Instructor: Jennifer Cory
Community: Grades 2-3 after-school group, Lesson #5
Plan Creation Date: July 2012
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Strength
Lesson Plan:
Sometimes at school we encounter students who engage in bullying-type behaviors. Other times we encounter students who play rough and have trouble playing appropriately and staying in their own space. We might even feel anxious or uneasy around these kids. Today we’re going to engage in some relaxation and energizing activities to help us find our inner strength. Our goal will be to carry ourselves in such a way that our bodies reflect this strength and grounding so that we will not be targets for such bullying behavior.
Read Bully B.E.A.N.S. by Julia Cook. Discuss lessons learned from this book.
Variations for booster lessons: Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook, Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Marie Dismondy and The Juice Box Bully by Bob Sornson & Marie Dismondy.
Calm
- Belly Breaths: Observe how your body is very still right now. Put your hands on your belly and feel how you fill up your belly as you breathe in through your nose. Your breath feels like waves of the ocean filling up your belly and traveling up to your chest as you exhale again.
- Hoberman Breathing Sphere: _________ is going to lead us in our belly breathing for counts of 5. We will need someone to count at the beginning of each inhale. Students give compliments to the leader and counter.
- Volcano Breaths: Close your eyes and think of someone you are strong for or someone who is strong for you.
Activate/Expand
Use words such as: Feel how strong your body feels as you root your feet into the ground; feel yourself grounded to the earth; extend your arms to the sky; spread your toes and your fingers; picture your fingers shooting laser beams of light up to the sky.
- Yoga Calm 20 middle section
- Superman
- Alternate Arm/Leg Kicks
- Archetype game: Think of an animal that is strong and fierce. …1…2…3…4….now think of an animal that is weak and vulnerable…1…2…3…4… now think of another animal that is strong…
Let’s compare and contrast how you feel when you’re a strong animal and when you are a weak animal. How do you feel? How do you stand? Where are your arms? What expression do you think you have on your face? - Strong voice worksheet. Sit in a circle and share responses.
Variations for booster lessons: Harassment Prevention, p. 17
Calm
- Child’s Pose: I am strong messages
- Finish Mat 20 with the twist and relaxation breathing
- End with Ready…Set…R.E.L.A.X. guided imagery, Pillar of Strength, p. 129