Teaching Yoga

1. Teaching Yoga Physical education High School Course 1

2. CA Content Standards Combine and apply movement patterns, simple to complex, in individual activities. Identify, explain, and apply the skill-related component of balance in individual activities. Analyze and evaluate feedback from proprioception, from others, and from the performance of complex movement activities to improve performance in individual activities. Accept personal responsibility to create and maintain a physically and emotionally safe and non-threatening environment for physical activity. Identify and evaluate personal psychological responses to physical activity. Develop one’s proprioception skills by learning simple and complex yoga poses. Recognize the role of cooperation and positive interaction with others when participating in physical activity.

3. What is Yoga? Hatha Yoga means “physical yoga” and increases strength, flexibility, health and vitality. Vinyasa means “breath-synchronized movement.” During a Vinyasa, a person moves from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. Using this technique is also sometimes called a Vinyasa Flow, because the poses run smoothly together, becoming like a dance. Hatha + Vinyasa is a delicate balance of stillness and flowing movements.

4. Built around sun and moon salutations, Hatha + Vinyasa strengthens the body from the inside out. Careful attention is given to body alignment and primary openings of the hips, spine and shoulders. Breathing is the key to a successful workout. Conscious breathing is inhale and exhale slowly and deeply through the nose or mouth

5. Physical Benefits of Yoga Flexibility: Stretching one’s body in new ways will help it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Over time, students can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips. Strength: Many yoga poses require students to support the weight of his/her own body in new ways, including balancing or supporting yourself with your arms. Some exercises require students to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength. Muscle tone: As a result of getting stronger, students could expect to see increased muscle toning. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles. Pain Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Yoga also improves body alignment, which can prevent other types of pain. Better Breathing: Most people breathe very shallowly into the lungs. Conscious breathing requires students to give thought as to how they breathe. Yoga breathing exercises focus student attention on the breath and teach them how to better use their lungs. Conscious breathing benefits the entire body and can also help clear the nasal passages and even calm the central nervous system, having both physical and mental benefits.

6. Mental Benefits of Yoga Mental Calmness: Yoga poses are intensely physical. Concentrating intently on what the body is doing brings a calmness to the mind. In addition, yoga introduces students to basic meditation techniques, such as watching how one breathes and disengagement from one’s thoughts, which help calm the mind. Stress Reduction: Yoga is a physical activity that is good for relieving stress and providing students a break from stressors. As yoga places an emphasis on being present in the moment, it can help students relieve stress. Students will leave feeling less stressed than when they started. Body Awareness: Yoga offers an increased awareness of one’s own body. Students will be called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve his/her alignment. Over time, this will increase the student’s level of comfort in his/her own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence. Yoga & Proprioception: Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense where it is relative to other objects, which is vital for stability and balance. Balance plays an important role in our lives. Yoga routines which include balance poses ultimately challenge the proprioception system in our bodies. Because of this challenge on the body, improvements in proprioception can be made.

7. Teaching Strategies Grouping/Partners: • Students need to feel comfortable within the yoga learning environment, especially during times of peer evaluation (feedback). Thus it is key to allow students to pick his/her own partner. In addition, if possible, allow students to choose his/her own space to participate in the yoga practice. EL learners: • Demonstrations or modeling of all yoga poses is important in assisting all EL learners. Also, it should be considered to pair EL students with a home language support during the think-pair-share activities.

8. Student Journals • Having students keep a yoga journal allows them to see progress in his/her learning of content knowledge throughout the unit. It also provides a simple way for student work to be collected and evaluated. • If students do not have access to journals, a simple journal making activity can take place at the start of the instructional unit. Students can make “Slit Books” (view the link for easy instructions http://www.vickiblackwell.com/makingbooks/slitbook.htm)

9. Student Journal Assessment Tools KWL Benefits of yoga on the body(critical thinking map) Activities that use proprioception skills (critical thinking map) Yoga feedback forms (peer assessments) Think-pair-share responses Final written assessment

10. KWL Charts The KWL Chart can be used to start students thinking about what they KNOW about a topic, what they WANT TO KNOW about that topic, and what they have LEARNED at the end of the unit. A KWL Chart can be used as an assessment for learning because a teacher can quickly tell what students already know and understand about a topic.

11. Circle Maps for Critical Thinking The Circle Map is used for brainstorming ideas and for showing prior knowledge about a topic by providing context information

13. Peer Assessments with 100% Feedback Frequent feedback helps guide the students to a correct response during practice.

