Middle School Ages, School Setting, Grounding Lesson Plan (Kubacki)

Instructor: Carrie Kubacki

Community: Middle School Ages, School Setting, 30 minutes

Plan Creation Date: November 1, 2016

Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Grounding

Lesson Plan:

Calm

• Belly Breathing – using Hoberman Sphere or fingers – How does our breath tell us whether we are feeling grounded and safe or not? Relate to previous discussions of chest, rapid and shallow breathing versus slow, controlled belly breathing. Volunteers to help lead/count. Ask for compliments from the class for the leaders.
• Pulse Count – Introduce and practice for 20 seconds.
  How does our pulse indicate whether we are feeling grounded and safe or not?
  Relate briefly to previous discussions on stress management we have had were students discussed feeling relaxed during video games, sports, etc.

Activate

• Mountain Pose – Focus on grounding through the feet, legs and core. Relate to a tree’s roots.
• Crescent Moon – Grounding through our bodies even though wind/life circumstances may be blowing us from side to side.
• Tree Pose – alone – Find our own grounding with foot, leg, core. Use our gaze and breath to also help us feel grounded.
• Tree Pose – with a partner – Sometimes we need others in our life to help us feel grounded and balanced
• Teaching Lesson/Social-Emotional Activity – Part of my responsibility in my classes where I currently teach yoga and relaxation is to provide a health and wellness lesson each time as our school does not offer a specific health curriculum. Because of this, I will have a health and wellness lesson each time based on my own curriculum. Lesson: “What is wellness? What factors do we need to be healthy and well?” Beginning discussion on healthy nutrition.