MATERIALS

• Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, Said the Sloth by Eric Carle
• Music player and prepared music
• Stuffed animals
• Ropes or laces for walking
• Cards for matching game,
• Coloring pages

SHORT DESCRIPTION/TOPIC

The lesson is about mindfulness in the way we do things.

DISCUSSION POINTS

What would it be like to move slowly? Can you think of some animals that like to move
slowly?

CONNECTING CIRCLE

“Slowly, Slowly” Mindful Activity:

Let’s see what it’s like to move very slowly.

Raise an arm very slowly. Raise one leg very slowly. Notice the feeling in your whole body, slowly lower the leg Reach down and touch the floor in slow motion. Stay there for a few moments and notice the sensation in your body. Move your head from side to side. Do you feel sensations in other parts of the body? Now, try with eyes closed. How do you feel as you move slowly around?

POSES AS PATHWAYS/INTEGRATE THE ELEMENTS

D is for Dinosaur – Did you know Dinosaurs were really big and heavy animals and it wasn’t
easy for them to lift their heavy limbs and move? Let’s try to be mindful and feel like
dinosaurs as we slowly raise our arms and legs. Ecological Echoes

S is for Snake – As you get into the pose, let’s practice saying ‘sssss’ sound behind your closed
teeth. Ecological Echoes, Laughing Language

Lizard – Some lizards can detach their tails if caught by predators. Ecological Echoes

Sunrise/Sunset – As your arms and hips move in the opposite directions as you imitate the sun rising and then going down. Brain Balance

Tree Frog – A frog completely sheds its skin about once a week. After it pulls off the old, dead
skin, the frog usually eats it. Ecological Echoes

Talking Turtle – Lets come up with a tongue twister about our turtles! Laughing Language

Alligator – Do you know how many teeth adults have? (32) Well, alligators have between 74-84 teeth How many times more teeth do alligators have? More than 2 times more! Math Medley

Tree – Find a focus point and try to gaze at it for 2-3 breaths. Quiet Quests

Circle of Trees – Bridge of Diamonds

Hot Air Balloon – Play Up Up and Away. Musical Musings

Caterpillar – Caterpillars have 6 pairs of eyes (how many eyes is that in total?) You would
think their vision is so much better than ours, yet their eyes can only detect light intensity, but
they cannot see images! Awesome Anatomy, Ecological Echoes, Math Medley

Caterpillar to Butterfly – As you roll up in your yoga mat, relax your eyes completely, and
pretend that eyes are so simple you cannot see any images. Take 3 deep breath. Try to imagine yourself as a fuzzy caterpillar getting ready to turn into a butterfly. Quiet Quests,
Ecological Echoes, Bridge of Diamonds

Walking with My Animal Hat – Remember, this is not a competition! We are not trying to
out-walk anybody. We move slowly and mindfully with an animal on our head, trying not to
drop it. We All Win

READING COMES ALIVE WITH YOGA

Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth by Eric Carle

Note: There are many words in the book that relate to moving slow. Print up the below
words and hand them out. Ask the students to speak up when one of their words is
used, and talk about that words definition. Laughing Language

• lackadaisical – carelessly lazy
• dawdle – move slowly and idly
• dillydally – waste time through aimless wandering or indecision
• languid – slow and relaxed
• sluggish – lacking energy or alertness
• lethargic – sluggish and apathetic
• calm – serene, tranquil
• relaxed – at ease
• laid-back – casual, calm
• slothful – lazy
• tranquil – calm
• mellow – softened by age or experience
• placid – not easily upset or excited
• impassive – not showing emotion
• stoic – a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or
  complaining

VISUAL VIGNETTES

Prepare a turtle coloring page, or have the kids draw another animal from the book that
moves slowly. Use the book to help.

