Instructor: Vickie Soli-Compton

Community: Grade 5, Girls Group, School Setting, 30 minutes

Plan Creation Date: November 3, 2015

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding

Lesson Plan:

Calm

  • Volcano Breath – Three silent volcano breaths with breathing through nose and mouth closed.
  • Hoberman Sphere Belly Breathing – ask for a student volunteer/demonstrate and pick a counter (compliments). Continue 1-2 more times.

Active

  • Partner Pull – Find a partner and hold each others’ right wrist with the right hand. Step back 1-2 steps, bend your knees, and sit back until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your back is flat. Breathe in and fan the ribs out to the right side. Let’s try the other side. Left wrist with the left hand and fan out the ribs to the left side.
  • Mountain – Stand tall and strong just like the amazing Mt. Hood. Press your feet into the ground and lift your head to the sky. Arms down to your sides. Feel your strength. Notice how still and strong your body is. Just like an amazing mountain.
  • Roots – Stand with feet hip width apart; rock forward and back with your body. Nice and tall like a queen wearing a crown. Make a rocking movement now a little smaller and smaller until you balance on the center of your feet. Now rock side to side and then slowly return to center. Now make BIG circles to the right. Notice how your weight shifts to the four edges of your foot as you circle. Make the circle smaller and smaller. Now let’s switch to your other foot.
  • Star – Put your feet a little wider apart. We are about to all be stars. Take your arms out to the sides. Activate and push out your arms, legs, and head like a shining star! Look at all the Super Stars we have in the room. Extend laser beams from your fingertips. Your feet also have laser beams shinning like a star.
  • Arm Swings – Turn palms out, rise your arms out to the side and then over your head as you take a deep breath in through your nose into your belly and lungs. Exhale and lower your arms back to your side. Let the movement of your arms follow your breath. See how slow and smooth you can go. Like a bird flying in slow motion.
  • Wood Chopper – Stand with feet a little more than hip width apart. Bend knees slightly. Take arms over your hand and hands together like holding an ax. Imagine a piece of wood in front of you. Use the “huh!” sound on the count of 3. Let’s do 5 more!
  • Modified Dancer – (hold pose for 4 deep breaths) – Move your feet just a little in so they are hip distance apart. Shift your weight to the right foot. Lift your other foot and hold it with your opposite hand (left). When you find your balance, raise your right arm to the sky. Look straight ahead. Find a spot to focus on to help you stay in the zone/balance. Let’s switch to the other side.
  • Forward Bend – Keep your feet hip distance apart and point your feet straight ahead (not like penguin feet and not like pigeon feet). Bend at your hips and hang your arms down. Deep breathe in and let all the air out. See if you can gently touch the floor or your toes with your fingers. It’s ok to bend your knees. Take another deep breath in through your nose feel the breath in your back, then let it out/exhale. Slowly lift up one back bone at a time/inch by inch in slow motion.
  • Dolphin – Place your elbows shoulder width apart on the floor. Fold/interlace your hands together tightly. Look up slightly and lift up your chest up from the floor. Turn toes under, lift hips and straighten and legs (like in downward facing dog). Keep your head and heart lifting and move your legs and body down like a plank pose. Keep your elbows and hands on the mat. Keep breathing in through the nose and let your breath out through your nose. Let’s do two more deep breathes.
  • Superman/Superwoman – Lie on your belly with your arms stretched out in front of you. Lift both of your legs, and now your head. Reach out strong. Activate like a super hero. Pretend like you are flying! Take a deep breath in and out.

Calm

  • Twist – Roll over onto your back for a floor twist. Pull your knees, up towards the chest, then over to the right. Deep breathe in and then out slowly and try to twist all the way to the floor. Stretch out your arms to the side and look to the left/other side. Stretch and take a deep breath in and exhale and breathe all the way out through your fingertips. Bring your knees back to the center and let’s try the other side over to the left.
  • Belly Breath and Relaxation – Laying on mat with hands on belly taking three deep breaths through the nose and mouth closed. Notice your stomach rising and lungs expanding when you breath in through your nose. Notice your stomach lowering and getting smaller when you breathe out/exhale through your nose. Imagine one person that really helps you feel grounded. Imagine you and that special person as trees in a forest. Keep breathing in and out through the nose. Visualize that as a tree you have roots that keep you grounded, deep into the ground in a beautiful forest.

 

Leave a Reply