Instructor: Erin Bartlett
Community: Intermediate and Middle School Ages, School Setting, 30-45 minutes
Plan Creation Date: November 1, 2016
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Stillness
Lesson Plan:
Calm
- Belly Breathing – Have student sit or lie on back and close their eyes. Take several deep breaths, letting go of the day’s stresses and come into “just being.” Ring chime and have students lie still, taking deep breaths, practicing being present until the sound of the chime disappears.
- Volcano Breaths – sit up and take several deep breaths, releasing pent up energy/emotions/stress on the exhale, when hands are raised.
Activate
- Tree Pose – Feel calm and centered to the Earth. Practice a few times, challenging to increase hold times.
- Downward Dog – Pump heels, inhaling and exhaling with the movements. Alternate going from Downward Dog to Plank.
- Cat/Cow
- Calm Voice Activity – Move from Cat/Cow to a comfortable position lying on the floor, ideally on back. Practice deep breathing and read through questions on “calm voice” worksheet. Allow students time to write or draw on worksheet and share responses if they feel comfortable.
Calm
- Congratulate students on great work today – ask for any observations, thoughts, and questions.
- Back Breathing – pair students off in a way that makes sense for the group. Have one student take Child Pose while the other moves hands along the student’s lower back. Continue for several breaths and then switch.*Ask for feedback/thoughts on experience during this partner work.