Instructor: Suzette Hayes
Community: Grades K-3, School Setting, 30 minutes
Plan Creation Date: May 1, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Theme Intro – Talk with the group about the importance of stillness. Today we are going to take time to notice how are bodies are feeling and what we hear around us. To make it fun, we are going to pretend we are by the ocean.
- Belly Breathing – picture your breath going in and out like the waves in an ocean. Put your hands on your heart and belly. Feel your breath go in and out. As you breathe in, picture a wave coming in as you breathe out picture a wave going out. Listen to your breath. See if you can breathe in 4, pause and out for pause. Try again with eyes closed. Focus on the still point at the end and the beginning of each breath. One minute of stillness at the end.
Activate
- Leg Stretch – Imagine you are a piece of seaweed in the ocean your leg is reaching towards the surface. Hold for 5 seconds on each leg.
- Rock n Roll – Rock like a shell or rock in the water up to sitting
- Cat/Cow – Hands and knees are grounded into ocean floor like seaweed, but you are all connected Start to move with your breath like the current rolling. Breathe out and your back rounds up. Breathe in and your belly lowers toward the floor and head lifts up. Close your eyes, move with your breath.
- Downward Dog – Come back to neutral, hands below shoulders, knees below hips. Press back on your heels and shoot hips up to form a sailboat on the wave. Fingers are wide and press down with all four corners of your hands. Reach your heels towards the floor. Picture your sail tall and strong moving across the great ocean. Close your eyes. What do you hear now that you are out of the water?
- Forward Bend – Walk your hands back to feet to come into forward bend. Feet should be shoulder width apart and point them straight ahead. Touch the floor with your finger. The wind has stopped and your sail has closed in on itself. Press your fingers into the ground and imagine you head, back, and arms moving down like a hanging sail. Breathe into your back as the boat stills.
- Mountain – Roll up slowly as if being pulled up by a rope. Head is last to look forward. In the water, there are dolphins peaking up through the waves. Hold your shoulders back as you press your palms together at your heart. Be still and strong and picture the dolphins watching you. What sounds are they making as they look up at you? Close your eyes and think about something you want them to know.One minute of stillness.
- Chair 15 – Move through Chair 15 poses (without chairs) with a drum beat. This is their boat moving through the ocean. Stand in mountain at the end of each flow and beat the drum silently for 8 beats. One minute of stillness. How does your body feel?
- Pose Challenge – Individual stillness – Ask is anyone would like to choose a pose that will help the class develop stillness. Have the student decide how many drum beats they would like to give this pose.
Calm
- Calm Voice – In a circle, talk about the questions on the calm voice worksheet. Give 30 seconds after each questions for students to quietly think about their answer, and then share. Send worksheet home to do with family if they choose.