Instructor: Parker Deen
Community: Grades 3-5, School Setting, 60 minutes
Plan Creation Date: May 1, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Setting the Tone: Lights are dimmed, yoga mats in a circle, R. Carlos Nikai flute music playing softly
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Names Circle – “I’m Parker and I’m here.” “I see you”
- Mindful Bodies – ring chime and let your body be still. If you notice your fingers moving, (etc, etc) let them be still.
- Belly Breathing – Hoberman Breathing Ball- breathe together as a community, notice how we connect by breathing together. Choose 1 child to lead and have them choose 1 to count; compliments; choose another leader or have the child who lead choose the next person. Teach this if this is the first class, or demonstrate again as needed.
- Introduce Community Theme – and brainstorm Community words- what are qualities we want our Yoga Calm community to have? Are there any qualities we we don’t want in our Yoga Calm community? What are other communities that you are part of? (examples: in our class what we want in our community: happy, healthy, good examples, safe, friendly, creative, active, enthusiastic, quiet, calm, doing the right thing. And things we hope to not have in our Yoga Calm community: angry, laughing at each other).
Activate
- Trust Walk – Introduce trust walk. One child is volunteer, show how one person holds out index finger and closes their eyes, and another quietly comes up and takes that person’s finger. Talk about leading someone around with their eyes closed. What do we need to notice? What do we want to do for that person? What would we like someone else to do for us? How can we tell if they feel safe? what can we look for? Notice? Make sure each person gets to lead and to be lead. Talk about what it was like to be the leader and to be lead? Which was harder? Easier? Why? What did you notice? Did anything surprise you? How did you feel safe and comfortable (if you did!)? How did you try to support your friend? How did our community work together to make things safe and fun for all of us? Before opening eyes, guess who was leading you. Thank that person for something they did that you appreciated.
- Mat 20 – Choose someone to lead if they would like to (for all or a portion- depending on how long the group has been learning Yoga Calm). Look across at someone in your community~ send out heart thoughts of support and connection. Reminders: feel your feet on the floor, activate your muscles, let your muscles “hug” your bones to activate, breathe in poses. Can hold poses for a few breathes or to count, depending on what your group is more responsive to.
- Community Tree – Make a circle. Do tree pose alone and then while pressing gently into each other’s hands. What do you need to do/notice to help your community of trees? Is there anything we don’t want to do?
Calm
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation 1 – from Ready… Set… Relax (pg. 52) In our class we use a blanket and a lavender eye pillow for anyone who would like one. Gently take off your eye pillow, rub your hands together until they’re warm, gently put them over your eyes. When you’re ready, meet sitting up on your mat.
- Volcano Breaths – to close- 2-3 breaths. Picture in your mind, something you’re thankful for in your community (or a way you add something to your community, a way you help your community, a way your community helps you, heart thoughts to someone/something in your community, etc). Fold mats, blankets, put away props and take care of our space.
*Prompts, ideas to incorporate, possible things to focus on as the facilitator:
~ Incorporate language of qualities of community that they brainstormed into the class when you notice them.
~ Follow lead of children to ask them if they’d like to challenge themselves- mindful bodies for 1 min? 2 min? Support them to be able to succeed in their goal by giving information about passing of time and offering praise.
~ For behavior challenges: “We can help all of our community ‘find our calm’ by keeping our focus on ourselves.”