Instructor: Julie Wiesner
Community: Counseling Group
Plan Creation Date: April 1, 2011
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness (Theme: The Sea)
Lesson Plan:
Decorate the mats with shells.
Calm
- Belly breathing with Hoberman sphere, 10 breaths (student volunteer for 1 round of 5).
- Pulse count
- Mindful Moment (imagine you are lying in the sun on a dock near the ocean. You are the only person there, feel the warmth of the sun on your face as you relax, your body as still as the dock you are lying on. You are so still, you can hear the fish jumping in the water below you. You are looking forward to your scuba diving adventure later in the day…
Activate
- Rock and Roll
- Boat: Throw your anchor overboard, so the boat is still; watch the fish jumping around you
- Seated Volcano Breath (hold pose with hands to heart for 15-30 seconds before beginning)
- Alternate Arm/Leg Kicks and Downward Dog
- Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under hips. Spread your fingers out like a starfish holding tight onto a rock.
- Stretch your right leg straight back keeping it level to the floor. Imagine you are a diver in the ocean, and you are reaching with your right foot to find a rock to push off of.
- Now lift your left arm straight out with your thumb pointing up. You are a diver in the ocean, reaching for a dolphin swimming in front of you.
- Looking slightly down, lift your belly and feel yourself lengthening from the top of your head to your tail, as you are pushing back with your foot, and reaching out for that dolphin with your hand.
- Return to all fours, fingers spread like starfish, now stretch your left leg back and level to floor, reaching to find that rock to push off , and your right hand out, this time reaching for an angel fish swimming in front of you. Hold still, maybe you’ll catch it.
- Now back down to all fours. Keep your fingers spread like the starfish, tentacles sucking into the ground. Now straighten your arms and press your hips toward the sky making an A shape (downward dog). Now take a deep breath in, imagining your back puffing up like a jellyfish. Take a few jellyfish breaths feeling your back float upward, while your starfish hands are still stuck tightly to the ground. Good, now back to all fours and relax.
- Mountain: Be a peaceful, quiet mountain. Notice how relaxed you feel when you are still like a mountain. Feel the waves from the nearby ocean lapping at your base.
- Sun salutation (from Mat 20)
- Tree pose: See how still you can be in this pose. Imagine the wind blowing through your branches and the birds flying by. You can smell the salty ocean air and hear the crashing waves below.
- Calm Voice activity with worksheet.
Calm
- Lying down on mat, imagine you are on the beach near the ocean. You have just returned from your scuba diving adventure. Your body is tired. Let your body completely relax in the warm sand. You are completely still. You feel the warmth of the sun on your body. You hear the waves gently rolling up on the shore, helping you to relax even more.
Let the class relax in silence for 2-5 minutes. (Play ocean sounds)