Instructor: LauraRose Hisrich
Community: Ages?, Community Housing School Aged Free class, 45-60 Minutes
Plan Creation Date: February 5, 2014
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening
Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Review and practice using each other’s names/learn new kids. Do all Top 10 poses as a flow–will really need to use listening skills.
Props/Music Resources Required: Snack, Mats, Hoberman Sphere, Drum/Mallet, R.E.L.A.X. book, music & CD player (be sure correct music is loaded & it works before starting class! Have it playing as they enter), Mindful Moments — Listening Cards
Before Class: Labels/markers for names. Set out snacks if available. Move tables. Dust mop/ vacuum floor. Mats & bricks set out with nametags for those here last week. Other props at front. On entry have kids sign in, remove shoes, color nametags if new this week, get contact info from parents if available. If snack is available they can just eat it now at the table! Kids who brought back contact form get a sticker for their nametag! And a shining star note.
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Circle Up / Shining Star notes and stickers / Greeting – Min 0-10 – Shake hands and say hi to neighbor–use their names. Point out the word on my board and ask kids what they think LISTENING is. Be positive about responses! Point out they were just listening to each other at greeting. Kings and queens always listen when other kings and queens speak! Back to Mats.
- Listening Mindful Moment Card – you listen to friend.
- Ground Rules – Super Duper Quickly Review ground rules and principles (on poster).-HAVE VOLUNTEERS READ THEM–ask last week’s “experts” to expound.
- Introduction – You are going to have to really listen because we are going to FLOW all of our poses together for the first time! That means we’re just going to do them one after another without a lot of explaining since we have been practicing so hard for a month already! I am going to demonstrate what it looks like. I’ll be the a counter and drummer for this one time, because I want you all to be able to focus on Listening and feeling what it is like to do it yourselves since this is the first time. We will do only 4 counts of each thing, so should be able to do the whole thing in about 10-15 minutes! If someone who has come at least 3 times including last week wants to demonstrate, they may volunteer to lead.
- Belly Breathing – Min 15-20 – Resume music, settle on bottoms – belling breathing with Hoberman Sphere: Listen as the air comes and goes through your nose for 4 breaths. Compliments. Pause music if not done already!
- Pulse Count – review Pulse Count: Did anyone practice finding their pulse this past week? Practice perfect stillness for 15 seconds while you feel your pulse–it’s like LISTENING with your body–you can try counting in your head how many beats you feel if your ready for that yet–if you’re not ready for that yet, it’s just fine to just feel if it is fast or slow. If kids having trouble they can just feel their heartbeat in their chest!
- Volcano Breath – (pg 97) – Think of someone special to whom you want to send your Special Heart thoughts. When you breath out, Listen to the sound of all our breath sending that love out into the world. Breath in, be still and thoughtful, now let it woosh out through your mouth this time.
Do 3 more–just me leading today.
Activate
- Woodchopper – (pg. 100) – Before you chop, you are perfectly still. When you breath out through your nose and chop, LISTEN to our community of wood-choppers all working together. It’s going to be quite a sound, I bet! Do 4.
- Mountain – (pg. 79) – ACTIVATED. LISTEN to the sounds on your mountain. Do you hear natures calls? Animals? Wind. All right just four beats of mountain listening.
- Roots – (pg 85) – Roots keep us from falling over–they keep us grounded. Can your roots hear the worms and beetles crawling over them? 4 beats each way.
- Crescent Moon – (Pg 96) – 4 points of Listening-up, side, up, side–each place 4 drum beats stretching to the silent moon.
- Dancer – A dancer really needs to be able to focus on his or her body and movement and stillness all while still listening to the music! Practice now. 4 beats each side–strong activated leg/focus on one thing that doesn’t move.
- Twist – (pg 95) – just relax and let your back stretch while you lie in stillness for 4 drum beats on each side.
- Listening Mindful Moment Card – listen to your body.
- Activate/Relax Walk – (pg 58) – NO later than MIN 40 – New game: stay on mats just wandering around in a relaxed way–just walking–no-running–but be ready for me to call out ACTIVATE! Right then become perfectly still in whatever shape you like–must be on 2 feet this time. You need to LISTEN because I am going to WHISPER the directions!
Calm
- Pulse Count – Min 45-48 – Practice perfect stillness for 15 seconds while you feel your pulse–it’s like LISTENING with your body–you can try counting in your head how many beats you feel if your ready for that yet–if you’re not ready for that yet, it’s just fine to just feel if it is fast or slow. If kids having trouble they can just feel their heartbeat in their chest!
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere – only your belly moves in and out as the air comes and goes through your nose pick count-er and leader –do between 4-7 breaths. Compliments.
- Relaxation – Min 48-55 – It’s important to let our bodies soak up the things it has learned, so we always end with a little relaxing time. Please close your eyes so you don’t get distracted by things around you. You need to be very still still and LISTENING, so your imagination can take over while your body resting, then I’ll tell you a story. Story from RELAX book: Mysterious Music pg 140. Gently sit up.
- Clean-up – Min 55-60 – Clean up mats and bricks, Say goodbye to each child by name and ask what their favorite part was. Tell them that you look forward to seeing them next week. Clean up room, turn off light, lock door etc!