[currentuser role=”instructor_level”]
Instructor: Blanca Raniolo
Community: Grades 3-5, School Setting, 55 minutes
Plan Creation Date: December 18, 2014
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Community
Lesson Plan:
Mat-Based Class
Intro
- Review Ground Rules and Positive Self Talk – Before starting the class, the teacher will review the ground rules and positive self-talk posters. Review the rules in English and Spanish (bilingual). “ I am Strong, I am in control, “I can do it” and “I can be responsible”. Bring a student to read the rules and reflect how important and special they are. This class is totally in Spanish so the students will learn new vocabulary about their body and mind, opportunity to express their feeling, develop sensitivity, self- control and self- regulation.
Calm
- Chime – Every student has a yoga mat, they set up on the room. They know the routine they must close their legs, calm body, quiet and waiting for teacher instruction. I ring the Zenergy chime bell to start the Yoga Calm session. Note: the student listening the sound and raise their hand when the sound disappear. This activity is very powerful because they focus their attention and the follow the direction very well. I turn on a nice music (yoga) and starting relaxing our neck, head and shoulder. I reminder each student repeat in their own mind the vocabulary in Spanish about our body). Ask students the times in their life when the stillness is important.
- Hoberman Sphere Belly Breathing – I pick a student who is calm and focus. With student leader and counter, we talk about the focus require and the benefit is breathing in and out in our life. The leader breath open and close the sphere 5 times and his/ her counter count his/her breathing with a drum. The student loves this part because the drum sounds like our heart beat. We talk and give complement and positive self- talk to the leaders. I select another students to lead the activity ( 4 or 5 more students).
- Volcano Breath – with first inhalation students bring their hands up over head while thinking of someone who you support. As they inhale, bringing hands in an arc downward, they send their support out to that person. Next class, the person visualizes those who support them as they inhale and send gratitude out to those people as they exhale. On the third or final class, the person visualizes to other students in the yoga class and as they exhale, sends out support and understanding to them.
- Pulse Count – 15 seconds and its benefits.
Activate
- Partner Pull – Ask students to pair up and hold each others’ right wrist with right hand. Step back about 1-2 feet, bend knees, and sit back until thighs are almost parallel to the floor and the back is flat. Gently pull the right hip back, stretching the right side body from shoulder to hip. Breathe in and fan the ribs out to the right in a side- bending action. Come up together and repeat the other side. I ask the students to discuss for 3 minutes about how supporting others. Ask them to share who is the person who have support you when you have problem or do not understand the homework.
- Yes/No Game – Ask the student to go out of the room. Have another student pick and object in the media center that can be touched. One of the rules is do not place the object too high or have it out of the view. Then tell the class that when the student come back into the room, you are going to help that person find the object by using negative reinforcement ( discuss the term previously the activity). Practice with the class before bringing the child back into the media center. Stand in the center of the media center and tell the students that as you go in the wrong direction, they are quietly say “No”, and when you go in the right direction, they are to say nothing. Practice until the students are able to do without yelling or giving conflicting message. Bring the student back into the room and play the game until the student finds the object. Ask other students to do the same activity and pick a different object. Discuss with the students the benefits of these kinds of reinforcement and when they work and when they don’t. Give some examples in the school and home.
Calm
- Mindful Moment Card – Invite one student to read aloud a card on Community. Ask all the students take a moment to reflect about the statement closing their eyes and share…
- Relaxation – Ask them to sit and lie on their yoga mat and relax.. turn on a relaxing music and ask them to relax their body.
- Belly Breathing – Practice noise breathing. As them to imagine they complete their goal and think of something you really want to do. We talk about the benefit and how they feel after the activity. Share feeling and comments.
- At the end, I ask the students to line up quietly and ready to go to their classroom.