CLOSING CIRCLE

Grugging

MATERIALS

• Yoga mats
• Percussion instruments
• Rain sticks, or drums
• Thick paper
• Crayons
• Face painting paint
• Container with water
• Green plant
• Candle
• Incenseanima

SHORT DESCRIPTION/TOPIC
Each animal is a symbol of a talent, a special gift that it is born with and it shares with all the other animals on earth. What’s your gift? Through the physical poses we will feel the character and qualities of different spirit animals. Note: In the corners of the space, put 4 materials symbolizing the 4 elements (ground, water, fire, air). When the kids will move freely in the space, they will choose a spot that let them feel save and protected.

DISCUSSION POINTS
Which animal speaks to your heart? It can be a guide, a helper, or simply your alter ego. Feel the body benefits of the different animal poses and try to understand which one is closer to your nature. Is it a ground, air, fire or water animal that you belong to? How would feel, move and think as you spirit animal? The answer doesn’t come from a rational process, but from a simple and intimate self connection and understanding.

CONNECTING CIRCLE
Close your eyes and feel the color inside you in this present moment. Share your color with the
circle. Play Colors 2 by A.J. Jenkins. Musical Musings

POSES AS PATHWAYS/INTEGRATE THE ELEMENTS

Diamond Breath – Connect with your breathing inside your abdomen as you breath in imagine white and light air coming in, as you breath out put out all the tiredness and heaviness. Feel the peace inside and connect with your silence. Quiet Quests

Elephant Ears – The ears are a map for our body and while massaging them we take care of our body. We open our senses to the world outside. As we know, animals’ senses are very developed and sensitive. Let’s start to enter in their word. Body Benefits, Ecological Echoes

Eyes Around the Clock – Let’s awake our visual sense and expand it out. Quiet Quests.

Bunny Breath – Do you know that the bunny in Ancient Greece was a symbol of femininity and the sacred animal of the Goddess Aphrodite? Bunnies are also known to be smart and fast. Quiet Quests, We All Win, Bridge of Diamonds

Students hold hands facing each other with a partner and stomp feet while stepping sideways. Use drums, rain sticks or other instruments if available.

R is for Roar – Every time you go on your knees, activate your hands as your claws. Your tongue is out as you breathe out: you are calling all the animals around you. The Lion is the symbol of power and elegance. It’s a solar animal (element fire). Awesome Anatomy, Ecological Echoes.

Moo and Meow – The cat is related to the Moon and the night. The Egyptians choose it as head of the feminine divinity. The spine of the cat arches as half moon in one direction and then the other. The flexibility comes from the mobility of the spine: move like a cat! Awesome Anatomy, Body Benefits, Ecological Echoes

Down Diggety Doggy Down – The dog symbolizes friendship and loyalty. The dog has a special gift in protection and it s always represented as a protector near doors and entrances. Stretch your legs and try to touch your heels to your mat. Try to move the tale when you feel happy and bend it when you are in alert. Ecological echoes, Awesome Anatomy.

S is for Snake – Move your neck and upper body fluidly as a snake looking around. Make its sound with a long S. The snake is in deep relation with the vibrations of the ground and it has the power of rebirth changing its skin, and is a fire animal. Ecological Echoes

360 Owl – A moment of rest before opening your wings and singing like the owl to the moon!!! The owl is the most famous night bird and symbolizes clairvoyance and intuitions. Ecological Echoes.

Eagle – The eagle is the most famous fire animal related to the sun, the high sky and the Light. In the yogic tradition the Eagle is called Garunda and is Lord Vishnu’ s vehicle. Brain Balance, Poses as Pathways

Talking Turtle – It’s time to calm down and to enter in the shell of the most ancient animal on earth: the turtle which symbolizes longevity. There is a legend that from her shell was born the first land. This is the moment to go inward and listen to your breath, as waves of oceans, that rise and fall. Ecological Echoes, Quiet Quests

Now, dear kids, which animal would you feel like to be? How do I feel? Become the animal you feel like the nearest to your heart, and start to feel how this animal walk, move and think. What would it like to eat? Where would it rest? Bridge of Diamonds, Ecological Echoes

Freeze and Flow – Now it’ s time to move free in the space and each time the music stops we will stop in a creative pose. Have the children move as the animal they choose. We All Win

MUSICAL MUSINGS

Play live music with drum and sounds effects, or nature sounds.

