Instructor: Lana Urban
Community: Classroom Setting??, Middle School Students
Plan Creation Date: January 22, 2009
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Strength
Lesson Plan:
Community
- MAT Tag instructions and remind students of mat being their own space. Model by using commands such as “Fast,” “Slow,” and “Freeze.” Play a few rounds to warm up.
Stillness
- Student led Hoberman Sphere Belly Breathing.
Listening
- Seated Pulse Count feeling the beating drum of the heart. Volunteers share their count.
- Do Activate/Relax Walk. Have students go into Star and Mountain poses. Think about sending positive thoughts out to classmates and up into the sky.
Grounding
- Do Arm Swings while feeling like a bird flying in slow motion Think positive self-affirming thoughts such as “I am strong. I am in control. I can do it.”
- Reach arms up into Upward Mountain and Crescent Moon. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended overhead, imagining sending energy up to the sun out of the fingertips. Inhale to the side like a Crescent Moon, pressing four corners of the feet into the ground. Exhale to the middle and inhale to the other side.
Strength
- Begin MAT 20 and count each pose for 5 seconds. Remind students to use positive self-talk and to go into Child if they feel too challenged. Start at Mountain and inhale up into Upward Mountain. Exhale into Forward Bend, bending at the hinge of the hips. Bend the right leg back into Bent Knee Lunge, aware of the alignment of the knee. Push back into Downward Dog creating an “A” shape. Do a few heel pumps, inhaling while lifting heels up, and exhaling while lowering heels down. Push forward into Plank with a flat back like a table, and strong abdominal muscles sucked in like a board. Keep breathing into lower back. Slowly lower to the floor with a flat back and elbows at sides. Toes lie flat on the ground and four corners of the hand with fingers spread out pushes you up into Cobra. Pulling shoulders down, and head erect, make a slow hissing sound. Push back to Downward Dog, and step the right leg forward to Bent Knee Lunge. Step left leg forward to Forward Bend and feel the breath slowing in the rag doll position. Inhale up and bend back to Chair. Be aware of the knee alignment above the feet. Feel your strength! Push up into Upward Mountain and back to Mountain. Repeat.
Stillness
- Have students lie back on the mat for a Guided Relaxation. Read the “Going Places” (pg.156) relaxation exercise from Ready…Set…R.E.L.A.X.