Instructor: Erin Brennan
Community: Elementary Ages, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: October 26, 2015
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening
Props/Music Resources Required: Chime, Hoberman Sphere, Small plastic ball, soothing music
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Chime – Sound a chime once to center the students and prepare them for the lesson. Asking them to give a thumbs-up once they can no longer hear the chime. One student sounds the chime. Asking the students to keep their bodies very still. Ask the students what other sounds came to their awareness.
- Belly Breathing – One student leads with Hoberman Sphere and another counts off a selected number of breaths. Ask three volunteers to give compliments to the student leading the breathing.
- Singing Bowl – Ask students to describe what they heard. Ask for examples of things they may experience in everyday life that distracts their focus. Ask for example of ways to regain focus despite distractions. Use the opportunity to talk about the importance of breath, mindfulness and then physical activity for focus.
Activate
- Volcano Breath – Imagine your breath rising up deep from the earth, like a volcano.
- Mountain Pose – Feel your feet rooted to the ground, sway side to side, in a circle, but staying upright and grounded.
- Yoga Flow – Cat/Cow, Downward Facing Dog, Plank, Cobra, Child’s Pose, coming back to Cat/Cow. Repeat three times.
- Trust Walk Activity – Introduce the concept of listening to others through silence and body language. The absence of sound provides an opportunity to listen and tune-in in very different ways. Allow each student to be lead in a Trust Walk for a minimum of three minutes. Return to circle and discuss the experience and how listening helped the entire room stay safe during a vulnerable activity.
Calm
- Relaxation – students lie on their backs with eyes closed. Read Release Script “Relaxing the Whole Body” from Ready, Set, R.E.L.A.X p. 59