READING COMES ALIVE WITH YOGA

Read The Water Hole by Graeme Base. This book teaches us that animals are all related to one need, the water of life, without which none of them could survive. Think of the element water. Could it symbolize something more than just physical water to drink? Bridge of Diamonds

VISUAL VIGNETTES

With thick paper, create animal masks that relate to the animal each child connected to. Feel
free to offer animal cutouts, or let the kids free draw. You can also use face paint to paint on the face of animals (see picture below).

QUIET QUESTS

Choose a place in the space where your animal would feel save to rest. Now choose a comfortable position lying down on the floor. It s time to listen to the weight of your body, and let all your muscles relax, until you feel light, as lying down on a white cloud that brings you high in the sky, near the stars and the planets.

CLOSING CIRCLE

Sit in a circle holding hands with eyes closed and have each student speak one word that
summarizes the class experience. Laughing language, Quest Quests

Fountain of Oms

Materials

• Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andrede and Guy Parker-Rees
• Fitness Fun songs
• Gerald the Giraffe coloring page

Short Description/Topic

Through the book Giraffes Can’t Dance, children will learn about kindness and embracing differences.

Discussion points

What do you do well? What challenges you? When you see a friend struggling, what do you do to help?

CONNECTION CIRCLE

YogaKids Pledge

Peace Breath – Begin by saying the word “peace” during this breath, then go around the circle and introduce yourself to the group by saying your name in a whisper as part of peace breath. Quiet Quests

POSES AS PATHWAYS/INTEGRATE THE 14 ELEMENTS

Reach for the Sun – make lines with your arms as you reach, straight lines overhead and diagonal lines across  – Math Medley (optional addition: play “Reach for the Sun” song – Musical Musings)

Untying the Knots –Let’s loosen up our bodies and untie all of our joints (where two bones come together and we can move)…shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers hips, knees, ankles and toes. Awesome Anatomy

Ragdoll Ann and Ragdoll Andy – Anytime the head goes below the heart it naturally calms the body. It also lengthens the spine and stretches the backs of the legs. Body Benefits

Lunges – This is a powerful pose, share some of your power. Say “I am strong. I am beautiful.” What makes you powerful? Good food, exercise, sleep. Affirmations

Moo/Meow –  Press your lips together to make the Mmm sound, then round the lips to make the Ooo sound. Now Moo like a cow! Meow like a cat and open your mouth wide in the middle, add the “eow” sound. Laughing Language

Rock ‘n’ Roll  – Crossing our legs and grabbing our opposite feet with our hands helps our brain think better. Taking our legs over our head as we roll back also helps our brain. Brain Balance

READING COMES ALIVE WITH YOGA (RCAWY)

Talking Turtle  (page 1-2) – Practice listening. With heads down, listen carefully and then lift your turtle head and repeat what you hear. “Turtles love to Tango” “Giraffes love to Jive.”  Laughing Language

Butterfly with Antennae (page 3-4)  – Butterflies can taste with their feet! When they land on a flower, they taste it first to see if they want to drink the nectar. Ecological Echoes

S is for Snake (page 5-6) – Let’s practice the Sss sound. Pretend your teeth are a gate, close them tight, and your tongue is a snake that cannot pass through the gate while making the Sss sound. Laughing Language

R is for Roar (page 7-8) – Learn to speak “Lionese” as we make the sounds of this grand feline’s vocabulary. A=Aaoouu, P=Purr, R=Roar, Y=Yawn, G=Growl. Laughing Language

Bug Pickin Chimp (page 9-10) – Monkeys “nit-pick” to help clean each others fur. Cooperation and taking care of one another is a good idea for all living things. Bridge of Diamonds

