OBJECTIVES
Children will learn to appreciate each other and themselves with a theme of friendship and working together while doing yoga poses.
MATERIALS
- Music player and prepared music
- Mandala designs
- The Mouse, the Cricket and the Bumblebee by E.L. & A.M Skinner
DISCUSSION POINTS
- Friends are people who make us feel good about ourselves; as we play together we learn how to be a good friend. Together we create positive feelings, which help us to be happy.
- Do you have a good friend? What do you like about him or her? What do you like to do together
CONNECTING CIRCLE
Fountain of Oms (Suggested music: Ek Ong Kar by Wehe Guru Kaur or How Deep Is Your Love by The Bee Gees)
POSES AS PATHWAYS/INTEGRATE THE ELEMENTS
Eyes Around the Clock – Draw the numbers of the clock on paper plates; make a happy face on it. Instruct the children to draw their attention to various numbers. Musical Musings, Visual Vignettes
Moo and Meow – Cows are very social animals, like people they like to be with each other, they know who their friends are. Cats are more independent by nature but make great pets. Some people have animals as their best friends. Ecological Echoes
Down Diggity Doggie Down – Dogs are man’s best friend; they are able to read human body language and understand human voice commands. Can you read someone’s body language? Name some examples. (Suggested music: How Much Is That Doggie in the Window) Ecological Echoes, Musical Musings
Up Uppity Doggie Up – This posture opens the heart. Draw the shoulders back & down away from the ears. Lift your chest; can you feel your heart open? This is the physical feeling of heart opening, how about when we open our heart to our friends & family. Being helpful, kind, tolerant, generous, and compassionate are heart-opening examples. Can you tell us an experience when you did this? We All Win, Awesome Anatomy, Body Benefits, Musical Musings (Suggested music: Who Are You When I’m Not Lookin by Blake Shelton)
Lizard – Lizards rely heavily on body language, using specific postures, gestures and movements to define territory and resolve disputes. Have you seen them do that? When do you do that? Ecological Echoes (Suggested Music: Vertical Reality, by Deva Premal/Minten)
360 Owl – Owls are part of a small group of birds that live nocturnally, meaning they’re awake at night and sleep in the day, which is why we hardly ever see them! Can you name other animals that are nocturnal? (Answer: aardvark, badger, bat, beaver) Ecological Echoes
Polar Bear – The polar bear is an excellent swimmer and often will swim for days. One bear swam continuously for 9 days in the frigid Bering Sea. Ecological Echoes
Sprouting Dolphin – Dolphins are highly social animals, often living in pods of up to a dozen individuals & are altruistic. Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of selfishness. In simple terms, altruism is caring about the welfare of other people and acting to help them. This is most important in having friends. As you move back and forth, say “I am Kind” “I am helpful” “I am trustworthy.” Affirmations, Ecological Echoes (Suggested music: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
Pedal Laughing – Only humans laugh or cry, this is our soul or spirit expressing itself through emotions. It’s good to make your self laugh it helps to encourage good feelings. Friends can do that for us too, but remember to be your own best friend, talk to yourself like you would to your friend with words of encouragement & support. “I can do this” “I can change my mind to feel good.” Ecological Echoes Affirmations, Musical Musings (Suggested music: Voyage to Harmony from Yoga Music)
Crow – Learning to balance takes commitment and strength. When we commit ourselves to be friends both to our self and a friend means we do what we say we’re going to do, this builds trust & dependability. It takes more strength to be kind. Bridge of Diamonds
Stork to Flamingo – The word “flamingo” comes from the Spanish/Latin word “flamenco” which means fire, and refers to the bright color of the bird’s feathers Ecological Echoes (Suggested music: Winter in July by Sara Brightman)
Untying the Knots – Feel nice ‘n loose like a long legged goose! Laughing Language
Shake Like Jelly
Ragdoll Ann / Ragdoll Andy (Suggested music: Natural World by Lisa Lynn)
READING COMES ALIVE WITH YOGA
The Mouse, the Cricket and the Bumblebee by E.L. & A.M Skinner
WE ALL WIN
