Instructor: Sara Keller

Community: Elementary Ages, School Setting, 30-45 minutes

Plan Creation Date: November 1, 2015

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness

Lesson Plan:

Calm

  • Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere
  • Pulse Count – Instruct students to be still as they count their breath.

Activate

Yoga-Based Activities: Start standing at the top of mats

  • Roots – ground feet into the floor as if the roots were keeping them still. Sway from right to left, then settle back in the center and experience stillness. Sway front to back and let the body naturally settle back into the center and experience stillness.
    Maintaining the idea of stillness, move into tree pose. Once you have balance, try to stay still and raise arms up, at heart center, or on the hips – whatever is comfortable and still. Stay here for a few breaths and then switch to the other side. With both feet on the ground, raise arms up for upward mountain, then draw the hands into heart center.
  • Forward Fold – Fold over and let you head hang. Grab on to both elbows if that feels comfortable and sway from side to side, eventually finding stillness in forward fold.
  • Plank – Place the hands on the ground and step back into plank. Hold plank and find some stillness for a few breaths. Slowly lower all the way down to the belly, starting with head turned to one side, then turn to the other after a few breaths.
  • Child’s Pose – Press back into child’s pose and continue to find stillness in this pose for several breaths.
  • Downward Dog – Tuck the toes under and press the hips back for downward dog. Hold for a couple breaths.
  • Warrior 1 – Step the Right foot forward into a low lunge. Hold this pose. Raise arms up for Warrior 1. Remain still in this pose.
  • Star – Slowly, turn a quarter turn to the left and extend both feet parallel, and both arms out to the side for star pose. Stay strong and still in star pose for several breaths.
  • Warrior 1 – Turn another quarter turn to the left, bend the left knee and raise both arms up for Warrior 1 facing the back of the room. Hold still for a few breaths. Plant the hands for a low lunge, and hold still for a few breaths. Step both feet back for a high plank – hold strong and still for a few breaths. Slowly lower all the way down to the belly with the head turned to one side for a few breaths, then turned to the other side.
  • Child’s Pose – Press back into child’s pose and continue to find stillness in this pose for several breaths.
  • Downward Dog – Tuck the toes under and press the hips back for downward dog. Hold for a couple breaths.
  • Warrior 1 – Step the Left foot forward into a low lunge. Hold this pose. Raise arms up for Warrior 1. Remain still in this pose.
  • Star – Slowly, turn a quarter turn to the right and extend both feet parallel, and both arms out to the side for star pose. Stay strong and still in star pose for several breaths.
  • Warrior 1 – Turn another quarter turn to the right, bend the right knee and raise both arms up for Warrior 1 facing the front of the room. Hold still for a few breaths. Plant the hands for a low lunge, and hold still for a few breaths. Step both feet back for a high plank – hold strong and still for a few breaths. Slowly lower all the way down to the belly with the head turned to one side for a few breaths, then turned to the other side.
  • Child’s Pose – Press back into child’s pose and hold still for a couple breaths.
  • Downward Dog – Tuck the toes under and press the hips back for downward dog and hold still for a couple breaths. Step both feet forward between the hands and hold still for a few breaths. Slowly and with controlled movements, bend the knees all the way to seated, and roll gently onto your back. Hug the knees into the chest and hold for a few breaths.

Calm

  • Twist – Extend the arms to both sides of the room and drop both knees to the right for a spinal twist. Hold for several breaths, and then switch sides.
    Extend both legs out and bring the arms to a comfortable position at the sides.
  • Relaxation – Have students lay on their backs if it’s comfortable for them. Lower the lights and ask them to close their eyes (again, if it’s comfortable for them). Instruct them to clench and then relax all the muscles in their body from head to toe (cueing each muscle one at a time). And then help them to reflect on the stillness in their bodies as they relax completely into the mat/ground for 1 minute.

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