Shake Like Jelly (page 11-12) – Let’s shake our body parts to loosen up. Shake our head, arms, hands, torso, legs and feet. Awesome Anatomy

Down Diggety Doggie Down (page 13-14) – With our head lower than our heart we get more oxygen to our brains so we are better thinkers. Brain Balance

Grasshopper / Cricket (page 15-16) –  Grasshoppers can make music by rubbing one body part against another. Their cousin, the cricket makes it’s sound by rubbing its wings together. What kind of music can your body make? Musical Musings

Tree/Leaf (page 17-18) – While in tree pose say “I am balanced. I can do it.” Now stand together in a circle and press your palms to your neighbors palms while balancing in tree. Notice how with the help of others, we are more sturdy. Affirmations, We all Win

Dancer (page 19-22) – Dance around, then stand on one leg and hold dancer pose. Repeat “I am flexible. My heart is open. My legs are strong. I am dancing.”Affirmations

Eagle (page 22-23) – The Bald Eagle is the National Bird of the United States of America. What is another national symbol for the USA? Flag. Rose. Statue of Liberty. Poses as Pathways

Mountain (page 24-25)- Stand tall on your feet. We have 26 bones in each foot. 14 of those bones are in our phalanges (toes). Awesome Anatomy

Twirl around and bow (page 26-27) – Show respect to all of those around you as you bow. Bridge of Diamonds

QUIET QUESTS

The book ends with our friend the Giraffe looking up at the stars in the night sky. Let’s lie down, get comfortable and imagine we are also gazing at the stars in the sky. Imagine a warm summer’s night in your own backyard. After playing all day with friends, you are tired and want to rest for a bit. Feel the softness of the grass beneath you, listen to the crickets chirp in the distance, notice the gentle wind brush by your cheeks. (Pause) Stay here and rest. Breathe deeply and enjoy this quiet moment. (Pause 1-2 minutes). Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes. Take a deep breath in and then let it all out. Come to a seated pose. How do you feel?

VISUAL VIGNETTE

Color in Gerald the Giraffe coloring page

 

LESSON OBJECTIVES

To present a fun, integrative lesson using farm animals as a means of learning the 14 elements and how animals are connected to us. These elements will help us to perceive and access information, so children are ready to

learn!

AGES

2-6

KEY ELEMENTS

Quiet Quests, Musical Musings, Visual Vignettes, Reading Comes Alive With Yoga

MATERIALS

• Cock-a-Doodle-doo! Barnyard Hullabaloo by Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz
• Music player and prepared music
• Visual Vignette supplies (barn coloring sheet, crayons, straw, glue, animal stickers),
• snack supplies (animal crackers, napkins)
• bandanas
• animal beanie babies
• YOGA letters
• straw hats

CREATE THE MOOD AND TONE

• Place checkered tablecloth in the center of your room.
• Children can wear overalls or jeans and put on a bandana.
• They also can hold a farm animal in their hand.
• Music with animal sounds would be great.
• After poses, have each child wear or pretend they are putting on a straw hat.

CONNECTING CIRCLE

1. Introduce yourself and yoga.
2. Place YOGA letters in the middle of the circle. Play Y is for Yoga and act out the letters.
3. YogaKids Pledge.
4. Introduce the farm theme.
5. Name Game (Say your name then add a descriptive word and an animal. Ex: I am Shane the Silly Sheep)

