Instructor: Heidi Adamson-Baer
Community: Grades 4-5, School Setting, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: February 23, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Strength
Equipment Needed: Hoberman sphere; no mats
Lesson Plan:
Intro
- Yoga Calm Ground Rules
- Treat yourself like a King or Queen
- No stepping on Mats with shoes
- Respect each other’s space
- Give it your best effort
- Use Positive Self Talk: I am strong; I am in control, I can do it, I can be responsible
- Instead of I can’t use: I am not ready for that or I haven’t learned that yet.
Calm
(Get students focused and self aware)
- Review – Belly Breathing w/ Hoberman Sphere x 5- Student led – Students in seated position.
Activate
(Get them moving and activate their bodies and minds)
- Introduce: Wall Dog – Facing wall- place hands shoulder width apart against the wall. Walk feet back under hips. Activate your arms and Push against the wall to engage shoulders making sure that arms are in line with your ears; eyes and face are facing downward towards the floor- take three deep breaths. Slowly disengage your arms and walk feet towards the wall standing upright. Hands return to the sides. Turn around to face forward.
- Standing in Mountain
- Chair – Stand tall with legs hip width apart, as in Mountain. Inhale and raise and straighten arms overhead, keeping arms parallel with palms facing each other and fingers extending to the sky. Exhale, bend knees, and take thighs back as if sitting in an imaginary chair. Keep knees in alignment with feet (not knock-kneed or bowlegged). Point feet straight ahead (no duck or pigeon) and press down the four corners of each foot. Lift belly, head, and heart. “Feel your strength.”- To come out of pose, breathe in, press down through the feet, and reach up to the sky while gradually lengthening and straightening your legs. After introducing new poses, lead students through a hallway flow x 2 using language of strength & alignment principles.
- Walldog – “Imagine you are trying to move this wall. Feel your strength as you are pushing against the wall.” “Take three deep slow breaths.”
- Mountain – “Imagine you are a mountain standing tall and strong.” “Feel the four corners of each foot, and the balance in the center of your foot.”
- Forward Bend – “Let go of anything that might be preventing you from being your strong self.”
- Mountain- “Standing tall and strong once again.”
- Chair Pose – “Pay attention to the muscles in your legs. Can you feel the strength of your muscles keeping you in this position?”
- Forward Bend – “Exhale, once again letting go of thoughts preventing you from being strong & confident.”
- Mountain – “Stand tall, confident, and strong.” “Take three deep slow breaths .”
Calm
(Activity or process that allows them to rest, reflect, and integrate what they have learned)
- Volcano Breaths – Student led Volcano Breaths x 5 – Students in sitting position.
- Sharing – Have students share their thoughts and feelings about the different poses and how the breathing made them feel.