Instructor: Wendy Handrich
Plan Creation Date: July 29, 2010
Community: Classroom, Ages 9-12
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening
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 to the counter and the Homerman Leader
- Pulse Count/ Stillness for 15 seconds
- Read Aloud: Ziji – The Puppy Who Learned to Meditate by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Torey Hayden
- Mindful Moments Card – Students are asked to close their eyes. (“In the next moment listen to all the different sounds in the room. How many can you hear? Where are the sounds coming from? Which sounds do you find pleasant?”) When reading the card, pause between the questions, allowing time for the students to process the question and visualize their answers). Students can then open their eyes and share their thoughts.
Activate
- Roots – The students will learn the alignment principle of grounding the four corners of the feet. With feet hip-width apart and pointing forward, the students will rock forward and back with their body Activated (firm and straight) and feet rooted into the floor. The rocking motion should become smaller and smaller until the students balance on the center of their feet. Next they can rock side to side and then slowly return to center. Then big circles to the right and center. Next big circles to the left and center.
- Activate/Relax Walk – The students will begin in the Mountain pose where they will Activate (firm muscles and focus attention). They will then walk around the room in a relaxed manner. Upon hearing Activate, the students will freeze, firm and focus. When they hear the Relax command, they will continue walking. Once they understand the concept, a student will lead the activity.
- Compliments to the Leader
- Yes/No Game – Note: Due to the nature of our population, we will play the game, only using “yes” to guide the students to the item.
- Compliments to the “Discoverers”
- Trust Walk – Students will take turns walking/leading each other around the room, being careful not to but into objects or people. All students will remain quiet during this activity and music will not be played, allowing the students to share what they heard during the walk. Students will then reverse roles.
Calm
- Back Breathing – Students will take Child pose while an adult kneels alongside each student and places his/her hands on the student’s lower back. The student will be cued to breathe slowly into his/her low back and into the adult’s hands, feeling the rise and fall like waves in the ocean. After several breaths, the adult will move their hands up to the midback and repeat. Then repeat with hands on the upper back (shoulder blade area). Note: Due to our population, it was decided to have 1:1 student/adult attention for this activity.
- Pinwheel Breath Relaxation – The students will first practice the pinwheel breath by pursing their lips and blowing out to spin the pinwheel. Cue them to imagine that they have another pinwheel in the back of their throat. As they inhale through their nose, they should think of making the imaginary pinwheel spin as slowly as possible. Inhale and spin the inner pinwheel, exhale and spin the outer pinwheel. Once the students have practiced, have them clear their minds (remembering how Ziji in the story was taught to let his mind rest and go still). With soft, rhythmic music playing, the students can walk around the room, keeping the pinwheel continuously moving with nasal inhalations and slow exhalations through pursed lips.