POSES AS PATHWAYS/INTEGRATE THE ELEMENTS

• Reach for the Sun – This pose stretches arms, increases self-esteem. Body Benefits
• Ankle-Heel-Toe-Walking – This pose stretches our feet. Body Benefits
• Rooster  – Make cock-a-doodle-doo sounds. Musical Musings.
• Chicken – Make chicken sounds. Musical Musings.
• Down Diggety Doggie Down – This pose increases the strength of our arms and legs. Body Benefits
• Moo and Meow – This pose stretches the fronts and backs of our bodies. Body Benefits
• Twist & Blow – Let’s roll in the mud like pigs! Ecological Echoes
• Donkey – Let’s kick like donkeys do! Ecological Echoes
• Turkey – Turkeys have “waddles.” Do you know what they are? Touch your waddle if you know! – Ecological Echoes
• Geese – Let’s make sounds like geese! Musical Musings
• Sheep – Let’s make sheep sounds too! Musical Musings
• Pedal Laughing – Did you know that laughter is the best medicine? It can help us fight disease. Body Benefits
• Rocking Horse – This pose strengthens our spines, shoulders, and legs. Body Benefits
• Polar Bear/Eyes Around the Clock – Let’s do poses that help us relax our eyes. Body Benefits
• Owl  – This pose can help our balance, posture, and flexibility. Body Benefits

RCAWY

Cock-a-Doodle-doo! Barnyard Hullabaloo by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz

VISUAL VIGNETTES

Color the barn sheet, add animal stickers, and glue on straw to make a farm picture.

SNACK

Have children use tongs to pick up animal crackers and place on a napkin. Make the animal sounds when they pick up the animal cracker.

QUIET QUESTS

Read poem at the end of the book, now it’s nighttime in the barnyard… or ask questions about the day on the farm; what sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or how it felt?

CLOSING

• Bridge of Diamonds
• Grugging

by Brenda Morman

MATERIALS

• lacing string
• A-B-C cubes
• relaxation music
• Q is for Duck by Mary Elting

SHORT DESCRIPTION/TOPIC

We will explore the animal kingdom from A-Z.

DISCUSSION POINTS

Animals are divided into classifications. We are going to classify our animals today from letter A-Z.

CONNECTING CIRCLE

Animal Alliteration –  Ask each child to come up with an animal that starts with the same letter as their first or last name (example: Marsha Mouse, Don Donkey). Laughing Language

POSES AS PATHWAYS TO LEARNING

Alligator – An alligator is found only in the southeast U.S. and China. This pose Strengthens spine, shoulders and arms. Body Benefits, Ecological Echoes

Bubble Fish – Fish breathe by taking water through their mouths and pushing it out through their gills. There may be over 2 million different species of fish in the ocean. Ecological Echoes

Partner Bubble Fish – Sit with legs straight out and press your own feet into your partners feet. When feeling well-balanced press against your partner’s feet and exhale to lift up your legs. Keep feet together and legs tight. Challenge by lifting your legs higher. Bridge of Diamonds

Bug Picking Chimp – Social bonds in groups are established and reinforced by grooming. Ecological Echoes, Bridge of Diamonds

D is for Dinosaur – An eagle hatches from an egg. Let’s become an egg. Ecological Echoes

Egg to Chicken/Hatching the Egg – All birds hatch from eggs. The mother bird sits on the eggs to keep them warm. The shell protects the baby bird; and the egg provides everything the baby bird needs to form and grow. When the bird is ready to hatch, he uses an egg tooth to crack a hole in the shell and split open the shell. The baby bird emerges wet with closed eyes. This pose improves posture and stretches the body, toes, feet, chest, and shoulders. Ecological Echoes, Body Benefits

Eagle – How many eggs does an eagle usually lay? Between 1-3. Ecological Echoes

Flamingo – This pose strengthens, shapes and tones legs and improves balance. Body Benefits

Grasshopper – This pose strengthens abdominal muscles, arms and legs. Body Benefits

Name an animal that starts with: H I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q! Laughing Language

R is for Roar – Lions are the second largest big cat species in the world (behind tigers). Lions can reach speeds of up 50 mph. If a lion ran 50 mph for 5 hours, how far would he get? 250 miles? This is a trick question because lions don’t have the stamina to run fast for very long. They only run fast in short bursts. Ecolocial Echoes, Math Medley

S is for Snake – Use “S” words to describe a snake in a sentence. Laughing Language

VISUAL VIGNETTES

Use the lacing string and ABC letters to create a word that inspires you: joy , peace, strength, friends or your own name.

