Instructor: Caroline McGrath

Community: Grades 2-8, School Setting?, 30-45 minutes

Plan Creation Date: January 15, 2015

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness

Lesson Plan:

Calm

  • Belly Breathing – Ask students to feel their bellies going up and down, finding the stillness in their breath.
  • One Minute of Silence – Have the students feel the stillness of their body and think of a time they had to be still or when becoming still can help calm themselves.
  • Pinwheel Breath – Have students blow the pinwheels. See how slowly they can steadily spin the pin wheel using their breath without running out of breath too soon.

Activate

  • Activate/Relax Walk – Standing in Mountain pose, have a student demonstrate how to activate their body for the group. Alternate “activate” and “relax” commands with the “freeze” command, where their bodies become completely still. Create a discussion on how being activated, relaxed and still can strengthen their bodies as well as help them in different situations.
  • Mindful Walk – Students engage in a quiet, mindful walk around the room. You can play music or use the drum as a steady, relaxing beat. Ask students to find something in the room they have not noticed before and have them share after they return to their mats.
  • Yoga Flow to Drum Beats – Mountain, Roots, Tree, Dancer, Eagle, Forward Bend, Downward Dog, Forward Bend, Eagle, Dancer, Tree, Roots, Mountain, bring hands to heart. For second yoga flow, have one student lead and one beat the drum.

Calm

  • Twist – Ask students to become still as they twist to each side, noticing their deep breaths going in and out.
  • Relaxation – Have students lie on their backs completely still as you tell a relaxation story about stillness. Story idea: In a kayak on a calm, still lake as a friendly mama and baby turtle are popping their heads above the surface of the water…

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