Instructor: Michele Mayer
Community: Grades K-2, School Setting, 45 minutes
Plan Creation Date: April 20, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Intro to Jedi Group – Ask who likes Star Wars and then talk about the force. Discuss how our group is like a Jedi group and let the group decide if they want to be referred to as Padawans or Jedi Apprentices. Discuss how we can learn to use the force to help us to be in control of our bodies and emotions and that today we will learn to use the force focus and listen.
- Belly Breathing – With Sphere – Reinforce last week’s learning belly breathing with Sphere allowing all participants to lead choosing between 1-10 breaths as well as their counter. Each student will call on two other children for compliments and compliment their counter.
- Pulse Count – Teach students to find their pulse and have them raise their hand when they have found it. Have them count their pulse for 15-30 sec and have everyone share what they got. Next have student helper lead the group in physical activities such as jumping jacks and jogging in place for one min and take again. Then have students listen to calming music while laying down for several minutes and take again. Ask about times this might be good to do. Tell the group to be prepared for level two next time.
Activate
- Mountain Pose – Have Jedi come into mountain. Prompt them to activate their bodies, reach their heads to the sky and press the corners of their feet into the ground. Talk about how they should feel very solid and then make a show of how it is hard to tip them over. Next have them close their eyes and listen for sounds they may hear on the mountain.
- Yoga Mother May I Game – Have students line up across outside grassy area and stand a good distance away and explain the game Mother May I. Ask them to use animal names like giant bear steps, or spider crawls. Use yoga deck and prompt them to use yoga animals for movements and then try and hold the pose while waiting for their turn. Remind them to switch sides if they get tired while waiting.
- Review Social Skills – Review good and not good reactions to negative feelings. Remind that there are ways that help and ways that hurt. Introduce a way that helps called ‘Stop, Count, In Out’ which uses belly breathing to slow down before reacting. Have Jedi role play scenarios when they can use this skill.
Calm
- Back Drawing – Have Jedi sit in a circle and imagine that they are sitting in a field of tall grass. Ask them to draw the tall grass. Continue to lead them through a guided imagery giving drawing prompts continuing on with flowers, sun, clouds, rain, wind and trees, nightfall, and stars. End with drawing a gift for the person in front of them and whispering what the gift is.