Instructor: Betsey Ashley
Community: Grade 1, School Setting, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: February 3, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Hoberman Belly Breathing -The first thing we are going to do today is start with taking some good, deep breaths. Everyone sit on your chairs and put both feet on the ground. Now place one hand on your belly, and one hand on your heart. I have with me today a Breathing Ball. See how it opens and closes? When I pull the ball open, I want you to take a big, deep breath through your nose. When you breathe in, feel your belly fill with air so much that it moves the hand over your belly. Let’s try it…Good job! Now, when I close the ball, breathe out through your nose and slowly blow out all the air from your belly. Great job, everybody! Now let’s do three all together with the Breathing Ball. Now, would anyone like to hold the ball and be the leader? Great! _______________please choose a number of breathes between 5 and 10. Is there anyone who would like to be our breath counter? Thank you, ____________Wow! You all are really great breathers! Would anyone like to say something nice to ____________ about how well they did leading with the ball? ____________Would you like to give a compliment to ________________for their counting? You can do this breathing anytime your body is feeling extra wiggly, or you have really big feelings and you want to calm down a little.
Activate
- Roots – We’re going to spend some time today experiencing being trees in a couple of different ways, both as big strong trees on our own, and as trees that are a part of a forest, together. Every big strong tree begins with strong roots that dig deep into the ground. Would someone like to come and lead us in our Roots exercise? ____________is going to show us how to stand with our feet apart, and our toes pointing straight ahead. Now, let’s start rocking gently back and forth with our feet firm on the ground. Feel your roots stretch from your feet down, down deep. Start to make small circles with your body, feeling your roots sink deeper. Make your circles smaller and smaller until you feel your body come back to center. Now let’s make circles in the other direction. Feel the muscles in your feet against the floor. When we have our roots strongly planted in the ground we become stronger for ourselves, and our community. Would anyone like to give our leader some compliments?
- Tree Circle – Now that we can feel our roots, let’s come to a circle. (Short discussion about forests as communities…what trees do for each other) Everyone raise both hands, and put them together with the person on either side of you. Raise your right leg up into tree pose. Remember the roots of the last exercise, and feel the roots of your foot on the ground reach down into the earth. If you start to feel a little wobbly, press into the other person’s hand for strength and support. Feel how the support of the forest makes every tree stronger. Now let’s switch legs. Can anyone name an animal that lives in the forest? (Choose 3 animals, and explain animal challenge. After a minute switch animal challengers).
- Tree – Now that we have all felt what it’s like to be supported by our forest, let’s see if we can use that feeling of being supported by others when it’s time to be trees on our own. This time bring your hands together, in front of your heart. Feel the roots from your feet deep in the earth, and remember what it felt like when you were standing strong with your hands pressed into each other. Raise your right leg, and come into Tree. Breathe in and out through your nose, feeling strong on your own, but supported by those around you. Reach your arms up like branches, stretching out into the warm sun. Put your right foot down and switch legs.
Calm
- Compliment Game – We all got to feel what it’s like today to be strong by ourselves, and strong as a community. Now we are going to take a moment to give compliments to each other as a way to say thank you to each person for what they give to our community.
- Back Breathing