Middle School Ages, School Setting, Stillness 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: Stillness

Lesson Plan:

Calm

• Belly Breathing – using Hoberman Sphere or fingers. Slow, gentle inhales and exhales to bring calm and stillness. Slower the breathing, the quieter our minds. 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 – Practice for 20 seconds.  What does our pulse feel like when we are still and relaxed? In what situations would it be helpful to have a slow pulse versus a fast pulse?

Activate

• Mountain Pose – Find center. Focus on standing as still as possible. Close eyes and see how our stillness changes.
• Shoulder and Neck Rolls – Inhale roll shoulders up, exhale slowly as shoulders go back and down. In stillness can we become aware of where we might be holding muscle tension. Our bodies tell us what we need.
• Forward Fold—Folding Star – Finding stillness in forward folds. Helps to calm and relax us. Relate to rock/child’s pose.
• Seated Twist – Gentle, slow twist to reduce muscle tension. Be still and quiet in the twist. Three breaths each direction.
• Teaching Lesson/Social-Emotional Activity – Lesson:  “The Importance of Sleep,” discuss amount of sleep needed, importance of sleep, effects of lack of sleep, how to improve sleep. Activity: Quiet Voice – Have students listen and then complete the worksheet on their own. Discussion of how our thoughts can influence our feelings and behaviors. Listening to our quiet voice can help us to be still.