Instructor: Katie Kenefick
Community: Grade 5, Classroom Setting
Plan Creation Date: February 25, 2013
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Centering with Chime – Treat yourself like a King or Queen – sit up nice and tall and put your feet on the ground. I’m going to ring the chime and when you can no longer hear it ringing, please give me a thumbs up.
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere for 10 breaths – Invite a student leader to come and lead breathing in front of class
- Compliments for the student leader
Activate
- Seated Volcano Breath – Send out thoughts to those members in your community that support you.
- Mountain – Stand still and strong in Mountain, rooted through the four corners of your feet. Feel as though members of your community are keeping you still and strong.
- Upward Mountain – As you lift your arms overhead send out energy, love, and appreciation for your community.
- Tree – Standing with your feet together, shift your weight to your left foot. Bend your right knee and draw the right foot up as high as you can, avoiding your knee joint. Feel as if someone is helpful you remain grounded on your standing leg. Press palms together in front of heart for balance. To challenge yourself, close your eyes! Grow your branches – bring your arms overhead and sway them in the wind! Switch sides.
- Tree Circle – Make a large circle and stand about 3 feet apart. Place your hands together with the student on either side. Lift your right leg up and stand in Tree. Press into each other’s hands for support. Switch sides.
- Tree Challenge – Find a partner, come into Tree and connect palm to palm with your partner. First simply stand in tree and connect with your partner. Next, sway, wiggle, move your hands up and down to challenge your partner.
- Community Circle – Students close their eyes and think of people in their community (teachers, bus drivers, friends, postmen). Hand out Community Circle Worksheet and ask the students to place themselves in the center then fill in the circles with names of people in their community. The community members that are closer to the student’s name in the center are those that the student sees frequently and feels close to. Allow time to decorate and share the completed Worksheet.
Calm
- Relaxation – read “Good People Everywhere” by Lynea Gillen – Close with having students place head on stacked hands sitting at their desk while listening to the book. Invite them to appreciate all members in their community who support and challenge them.