Instructor: Morgan Watson
Community: Grade 7, Therapeutic Group, 60 minutes
Plan Creation Date: January 28, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere (5 minutes), Ask the group how many breaths they would like to practice (between 5-10), invite a group member to lead the Hoberman sphere and ask another group member to lead the count. Integrate complements.
- Pulse Count – (10 minute), Provide information prior to the pulse count about the heart rate and stress and the importance of being able to listen and become attuned to our heart, mind, and bodies are telling us. Invite the group members to compare and contrast their heart rates by running in place for 30 seconds and then comparing their rates when they are calm. Invite the group to find their pulse, then listen to the beat of their hearts.
- Mindful Moment Card – Set intention (1 minute),- Mindfulness Card (Stillness)
- Chime – (30 seconds)
Activate
- Trust Walk/Sensory Adventure – (15 minutes):Invite group members to be quiet and still during this exercise as they are leading and following. Process the experience and what they thought and felt during the exercise.
- Yoga Calm Top 10 – (10 minutes)
- Child’s Pose – (1 minute)-Invite another group leader to demonstrate this pose to the group. As they are focusing on their breath invite the group members to visualize their mindfulness card; repeating the affirmation to themselves as they breathe in and out.
- Table Top – (30 seconds): Invite the group members from child’s pose to table top to help them transition into forward bend.
- Forward Bend – (30 seconds)- Invite a group member to lead this pose as I provide a visualization to the group members about allowing gravity to take hold of their upper body and drawing them to the earth.
- Mountain – Same group member to lead during this pose. I will walk around and ask the group members to imagine themselves high on top of a mountain and turning into the sounds that they hear high on their mountains.
- Volcano Breath – Invite a group member to demonstrate the positions during the Yoga Calm flow. As you exhale your volcano breath image a place that was peaceful, still, safe, and quiet. Image what you hear, see, smell, touch, and taste.
- Woodchopper – Group member continues to demonstrate this pose.Encourage the group to listen to their body as they are chopping the wood.
- Mountain – Same group member to lead during this pose. I will walk around and ask the group members to imagine themselves high on top of a mountain and turning into the sounds that they hear high on their mountains.
- Roots – Same group leader demonstrating this flow. I will invite the group members to engage in this activity with their eyes open and closed.
- Crescent Moon – Same group leader demonstrating the pose. Encourage group members to imagine sending laser beams out through their fingers and listening to their bodies as they are reaching up toward the sky and imagining energy from the center of the ear to the sun.
- Dancer – Same group leader demonstrating the pose.
- Tree Pose – (4 minute): Invite the group members to remain still and find a focal point in the room to help them maintain balance. Challenge the class to close their eyes as they are in the pose.Switch and do the same on the next leg.
- Floor Twist – (1 minute)-Practice belly breathing. Same group leader demonstrating pose. Encourage the group to tune into their bodies and listen.
Calm
- Back Breathing – (5 minutes), Invite the group to pair up with partners for this activity. Share with the group that it’s important to ask their partners if they can touch them before they touch. Invite the group to switch positions to allow their parents to experience the back breathing themselves. Encourage the group to be still and listen to their partners breathing.
- Relaxation – (10 minutes)-Take them through the boat ride relaxation script as they melt away into stillness and relaxation.
- Chime