Instructor: Margaret Repede
Community: Grade 3, School Setting, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: February 17, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – on back with breathing buddy (beanie baby) on belly with eyes closed if comfortable, guiding students to feel their bodies connected to and supported by the earth.
- Pulse Count
Activate
- Cat/Cow – Guide the students to a seated position and then to hands and knees, cuing alignment of hips over knees and shoulders over wrists. Feel the palms of hands and knees connected to the earth. While breathing out, lower head tuck tail and round spine like a cat. Breathe in; look up while lifting head and chest. As your belly expands with your inhale it should drop toward the earth like a cow. Repeat for three rounds.
- Downward Dog – From hands and knees, curl toes under and push hips up and back to downward facing dog. Feel the weight of your body evenly distributed between the four corners hands supported by the earth below. Feel equal weight between hands and feet. Take one complete round of breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale and as you exhale drop back down to hands and knees. Repeat this flow 3 times.
- Plank – On the third round, move from downward facing dog shifting weight forward to plank pose. Press down through the four corners of your hands, feeling the earth supporting you. Activate your arms, core and legs to help the earth support your body. Take one complete round of breath.
- Downward Dog – On the next exhale push back to downward facing dog. Repeat this flow of downward facing dog to plank three times, moving with your breath three times.
- Forward Bend – On the last round, inhale at plank; exhale stepping forward into forward bend. Feel the four corners of your feet connected to the earth. Hang your arms, head and spine toward the floor and bend at the knees as your need to connect your fingers with the earth.
- Mountain – Take one complete round of breath and on the next inhale rise up to mountain pose. Again feel the four corners of your feet rooted to the earth. Activate your legs, core and arms so your mountain feels strong and grounded.
- Forward Bend – Take one complete round of breath in mountain and on your next exhale fold forward into forward bend.
- Mountain – Inhale and rise to mountain. Repeat the flow three times.
Calm
- Child’s Pose – From your last forward bend, plant hands, step back to hands and knees. Touch your big toes together and sit back on your heels. Relax your neck, hips and back and let your head be supported by the earth. Notice as you breathe in that your back expands and as you breathe out your body sinks deeper into the earth. Breathe in and expand, breathe out and ground down. Notice and breathe into the parts of your body being supported by the earth, your hands, forearms, forehead, chest, knees, shins and tops of the feet. Now slowly rise up to seated.