Instructor: Danette Jones

Community: Grade 4, School Setting, 20 minutes

Plan Creation Date: December 5, 2015

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community

Class Intention:

  • Become more aware of the communities of which we are a part.
  • Develop/increase social support.
  • Give back to the communities that support us
  • Promote compassion and peace.
  • To set tone: Hang a poster depicting a community of some sort in front to serve as a “focus friend”.

Lesson Plan:

Calm

  • Heart Breathing – Make several straight rows – Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly in “heart breathing”. As you heart breathe, think about all the people in your communities that support you: your family, friends, our school community, the communities in which we live, our state, our country, our world. How we all depend on one another to not only survive but thrive.
  •  Belly Breathing – Have one student lead 7-10 breaths with the Hoberman Sphere while another counts.

Activate

  • Mountain – Stand as a strong force for others in our communities.
  • Tree Prep – Imagine one of your family members or friends holding your right foot steady on the ground.
  • Tree – Now lift your left foot off the ground into tree. Switch sides.
  • Star – Shining out all you have to offer your communities.
  • Star Galaxy – Now create a Galaxy in your rows by pressing palms together while remaining in Star Pose.
  • Tree Rows – Move into A Row of Trees, keeping your palms pressed together for support. (Social/Emotional Game/s)
  • Tree – Transition once again into “stand alone” Tree Pose to see if we can draw strength from our support systems to stand more solidly on our own. Unfurl your branches to let your glory unfold as you stand as a community of trees – a forest!
  • Forward Bend

Calm

  • Child’s Pose – for six deep, slow breaths.
  • Heart Breathing and Relaxation – Then slowly come into sitting with crossed legs.
    Start “heart breathing” (see above) while listening to a Mindful Moment Card about
    Community : “ Think of all the people in your community that make your life better. You might think about the cooks, the people who collect the garbage, the teachers, the people who grow food, and the people in the grocery store. Think of as many people as you can. How can you show these people that you appreciate the work they do?” Let’s start by sending out thoughts of loving/kindness and gratitude to our community members right now as you take six more heart breaths.

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