Stick Together – Facing each other hold out one hand to each other, palm forward. Place a pencil between the hands of each pair, when the sticks are steady, move around the room. One leads, the other follows then switch. We All Win (Suggested music: You’ve Got a Friend by James Taylor)
Dancing Together – Form pairs and hold hands (one wears a blindfold or closes eyes). One leads by dancing slowly, the other tries to be sensitive to the other’s movements. Going forwards, backwards, slower, quicker etc. You can use words if you want. We All Win, Musical Musings (Suggested music: Sammasati by Deva Premal)
Lean on Me – Sit back-to-back and work together to stand up with backs touching, using each other for support. Try to go down. “We can work together.” “I’m strong.” “We have good balance.” Affirmations, We All Win (Suggested music: Year Mandala by Ralf Bach)
Feeling Sounds Through the Back – Sit back-to-back and feel your partner’s back. One child makes sounds, singing, or just “ahhh,.” Ask the other partner where in her back she feels the sounds and what does it feel like? Make different sounds; how do they feel different? Is it the same or does it resonate differently in different areas? We All Win (Suggested music: Reflexion by Linda Lara)
VISUAL VIGNETTE
Mandalas
Definition: The word mandala comes from the Indian language Sanskrit and means circle or center. A mandala is a form with radial symmetry; the circular design is organized regularly around a central point. Mandalas are divided into equal sections, or concentric rings, or a combination of both. Mandalas can be found anywhere in nature; most flowers have pedals radiating from a center. An orange half, a tree stump, a spider web, a starfish, and a snowflake are all mandala forms. So are our own eyes, with the iris surrounding the pupil in the center. Buddhists use the mandala to represent the universe; the circle forms a whole and holds everything together inside itself.
Demonstration: Display mandala designs from nature, flowers, oranges, pictures etc. then ask them to close their eyes.
Visualization: Imagine you’re standing in the center of a circle. You are the center of the mandala. As you breathe gently, the circle begins to grow bigger. What can you see in the circle? It could be anything. You might see abstract designs, symbols, or things from real life. Look at the colors and shapes. In a minute we’re going to make mandalas, you can draw and color what you see in your mind now. Your mandalas will be different but they will all be beautiful, like you! (pause 2 minutes)
Activity: Allow the children to draw their own mandala for at least 5 minutes. Play relaxing music and offer encouragement. Afterwards ask them to talk about their mandala. (Suggested music: Rainforest Cave by Richard Brookens)
CLOSING
Lemon Toes/Savasana – Notice the air in the room gong in the tip of your nose down into your body, and it becomes your breath. It’s like magic, isn’t it? Your body turns air into your breath. (pause for 1 breath) Do you notice that it feels warm or cool where it comes in? It’s still air, but it becomes something else as well. Feel the air becoming your breath. As you breathe in, you can feel the air becoming part of your body, your life. How does your breath feel? (pause for 3 breaths)
Notice the air going out of your nose; it’s cool going in and warm going out. Your breath inside you is precious, but the wonderful thing is how you don’t have to hold onto it. You let it back out, and there is always more. Some very precious things in life are like that – only by not holding onto them for too long, do you get more. Notice the air becoming your breath, then notice yourself letting the air out of your body. Let yourself let go of any tension you are carrying, that you no longer need to hold onto, if you ever did. Slowly begin to move your fingers and toes, stretch your arms up and a back over your head, press all ten finder nails onto the floor and stretch your legs, pointing the toes, stretch one side then the other.
When you’re ready, roll over onto one side in comfortable fetal position. As yogis we want all beings to be happy and free, including ourselves. May our thoughts, words and actions of our lives contribute to that freedom and happiness for all. Push the floor away and come to seated position.
Now put your alms together at the heart center and take a deep breath in. Let’s say, “Om” together, the sound of the universe in harmony. (Suggested music: Namaste Song by YogaKids)