READING COMES ALIVE WITH YOGA

Q is for Duck by Mary Elting – This book uses the letters of the alphabet to describe different animals, such as E is for whale. Why? Because a whale is enormous! See if they students can guess the adjective each letter stands for before you reveal it. Laughing Language

Zigzag Breathing Zone – We will end our alphabet adventure with an activity that starts with the letter “Z.”

QUIET QUEST 

Play soft music in background Lie down and close your eyes. Decide on your favorite animal. Imagine that you are that animal in its habitat. What do you see, how do you feel, what do you eat or drink? Enjoy the sites and sounds of your natural habitat. In a few minutes, I am going to call you back. (time 3-4 minute). I am going to count backwards from 10 – 1. When I get to 5 count with me. At 1 open your eyes. Allow for discussion about the visualization. Quiet Quest, Musical Musings

by Jen DeSilva

LESSON OBJECTIVES

To help children overcome fears of scary creatures and teach empathy and compassion for all living things. To explore the roles of being a scary creature and being scared at the prospect of being squished by a boys shoe as a tiny ant using drama and the script from the book Hey Little Ant by Hoose. To explore ecological facts about the animals; getting to know them helps us respect them and to understand their purpose in the web of life.

MATERIALS

• A ball of string for the connection web
• Picture cards with animal photos – with question and answers for the ‘Who am I’ game
• RCAWY book: Hey Little Ant
• Music: The Ants Go Marching 2 by 2, Timpani by Benjamin Brittan or jazzy upbeat music, relaxing sea sounds and the Namaste song
• Report sheet for visualization
• colored crayons and writing pencils — or use Waxworks colored modeling wax for 2D / 3D art depictions of visualizations
• Copies of The Ant and the Dove an Aesop Fable

CONNECTING CIRCLE (5 MIN)

• YK Pledge
• Introduce the Theme – Stand in a circle of columns of courage
• Affirmation – “I ‘m not afraid! Animals are awesome!”

POSES AS PATHWAYS

Connection Web – Using a ball of string, create a connection web of life with awesome animal asanas. Each child rolls the ball of string to another across the circle and says, “I am an awesome animal! I am a ……… and does an animal pose. Holding on to their piece of string, they roll the ball to another person…who says ‘I am an awesome animal! I am a …..” They repeat the last person’s pose and add their own. (For example, I am a snake! I am a dog!”). The pattern repeats until you have a vinyasa of animal poses and a connection web. “All creatures great and small are connected in the web of life.” Bridge of Diamonds

Ecological Echoes (10 min)

Animal facts Game – Who am I?

Each child gets an animal card and reads out the clues to the group (with help from the facilitator as needed). The group tries to guess the animal, then everyone does the asana. Adapt this game to suit the group you are teaching.

Lion Clues:

• My roar can be heard 5 miles away.
• I live in a pride.
• My title as king is misleading as I run away from elephants and rhinos.
• I have a full head of hair .

Message: “Roar, I am king of the jungle, meow ‘I’m not scary really.”

Snake Clues:

• I live in tropical and temperate lands.
• I have a very long body but no legs.
• I shed my skin I have a forked tongue that I use to smell my prey.
• I have fangs that inject poisonous venom into my prey

Message: “I won’t hurt you if you don’t disturb me.”

Shark Clues:

• I am a great survivor.
• I have been around for 400 million years even before the dinosaurs roamed the earth.
• I use over 20000 teeth in my lifetime.
• I swim in the deep ocean beyond the reefs
• We have a terrible reputation
• Not all of us bite
• Watch out for my dorsal fin
• I have lots of sharp teeth
• “I’m just hungry. What are you doing in the deep ocean anyway?”

Jellyfish Clues:

• We are actually 4 creatures in one.
• We are transparent.
• You can see through us but we are also blue in color.
• Our body is a bubble shaped float.
• We live in the sea.
• We have stinging tentacles sometimes 100 feet long.

