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: Strength
Academic/Therapeutic/Other Goals: Strength and Who You Are Strong For
Props/Music Resources Required: Music (iPhone), speakers, mats, blocks, Hoberman Sphere.
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – with Hoberman Sphere. Student models with Hoberman Sphere. Students decide how many breaths they would like from 3-8.
- Cat-Cow – with synchronized breathing, attentive to muscle activation in core (Cat) and back (Cow). Arms and legs pushing into the earth with weight equally distributed and muscles activated.
Activate
- Alternating Arm-Leg Kicks – with emphasis on balance, core strength and alignment and extension in opposing directions.
- Yoga Flow – Have students move from Roots, to Mountain, to Upward Mountain, to WoodChopper, focusing on balance and grounding through the feet and legs and activation of muscles.
- Yoga Flow – Have students come down into Downward Dog, pausing to reset breathing and notice sensations in the body. Again, remind the students to feel the contact of their hands and feet with their mat, play with the balance until it feels right, and activate their muscles extend upward away from the ground, elevating the hips. Have students come into Warrior I. Remind them to breath, activate, and expand. Remind them of the name of the pose and inquire why it is called that. Ask them to picture someone in their head that they are strong for and then resume the pose again. Have them move into Warrior II. Then have them return to Downward Dog and repeat the Warriors on the other side.
- Tree Circle and Warrior Circle – Next, we convert the Tree Circle into a Warrior Circle. Students come into Warrior I, and then utilizing support from group members on either side move into an “Eagle on a Cliff” (or Warrior III). Repeat on other side.
Calm
- One-Minute Exploration – Have students lie down (if comfortable for them) and close their eyes. Prompt the students by asking them to recall a time that they felt, strong, in control, and at peace. Ask them to recreate that environment in their head.
- Closing – Close of class and expression of gratitude.