Instructor: Laura Remington
Community: High School Juniors/Seniors, Alternative High School Setting, 30-45 minutes
Plan Creation Date: May 1, 2014
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding
Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Reflecting on Trees
Props/Music Resources Required: Music (iPhone), speakers, mats, blocks, Hoberman Sphere.
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere. Student demonstrates with sphere. Students choose number of breaths we will take from 3-8.
- Pulse Count – with inquiry and discussion
Activate
- Roots – Ask student to envision their bodies as the different parts of a tree as we begin the Roots pose, finding balance, alignment and experiencing grounding. Prompt students to feel the sensation of their feet equally balanced and actively pushing against the ground and growing upwards as they activate their muscles to support their frame.
- Yoga Flow – Sequence: Have them come to Mountain and then, visualizing themselves as trees, strongly rooted but growing upward, have them come to Upward Mountain with their branches (arms) extended strongly upward toward the sun. Next have them sink to Chair, retaining the sensation of strength and grounded-ness in their legs and core while maintaining length and extension in the upper body. Next have them come into a Forward Fold, knees bent to support the lower back. Offer the option of slowly swaying from side to side to play with finding balance and re-rooting. Then have them come to Downward Dog, grounding through their hands and feet and pushing away from the earth with hands spread wide, like the veins in a maple leaf. Next, come into a Plank. Next we come into Cobra, grounding through the pelvis as you activate back muscles, retaining a sense of contact with the earth with your legs. Next, we come to Child’s Pose where I remind the students that they can return to this position for rest or reset at anytime during the practice. Next, we return to Downward Dog, walking our feet toward the front of the mat until we are in Forward Fold again. Re-rooting, and activating the legs intentionally we rise up slowly to Upward Mountain and return to Mountain.
- Tree Pairs and Tree Circle – discussion about how support or even the perception of support impacts balance. Ask the students why and get input. Remind the students about Grounding and Activation throughout the activity.
Calm
- Personalized Relaxation – wherein students visualize themselves as trees, strong, rooted to the cool, rich earth, but swaying gently in the soft breeze, their leaves kissed by sunshine.