Instructor: Jane Hulett
Community: Grades 5-6, Summer School Setting, 85 minutes
Plan Creation Date: November 1, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing
- Students chose a small rock and place it on the top of their mat.
- Discussion – Discuss being grounded = having your body and your mind focused and calm. Words you may use to describe having your body be grounded are: planted, anchored, rooted, or balanced.
Activate
- Yoga Journals – Label and decorate the cover of their journal. With the help of a partner or teacher, students trace their foot and their hand in their journals. Journals are put at the top of their mats.
- Anatomical Landmarks for Alignment and Grounding – 1. Mountain and Roots Discuss the 4 anchor points of the feet and feeling grounded and less grounded as they alternate between poses. 2. Table and Downward Dog Discuss 4 anchor points in the hand during Table. Then incorporate all anchor points when doing D. Dog. (Exception may be not having their heel flat because of flexibility etc..) 3. Easy Pose, Staff, and Boat Discuss the groundedness of sitting bones, extended legs, chest, shoulders, and using your core in order to do these (and other) poses.
- Yoga Journals – Return to their journals and add anchor points to their pictures.
- Discuss Yoga Calm Ground Rules – Discuss how most of the ground rules relate to the idea of being grounded in your m ind, which means thinking good thoughts about ourselves and others. These rules help them to be focused, calm, and happy.
- Past, Present, Future Activity – Have the students think of someone in their life that they would talk to or go to if they were sad, upset, or just had a bad day. (Share)
Teach the students W arrior I and W arrior II. Then have them pick up the rock they chose at the beginning of the class, and put it in one hand. Do Warrior I, move to Warrior II, opening their palm to hold out the rock which represents having that support person with them.
Calm
- Small Voice Activity – Read the questions, time to write and share.
- Relaxation – Talk a little about being grounded now and how rest pose helps you receive all the benefits of yoga, for your body and your mind. Add calm music and turn the lights off. Allow them plenty of time to “sink” into rest. Bring them back slowly and share how they feel.