Instructor: Ilga Paul

Community: Grade four class, low-vision student is integrated into general education classroom

Plan Creation Date: July 9, 2010

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Listening

OT Frame of Reference/Goals: Teach basic yoga breath, teach body awareness in space, improve balance, increase tactile and auditory sensory awareness, increase sighted peers’ comfort with non-sighted peer. (If possible, pair sighted peer with low vision/blind student; they can help with positioning. Directions need to be very clear and specific, such as raise arms over head, with elbows next to your ears.)

Lesson Plan:

Calm:

Volcano Breaths (7-10) with students paired, sighted with non-sighted students. Stand face to face, palms touching at heart level, hands stay together as adult leads through Volcano Breath. After one or two sessions in this manner, complete Volcano Breath individually.

Activate:

  1. Willow branches moving in breeze: arms are gently swinging around body, movement is in rotation of trunk. Stand strong as oak tree; arms are still, stretch out in downward diagonal, feet like roots, sinking in ground. Repeat going from willow branches to oak tree branches two more times: arms stretch out horizontally, last time arms stretch out in upward diagonal. Whoosh, the wind is moving through the branches, ahhhhh, ahhhhh, the branches reply to the wind. (In a deeper voice) The oak is strong, and still. I know where I am. Repeat sound effects with the arm movement repetitions.
  2. Tree Challenge: sighted and non-sighted students are paired together. Then move onto Tree Circle: repeat willow branches moving in breeze, then oak branches (hands pushing into neighbor’s hands) Repeat sound effects.

Game:

Back Drawing: begin with simple lines, basic shapes, letters, or numbers, then tell simple story of a child walking through the forest, walking confidently by listening to the sounds of the breeze moving through the willow branches and oak trees. During this time, instruct child to draw simple person shape, long lines for willow branches and simple tree for the oak tree.

Calm

With partner, sitting on floor, crossed legged, back to back, in twist pose: right hand on own left knee, left hand on partner’s right knee, look toward thumb of left hand. Have students focus on belly breathing and feeling partner’s back move with their breath. Repeat to other side. End with students sitting back to back, hands in their own lap, listen to one minute relaxation: I listen to my friends’ voices, my teacher’s voice, the sounds all around me. I know where I am, I find my friends and I am safe in my school community.

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