Instructor: Vanessa Gill

Community: Grade 2, 30-45 minutes

Plan Creation Date: November 1, 2015

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community

Props/Music Resources Required: Music, yoga mats, sphere, chimes, stones

Lesson Plan:

Calm

Breath & Intention

  • Pass out object for the day (focal point as we breath) – Stone or flower.
  • Intro to Breath – Inhale hands above head bring them together then exhale them through heart center and by your side (repeat 3-5 times) – Inhale positivity – Exhale (release) what ever you don’t need.
  • Chimes – Show how we use the chimes then pass to a student to use. When you hear the chimes you can begin a new breath. Hands – Keeps hand flowing with your breath. This will help keep your air flowing along with your hands. Our breath guides us, so we always want to keep it flowing so this will help. As arms rise we bring in energy as our arms fall we release energy
  • Belly Breathing – with sphere: Right away bring a scholar up to hold the sphere as take breaths . A great tool to show us what happens inside of us as we are breathing
    This will also help us in slowing down our breath. It’s easy to breath very fast or long or even hold our breath in yoga. We want to keep the air flowing. This will help us.
    Allow your tummy to expand as the sphere expands and fall when the sphere closes
    Repeat allowing a scholar to determine the number of breaths and count them. Finish with compliments for Sphere holder, Chime ringer, Counter.

Activate

  • Woodchopper – Allow a student on the main mat up front to help lead. Show the movement with them, as they become comfortable move around the room allow them to remain on the main mat. Remember: Feet are strong and grounded, legs strong and powerful arms and breath release energy. Inhale hands above your head,
    Bring them to a fist. Variations include: Loud, Silent, Medium, Evoke emotions: Happy, Sad, Angry, worried, hurt. Allow a few students to choose different emotions or levels for woodchop.
  • Activate & Release – Mountain Pose, Star Pose, move into walking while activating and releasing. Choose a student to lead on the main mat. Really focus on encouraging the scholars to focus on who ever is on the main mat rather than you as the “teacher”.
  • Breathe: Woodchop: Forward Fold – In forward fold release anything that doesn’t feel good.
  • Partner to Group Activity – Building on our individual roles within our Community & supporting each other as a larger group.
  • Partner Mirror – Student volunteer to give an example for the group. Student leads and I follow for 30-60 seconds.
  • Partner Poses –  In pairs form a sculpture or pose together from the description given examples: Friends, Strong/Strength.
  • Tree Pose – Individual & Group – In your tree pose be sure to stand tall like a King or Queen with grounded feet and strong legs. What was this like? Was it easier or harder to do tree on your own? What made it easier?  What was it like to support each other? What other ways can we support each other in this space? And in spaces outside our time together in yoga?

Calm

  • Twist – Seated twist twice on both sides
  • Practicing Breath – (seated) as a group, goal is to breathe collectively (5-10 depending on the class).
  • Progressive Relaxation – Tightening & Relaxing individual muscles starting with feet making way up the body to the head.

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