Instructor: Kelly O’Berry
Community: Grade 4, Special Education Class, Alternative Setting, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: January 14, 2014
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
Props/Music/Resources Required: Music & CD or IPod player
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – Seated (chair) belly breathing with Hoberman sphere 5 breaths. Breathing through your nose with your hands on your stomach. Feel your hands rise and fall with each breath you take and release. Relax all your muscles and feel your body release your stress with each exhale and connect with the earth.
- Pulse Count – find your pulse by placing two fingers beside your mouth and drawling a line straight down beneath your chin to your throat. Gently press your fingers to find your pulse. Listen to the rhythm of your heart. Picture a water faucet with drips of water falling into a deep bucket. Count twenty drops of water.
Activate
- Chair twist – with feet on the floor hip width apart, press down through your feet and stretch up through the top of your head; feel your feet rooting you to the earth. As you twist, remember to keep your shoulders back and tucking them down toward the earth to keep you rooted.
- Volcano Breath – as you exhale, in slow motion “explode the volcano” before your bring your hands back together at your heart. Releasing your frustrations and preparing you for a successful day.
- Mountain Pose; Upward Mountain; Crescent Moon – (3x or Yoga Calm Top 10) – feel your feet rooted to the ground even as you reach to the ceiling or lean to the right and left, you are centered and securely rooted to the earth with your internal strength. Hold poses for 5-10 count to help you feel grounded (add Woodchopper once students demonstrate control)
- Roots – with your eyes shut or looking inward, imagine someone you trust holding your feet to the earth. Feel yourself anchored and secure with the ground.
Calm
- Child Pose – at desk
- One minute Exploration – A personal goal for the school day by imagining the kind of day you would like to have today.