Message: “Our stingers are for catching food, I just thought your leg was lunch.”

Ant Clues:

• I existed before the dinosaurs.
• I work as part of a team.
• I am very strong.
• I can lift up to 20 times my bodyweight.
• I have strong jaws that open and shut sideways like scissors.
• I detect my food using my sense of smell with my powerful antenna.
• I serve my queen by bringing food back to the nest.
• I have six legs and an exoskeleton.
• Some people consider me to be a pest but I help out by clearing away crumbs of food you leave lying around.
• My favorite food is PPJ sandwiches.

In pairs, do the following pose: back person on all fours holding onto front person’s ankles. Front person kneels with hands up like antennae sniffing out crumbs (thereby making six legs).

Message: “I’m just looking for food for my family.”

LAUGHING LANGUAGE (5 min)

Let the kids add their contributions using this as a narrative outline:

A boy and his family were picnicking on the beach eating PB& J sandwiches. Along came a parade of ants that started to clear up the crumbs. The boy began to be bothered because he had Ants in his pants (Shake Like Jelly).

The boy ran to the sea to cool off. He saw several Portuguese Men o War Jellyfish swimming by. He felt a little panicked so he took a Take 5 breath. He now felt calmer and continued to swim out further feeling much more confident. He continued to swim towards the reefs. He felt a tickle and looked down to see some small fry swimming in a shoal around his legs. He saw a rock ahead of him and as he swam closer he saw a moray eel slithering sleekly out from his watery cave.

Suddenly someone shouted from a boat out at sea. ‘Swim shore wise! I see a circling swift sharp toothed shark! The boy swam swiftly back to the shore and took another Take 5 breath. He now was feeling calmer and fell asleep on his picnic blanket until he felt a little tickle it was a worker ant.

RCAWY (10 min)

Read Hey Little Ant. Act out the script in pairs as boy and ant. Boy begins standing over tiny ant (ant sitting in prayer). Ant grows bigger than boy and towers over boy who cowers down in Child’s Pose. Children experience both roles. Discuss how we can honor and respect all life. Group sharse thoughts on what the boy should do: e.g. Don’t disturb ants they are just doing their job. Ants need to feed their families too. If we act in anger and destroy life, we are not respecting every creatures place in the web of life.

QUIET QUESTS (5 min)

Visualization: Read an Undersea Adventure (on page 44 of Spinning Inward). Close your eyes and focus your attention to your breath. (pause) Now imagine that you are walking down to the beach. It is a beautiful sunny day and you enjoy the sound of the surf. (pause) As you walk along the beach, you notice a trap door in the sand. You lift up the trap door and there is a stone stairway leading down under the sand. You walk down the stairway, feeling perfectly safe, and find yourself in a long tunnelway. You walk through the tunnelway, until you come to a room at the end of the tunnel. You enter the room, which looks like a glass bubble. You realize that you are in a glass room under the sea. Beautiful colored fish are swimming outside. You notice that there is a submarine and a diving suit in the room for your use if you choose to venture out to sea. There is also a pillowed chair in the middle of the room if you wish to sit down. You now have a minute of clock time equal to all the time that you need to enjoy the wonders of the sea. (after a minute). Now it is time to return. (pause) You walk back through the tunnel way, up the stairs toward the sunlight. You close the trap door, knowing that you can return here whenever you wish. You leave the beach and become aware of sitting here, fully present. I am going to count to ten. Join me at the count of six, opening your eyes at ten, feeling alert and with full recollection of your adventure. One… two… three… four… five… six… seven… eight… nine… ten.

VISUAL VIGNETTE (10 min)

Create a wax model of your under the sea adventure. You can make it a 2D picture or a 3D structure. Remember to include all the awesome undersea creatures you saw there.

CLOSING CIRCLE (5 min)

Affirmation “I’m not afraid. Animals are awesome!” If we respect animals and don’t disrupt them, we can live together safely without fear of being hurt.

OM and NAMASTE