Instructor:  Nancy Johnson

Community: Grade 3, Classroom Setting, 50-60 minutes

Plan Creation Date: December 14, 2013

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening

Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Getting in touch with what the students are feeling and thinking, Awareness of heart, mind, and body, Learn to continue to make healthy choices in daily life, Learning to speak their thoughts, Listen to others around them.

Props/Music Resources required: Yoga Calm Poster, CD and CD Player, Chime, mats, Pinwheels, Hoberman Sphere

Lesson Plan:

Calm

  • Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere. (10 Breaths) – Sit on the edge of your chair with both feet on the ground. One student in front with the Hoberman Sphere and one student counting out loud. Rest one hand on lower belly and other on upper chest. Close eyes. Breathe.
  • Pinwheel Breath (10 Minutes) – Pick up your pinwheel and hold it in one hand. Inhale. Purse your lips like you are going to whistle and slowly blow out to spin the pinwheel. How slow can you make the pinwheel go and for how long without gasping for more air? Spin the pinwheels to the sound of the music playing. Pretend there is an a pinwheel at the back of your throat. Inhale and spin the inner pinwheel, exhale and spin the pinwheel in your hand. Put pinwheel down on your desk, close your eyes and breathe. Imagine the pinwheel going around with each inhale and exhale.
  • Pulse Count (2 Minutes) – Find your pulse on the side of your neck (Carotid) or on your wrist. Count the number of beats per minute you feel with your fingers on your pulse. Think about how amazing your body is as your heart beats and pumps oxygen, nutrients and blood throughout your body. You are healthy, strong, and amazing.

Activate

  • Roots (2 Minutes) – Stand with feet width apart like you did in Mountain. Activate your body by making it firmer and straighter. Your feet are planted firmly on the ground. Slowly rock back and forth keeping your feet on the ground. Picture yourself moving with a gentle wind. You are swaying back and forth, but are staying grounded peacefully in the earth. Your roots are deep into the earth.
  • Volcano Breath (2 Minutes) – Keep your feet shoulder/hip width apart. Put your palms together at the center of your heart. Take a slow and deep breath through your nose and pause for a moment when your lungs are full. Bring your arms up over your head. Exhale and slowly “your volcano explodes” as you move your arms out to the side and then back together at the heart. Any tension or stress left in your body is pushed out. Send positive thoughts to someone special in your life as you work through the Volcano pose.
  • Forward Bend (1-2 Minutes) – Place your feet shoulder width apart with toes pointing forward. Bend at your hips and hang your arms, head, and spine toward the floor. Pretend you are a rag doll. Just hang there. Try not to bounce. Release any tension you may have in your shoulders, neck, back, head, legs, and arms. Touch the ground with your finger tips. Go ahead and bend your knees slightly if you are not able to touch. Continue to breathe into your back as you release and calm. You are going to come out of the pose now. Bend slightly at your knees, place hands on hips, look up, and stand in Chair. Feel your strength! You are strong! Breathe in, press down through your feet, and reach up to the ceiling. Slowly lengthen and straighten your legs. Finish in Mountain pose.
  • Warrior I (2 Minutes) – Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Right leg goes back about 3 to 4 feet with your heel off the floor. Straighten your back leg. Move your hips forward and slide the back leg back until the front knee is right over the front ankle (90 degree angle, if possible). Arms go up overhead, palms facing each other and fingers extending to the sky. Feel your body and how strong you are! Lift up your head and heart. Repeat on the other side. Repeat twice.
  • Warrior II (2 Minutes) – Stand with feet should width apart. Turn your left floor in slightly to the right and our right foot all the way out to the right. Breathe in and lift arms up parallel to the floor with your palms facing down. Exhale and bend the right knee until it is right over the ankle, with the shin straight up and down. Both sides of your torso are equally long. shoulders are directly over the pelvis (center of the body). Put your shoulders back and down. Continue to extend your whole body out through the top of your head, rear, feet and arms. Repeat on the other side. Repeat twice.
  • Volcano Breath (2 Minutes) – Keep your feet shoulder/hip width apart. Put your palms together at the center of your heart. Take a slow and deep breath through your nose and pause for a moment when your lungs are full. Bring your arms up over your head. Exhale and slowly “your volcano explodes” as you move your arms out to the side and then back together at the heart. Any tension or stress left in your body is pushed out. Send positive thoughts to someone special in your life as you work through the Volcano pose.

 

Calm

  • Changing Channels (3-5 Minutes) – Students are to sit on their chairs facing the front of the room. Shut your eyes or gaze down and the floor in front of you. Notice what is on your mind. What are you thinking about right now. Today we are going to practice changing the channel in your minds. Continue to sit quietly at the edge of your seat, eyes closed or looking down in front of you and change your channel by imagining you are sitting in the warm sand, looking out at a large blue body of water. You continue to feel the sun on your skin and hear the waves of the ocean. The sand is in your fingers and between your toes. Time to change the channel. Now imagine you are riding your bike down a long gradual hill in your neighborhood. You can feel the wind through your hair and gently on your face. I will change channels at least three times.
  • One Minute Exploration (1-2 Minutes) – Sitting quietly, with head on top of folded hands on your desk. Share with the group, if you would like to, when you think channel changing would be a good thing to practice. Anything else you would like to share?

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