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Instructor: Kim Buller
Community: Grades 3-5, Community Group, Setting?, 60 minutes
Plan Creation Date: December 14, 2014
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Name Toss – Children gather into a circle and play name toss activity in order to get to know each other. Start with one bean bag and gradually add more as they become familiar with the pattern. Talk about strategies they used to connect and stay focused, including making eye contact and watching non-verbal cues.
- Belly Breathing – Going to practice slowing down our breathing in order to feel calm. Use Hoberman Sphere to help children visualize the pattern of their breath. Ask for a volunteer to lead and one to count. Have leader ask the group how many breaths they feel they need to get a sense for their current community. Ask for compliments to be given to the leader and counter.
- Mindful Moment Card/Child Pose – Have children get into child pose and read the card “Think of a family member or friend that is very important to you. Why is that person important to you? How do they make you feel special?” Have children sit up and give them the opportunity to share.
Activate
- Trust Walk – Demonstrate, practice, switch roles and discuss what it was like to be the leader/follower and how they felt in each role. Talk about how those roles apply in their friendships and family.
- Mountain – Start to feel strong and grounded in your body.
- Roots – Feel your feet rooted into the ground.
- Tree – Imagine a family member or friend holding one foot down for you.
- Tree Challenge – One partner is in tree pose and the other person is trying to distract them. Discuss strategies they used to focus. Talk about how we are impacted by what is happening around us.
- Tree Circle/Animals in the Forrest – Focus on using the group for support and reflect on how it felt different to be in the pose individually and as a group.
- Star/Star Galaxy – Help children get the feel for activating their bodies. Again discuss differences felt doing the pose individually and as a group.
Calm
- Back Drawing – Lead group through back drawing story and then discuss how the experience felt, focusing on utilizing others to help us feel calm, relaxed and connected.
- Belly Breathing/Relaxation Story – Have children lay on their mats and place their hands on their belly in order to feel the rise and fall with their breath. Read Toy Story Trip from Ready, Set, R.E.L.A.X
- Volcano Breaths – Heart Thoughts on 5th Breath – Focus on being in unison and discuss how we can care for others by sending heart thoughts to them.