Instructor: Mary Tesoro
Community: Ages 7-12, Aikido Gym Setting
Plan Creation Date: July 25, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Community nurtures the ability to give and receive support, as well as develop compassionate communication skills and other abilities necessary to live cooperatively with others.
Props/Music Resources Required: Hoberman Sphere /Music & Player/ Drum / Signs (Ground Rules & Positive Self Talk) / Yoga Belts or Gi Belts tied together for Loop
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Pulse 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 – mention the “huh” sound made by the group (vs a solo woodchopper)
- Yoga Flow – Child’s Pose—Cat Cow—Forward Bend—Mountain—Upward Mountain—Forward Bend (Repeat)
- Tree
- Trees in a Circle – (Forest: Community of Trees) – Benefits of Forest to each Tree / benefit of each Tree to Forest / Benefits of Community to each Member / benefits of each Member to Community
- Star and Galaxy – (Galaxy: Community of Stars)
- Compliment Game – (Student in center of Rope Loop) – “I really like the way you…..” or “One thing I like about you is ……” Eye contact. Thank you.
- Back Drawing – Tell a story about Community, having students draw particular images during story
- Past Present Future – Variation using back hand of Warrior ll pose. Think of someone who has been there for you when things were hard, or when you felt alone/were alone, or who really makes you feel loved…..place them in your back hand.
- Sharing – Students Share about who was in their back hand and why.
Calm
- Story – Read story about community, family, belonging, friendship, connection. Some favorites: Good People Everywhere (Lynea Gillen); Friends: True Stories of Animal Friendships (Catherine Thimmesh)
- Relaxation – Silence for integration or short Guided Meditation to reinforce sense of belonging.
- Share / Close