Instructor: Anne Uphoff
Community: Grade 2, School Setting, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: April 17, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Volcano Breath – Tell students we are going to listen with our hearts and share heart thoughts with people that are special to us. Bring your hands into your heart and listen to what your heart is telling you. Your heart is all about caring, so hear its caring message to you. Breathe in, collect that caring and then breathe out as you open your hands above your head and shower that caring onto yourself and others in the room. Have a student be a counting leader and count a certain number (1-5) of listening to your heart breaths, then the same number of sending that caring message out to others (in the room or somewhere else in the world).
- Sharing – If students want, offer them the opportunity to share the messages they heard from their heart.
Activate
- Beach Morning Flow – Start by standing in MOUNTAIN. Tell the students to imagine they got to camp out at the beach. Imagine that it is still dark outside. Stretch up to UPWARD MOUNTAIN and then lean over into FORWARD BEND. You are looking down on the beach, listening to the sounds of the waves, the wind and the night. Listen to the waves moving forward and backward on the sand, Slowly let your upper body flow back and forth like those waves. The sun is starting to rise, so come up to WARRIOR I. Hear the birds songs as they greet the new day. Slowly lift your arms, belly, head and heart toward the rising sun. Repeat on other side. Now the sun is high in the sky, move to STAR position. Stretch your hands and feet out like rays of sunshine and focus on shining for all you are worth. Turn one foot toward the front/side to come to WARRIOR II. Pretend like you are going surfing. Pay attention to what your body needs and stand up for yourself in a strong surfer position. Repeat on the other side. Now we are back on the beach and stand in MOUNTAIN. Our time is done on the beach, so we are going to take a long look way down one side (pause) then switch sides and look the other way down the beach. Sit criss cross on your mat and do TWIST to each side. Finally, lay back on your mat in CHILD’S POSE. Listen to nature around you. Trust that you are in the right place at the right time. Believe that you are receiving what you need to receive from others to grow up healthy, calm and strong.
- Activate/Relax Walk Activity – together. Remind students to LISTEN for when the commands are given to either activate or relax. Talk about when we need to have extra good listening.
Calm
- Back Drawing – Remind students to listen for the changes in the “weather.” Emphasize the trust that comes from being connected to each other and showing caring by giving a gift to the person in front of you.