s low back. The participant in child pose breathes slowly into the low back and into the partners hands, feeling the hands rise and fall like waves in an ocean, or a parachute or sail filling with air. Continue for several breaths, move hands up to mid then upper back and repeat. If participant does not want to be touched have him or her synchronize breath with another’s breathing as if watching the Hoberman Sphere activity.
Activate
- Plank – Participants come to all fours, with knees several inches behind hips. Point fingers ahead and spread them like rays of the sun. Press down through all four corners of each hand. Straighten one leg back, turn toes under, and place foot on floor. Do the same with the other leg and come into a push-up position with shoulders directly over or slightly behind the wrists. Lift legs, hips, belly and head until body is straight like a board, tailbone is tucked toward the floor. Press out through heels and top of head. Keep breathing.
- Arm Swings – From standing inhale and turn palms outward and raise arms out to the side and then overhead. Exhale and lower arms back to sides. See how slowly and smoothly participants can move, like a bird flying in slow motion.
- Chair – Participants stand with legs hip-width apart, as in Mountain. Inhale and raise and straighten arms overhead, keeping arms parallel, as in Upward Mountain. Exhale, bend knees, and take thighs back as if sitting on a chair. Left the head, belly and heart. Feel strength. Say the words “ I am strong, I am responsible, I can do it.” Finish in Mountain Pose.
- Star – Stand with feet hip-width apart; shift weight to right; lift left foot behind and hold it with left hand; when in balance raise right arm; look straight ahead focusing on a spot on the wall to help balance. Students imagine a loved one holding them while balancing; use positive talk “I am strong, I am in control, I can do it”. Make a circle of participants in this position and form a “galaxy”.
- Tree Circle – Participants make a large circle, raise both arms and stretch them out facing fingers upward. Place hands together with person next to them and lift right leg up in Tree pose. Press into each others’ hands and use each other for support. Drop hands and try again without the support of the circle.
- Strong Voice – Students lie on the floor while therapist reads Strong Voice Worksheet. After the visualization students draw a picture of themselves feeling strong and share with the group. Discuss how strength can be used when angry, for example, Martin Luther King.
Calm
- One Minute Exploration – Students think of one thing they have done very well.
- Mindful Snack – Students instructed to wait until everyone has their snack, open the wrappers together and eat slowly, savoring each bite.