Instructor:  Heidi Valdez

Community: Grades 6-8, Structured Learning Students, Classroom Setting, 45-60 minutes

Plan Creation Date: February 28, 2013

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding

Academic/Therapeutic/Other goals: Developing body awareness and staying grounded in times of stress

Props/Music/Resources Required: Anjali CD, CD player, Hoberman Sphere, Ready Set Relax Book

Lesson Plan:

Calm

  • Chime – to signal the start of class – have students lead paying attention chime and bringing stillness to thoughts
  • Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere – have students lead and choose the number of breaths paying attention to our breath if fast or slow, shallow or deep

Activate

  • Mountain Pose – imagining feet rooted to the earth and crown of head lifted to the sky. Have students imagine how still and stable the mountain is even when the winds blow.
  • Roots – have students become aware of the muscles in legs and feet and how hard they work to keep us stable while leaning from side to side, imagine important people in their lives holding on to their feet keeping them from falling. Imagine times in their lives when life was unstable like windy days and who kept them grounded and safe.
  • Yoga Calm top 10 – focusing on volcano breath and woodchopper as ways to release tension while staying grounded and calm. Helping them to share times in their lives when they were grounded even though stressed.
  • Strong voice activity – help students to identify their strength and share ways they can use it to help them stay grounded when stressed or share ways they have used it. Help to develop their strong voice and use it in positive/assertive ways rather than aggressive ways.

Calm

  • Relaxation – “Pillar of Strength” Relaxation Script in Ready Set Relax. Help students to visualize being important to oneself and others – and being strong in stormy times. The telephone poll may sway in the wind but it is strong enough to weather the storm and stand tall. Have kids share when they were “Pillars of Strength.”

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