Instructor: Parker Deen
Community: Grades 3-5, School Setting, 60 minutes
Plan Creation Date: May 1, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
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.
- Introduce Grounding Theme – what does it mean to be grounded? Can you tell when you’re not grounded?
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Breathing Ball- Feel the weight of your body on the floor as we get ready to breathe 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.
- Check In – Did anyone use anything we’ve been practicing in Yoga Calm since we last saw each other? Consider sharing a way you’ve used something from Yoga Calm (like positive self talk, relaxation or energizing activities, etc).
Activate
- Four Corners of Feet – and “Dropping” into Grounding – Explore the soles of your feet. Give them a good massage, explore your whole foot and find the four corners of your foot. Explore. Stand up and feel your whole foot on the floor. Can you feel the four corners? Can you feel all of your toes? See if you can press all of your toes into the earth. Pull your body up and away from the earth. Pull everything up, pull up on your toes, up up up! Now let your weight “drop” back into your feet, and feel your grounded self connected to the earth through your feet. Depending on time and attention spans, could do a little mindful walking letting your feet say hello to the earth/ground with each step.
- Block Creek – Work together to set up blocks like a creek down the length of two yoga mats. Introduce the game and rules. Practice walking across the blocks, using your feet to feel each block and ground into that block. Offer variation of crossing block creek with eyes closed and with someone from our Yoga Calm community supporting and helping guide you. Wonder about what a person would need to do in order to guide someone whose eyes are closed, across block creek. Add any other “rules”. Allow anyone who doesn’t want to cross with eyes closed, to be a guide.
- 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). 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. Use language about grounding, especially in poses like Mountain, Downward Dog, with our hands in Cobra, etc. “feel your feet/hands pressing into your mat” When lying down: “Feel your whole body lying on your mat. Notice how the mat/floor feels along the whole back of your body” When standing in Mountain/Upward Moutain- “Think of someone you love. Feel that person holding your feet, strong and grounded on the earth” If someone leads, have others offer compliments.
Calm
- Relaxation – “Stairway to Relaxation” from Ready… Set… Relax (pg. 68) or a grounding card from Mindful Moments Yoga Calm cards- choose one in advance or let someone draw one from the grounding portion of the deck. 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 about yourself. And on the next breath, about someone else in your life. Fold mats, blankets, put away props and take care of our space.