Instructor: Ilga Paul
Community: Small group, Grades 3-5, Emotional/Behavioral
Plan Creation Date: July 7, 2010
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
OT Frame of Reference:/Goals: This will include learning how to release energy, then decrease energy level to stillness. Sensory processing, how Does Your Engine Run, emotional regulation
Begin by establishing basic ground rules, including invitation to try activities. Students have the choice not to participate initially, where they have option to watch, but they may not distract someone else from participation. Describe opportunity to eventually lead poses/activities, but must demonstrate ability to be a leader. Define and list 2-3 leader behaviors
Lesson Plan:
Calm
Volcano Breaths (7-10) using Hoberman Sphere, followed by pulse count. One students leads Volcano Breath and another student counts. Students are chosen by ability to calmly enter room, prepare for yoga lesson.
Activate:
Woodchopper/Pulse Count/Woodchopper
Complete woodchopper at steady, rhythmic pace and with enough repetitions to raise heart rate. Follow immediately with pulse count. Have students feel their heart beat until it returns to normal. Note: Frequently, students can become silly the first few times they complete this activity. I have stopped the group, talked about how the mind and body need to work together and when they are talking, or laughing, they are wasting their energy. I emphasize that their energy should be focused on the movement. Then I begin the woodchopper activity anew. When the students understand the purpose of woodchopper, have them visualize a piece of wood at their feet that they want to chop up: this may be worries, angry feelings, etc.
Tree Pose: Continue to describe how mind and body need to work together to complete balance poses. Imagine being a tree, being strong and still.
Calm:
Roots Activity
Personal Space Activity, talk about how being still makes it easier to find and maintain personal space. Have students talk about how it feels to have others invade personal space, have them notice differences in differences. Have students talk about strategies to remember and keep personal space.
Calm
Sitting cross-legged on floor, in own personal space, complete belly breathing, reminding to think about mind and body working together, remembering the feelings of quiet and stillness. Picture yourself sitting quietly by a pond in a mountain meadow. Because you are breathing slowly and evenly and sitting very, very still, an osprey swoops down and catches a fish in its claws. You smile quietly because you were able to see this amazing thing happen — you saw this because of being quiet and still. Remember how this feels, use this memory to help you through the school day. Open your eyes and gently wiggle.