Instructor: Wendy Handrich
Plan Creation Date: July 22, 2010
Community: Classroom, Ages 9-12
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Calm
- Belly Breathing using Hoberman sphere for ten breaths with one student using the Hoberman and another student counting off the selected number of breaths.
- Compliments
- Pulse Count and/or Stillness for 15 seconds
- Read Aloud: The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
- Volcano Breath using student-led drum beat to pace breathing (students close their eyes as imagine someone they would like to send their heart-thoughts to)
- Compliments
Activate
- Partner Pull – Work together like the snail and the whale so you can both feel a gentle stretch in your hips, lower back and shoulders.
- Compliments between partners
- Arm Swings – Students take turns reading lines from the Yoga Calm Poster: “I am strong”; “I am in control”; “I can do it”; “I can be responsible” as they practice the up/down movements of the arms. Talk about the whale and the snail and how they had to use this positive self-talk.
- Shoulder Clock – Students are paired by height. They are reminded how they have to work together to benefit from the pose just as the snail and the whale had to work together.
- Tree Circle – Students support one another in the circle, first in stillness and then as a waves move the circle of arms up and down.
- Trust Walk – Take turns walking each other around the room.
- Compliment Game – Students hold a rope as they form a group circle. With one student in the center of the circle, his/her peers give the student compliments. Eye contact, as well as giving and receiving compliments are practiced.
Calm
- Back Drawing – The students will follow the directions as they are read from page 62 of the Yoga Calm manual.
- Students give compliments to the one who drew on their back
- Relaxation – The students lie on their backs while listening to The Snail and the Whale, this time visualizing the story.