Instructor: Jeanette Johnsson
Community: ???
Plan Creation Date: December 13, 2009
Yoga Calm Principle/Lesson Goal: Strength (with Ocean Sub-theme)
Lesson Plan:
Things in the room: Ocean sound in the background for the relaxation story + pitcher and cups for everybody to drink water from + candle + flowers.
In today’s class we will focus on strength. Being strong in our bodies but also being strong in our minds. When do you feel strong? What makes you strong? What is your greatest strength?
* Breathing Sphere (Sit up like princesses. Demonstrate slouching.)
* Volcano Breath (Think about things you are good at — think about one or more things that you are good at or have done well.)
* Share
* Flow (Part of the Mat 20): + Mountain + upward mountain + forward bend + bent knee lunge + downward dog + bent knee lunge + forward bend + upward mountain + hands over heart
* Star (sea star:) This pose gives you energy — which we need to be strong.
* Warrior II: (I’m strong, I’m in control, I can do it, I can be responsible.)
* Woodchopper: Practice your strong voice.
Pretend we are by the ocean:
* Block creek: (Pretend that the yoga blocks are stones in the ocean water line and the mat is water).
1st time: Walk slowly down the blocks from one end to the other without falling. Go slowly and step carefully on each rock.
2nd: Look straight ahead — not at the rocks — one student at the other end to help focus and say positive things. (You are strong, You can do it, You are in control, etc.)
3rd: Close your eyes and have someone hold you and lead you over the rocks.
4th: I’m the big shark in the water trying to disturb and have the students loose their balance.
Back to mats:
* Superman/super girl
* Childs pose: Breath into your strong back (remember a time when you felt very strong in your body. What were you doing?)
* Lion’s pose
* Hug – knees to chest massage your back rolling back and forth.
* Twist
* Relaxation:
Story: You are lying here on your yoga mat. And in this room comes a magic ocean breeze. The mat is turned into a beach towel and the carpet is warm sand by the ocean. The sound of the soft waves lapping at the shore is soothing and makes you very relaxed. The sun is shining and you look at all your creations of sand. Beautiful sandcastles, big ones decorated with seashells, sticks, stones and sea grass — You have built roads and bridges and a little pond with a floating white flower in the middle. You take a deep breath and feel the fresh ocean air filling your body……. By your sandcastle is your little row boat. You jump in and start rowing to an island a little bit outside the beach. You are rowing with strong arms……The island has beautiful sand dunes, and everywhere is cool seashells and the prettiest stones…… It’s almost as if they are shining, here are seagulls and small turtles hiding in the sea grass. Farther away are some green bushes with pink flowers that give away a wonderful scent.
While you are exploring, the sun feels warm and nice. Being here by the strong ocean makes you feel strong………You walk around the whole island and in the sand you write your name with big letters — next to your name you write the letters — S T R O N G — strong…… All of a sudden you stop — At the end of your written word, strong, you see the most beautiful thing you have ever seen in nature….(pause). You hold the piece in your hands ……. Slowly you walk back to your boat and carefully put the treasure in the front and you start rowing back to the other beach….. You sit down on your white beach towel and put your nature treasure on it. This piece will always remind you of your strength, even when you are not close to the ocean. You lie down to relax, listen to the water lapping at the shore — knowing that when you are relaxing you are making your body stronger too. The magic breeze is sweeping over your body — the sand turns into a carpet. The beach towel becomes your yoga mat….. Deepen your breath….etc.
* Share — What did you find on the island?
Mindfully drinking water:
* The human body is between 50- 70% water. More than half of your body is actually water. We need to drink a lot of water to keep our bodies strong. Now when we are drinking this next sip, feel how it travels down your mouth and into your belly. One more zip — really focusing on how the water tastes and how it feels in your body.