15. Think-pair-share critical thinking questions (with answers): Who may want to try yoga? • Yoga works for everyone, regardless of one’s history, health, age, or fitness level. What can I expect if I do yoga? • Better health and a calmer mind. I’m not flexible, can I do yoga? • Yes! People think that they need to be flexible to begin yoga, but actually yoga practice will help you become more flexible. How is yoga different from stretching? • Unlike stretching for fitness, yoga connects the body and the mind to the rhythm of our breath. Doing this direct one’s attention inward and helps us become more aware become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment thus making yoga a practice, not a task or goal. Think-Pair-Share Questions

16. Final Written Assessment

17. Individual Yoga Poses With teaching cues

18. Mountain Pose • Feet together at edge of mat • Feet firmly planted into the floor • Strong straight legs • Tall spine • Open the chest and bring the hands and palms forward Transition: Bring arms above the head touching the palms together, stretch the waist

19. Swan Dive • Dive out with a flat back • Bend in the hips bringing the arms out to the side and down • Bring the hands either to the shins or to the floor in a forward bend Transition: Bend knees deeply, grounding the hands at the front of the mat. Bring the right foot to the back end of the mat then bring your foot to it.

20. High Plank • Arms are extended straight pressing through heels of the hands • Back is straight and off the floor • Legs are straight and off the floor Transition: Lower into low plank

21. Low Plank • Slowly bring the elbows into the ribs • Back is in a straight line position off floor • Legs are straight and off the floor • Easy Modification: You can bring your knees down Transition: Roll over the toes and push forward and up, opening the chest reaching the shoulders back away from the ears.

22. Upward Facing Dog • Thighs strong and off the floor • Low belly, strong and tight • Open chest pushing into the heels of the hands Transition: Lift the hips and roll back over the toes.

23. Downward Facing Dog • Arms shoulder width apart and feet hip distance apart • Elbows aligned with the ears • Heels pressing down • Challenge Modification: Use a straight leg lift - Right leg reaches up and back with square hips Transition: Look forward and bring the right leg forward

24. Runner’s Lunge • Curl the spine • Pivot of the back heel (toe faces out) Transition: Bringing arms overhead pressing up on the front leg

25. Warrior 1 • Front right knee is bent, pushing out over the big toe • Back leg is straight • Shoulders are square, spine is long Transition: Hands down un-tuck the back heel and bring the right leg to the back of the mat.

26. Child’s Pose • Back is rounded • Chin tucked into the chest • Arms extended forward with shoulders relaxed Transition: Bring hands by your sides and slowly stand up one vertebrae at a time. Bring arms out like wings and overhead. Touching palms together lower the hands.

27. Prayer Pose • Palms touching together • Tall spine • Feet together • Strong legs Transition: Extend the arms by your side

28. Vinyasa Sequence Complete routine of yoga poses with teaching cues

29. MOUNTAIN POSE • Feet together at edge of mat • Feet firmly planted into the floor • Strong straight legs • Tall spine • Open the chest and bring the hands and palms forward • Transition: Bring arms above the head touching the palms together, stretch the waist SWAN DIVE • Dive out with a flat back • Bend in the hips bringing the arms out to the side and down • Bring the hands either to the shins or to the floor in a forward bend • Transition: Bend knees deeply, grounding the hands at the front of the mat. Bring the right foot to the back end of the mat then bring your foot to it. HIGH PLANK • Arms are extended straight pressing through heels of the hands • Back is straight and off the floor • Legs are straight and off the floor • Transition: Lower into low plank LOW PLANK • Slowly bring the elbows into the ribs • Back is in a straight line position off floor • Legs are straight and off the floor • Easy Modification: You can bring your knees down • Transition: Roll over the toes and push forward and up, opening the chest reaching the shoulders back away from the ears. UPWARD FACING DOG • Thighs strong and off the floor • Low belly, strong and tight • Open chest pushing into the heels of the hands • Transition: Lift the hips and roll back over the toes. DOWNWARD FACING DOG • Arms shoulder width apart and feet hip distance apart • Elbows aligned with the ears • Heels pressing down • Challenge Modification: Use a straight leg lift - Right leg reaches up and back with square hips • Transition: Look forward and bring the right leg forward RUNNERS LUNGE (right leg forward) • Curl the spine • Pivot of the back heel (toe faces out) • Transition: Bringing arms overhead pressing up on the front leg WARRIOR 1 (right leg forward) • Front right knee is bent, pushing out over the big toe • Back leg is straight • Shoulders are square, spine is long • Transition: Hands down un-tuck the back heel and bring the right leg to the back of the mat.

30. HIGH PLANK Transition: Slowly bring the elbows into the ribs LOW PLANK Transition: Roll over the toes. Push forward and up. UPWARD FACING DOG Transition: Roll back over the toes and lift the hips DOWNWARD FACING DOG Challenge Modification: Use a straight leg lift - Left leg reaches up and back, square hips Transition: Look forward, bring the left leg forward RUNNERS LUNGE (left leg forward) Transition: Bring arms overhead pressing up on the front leg. WARRIOR 1 (left leg forward) Transition: Hands down un-tuck the back heel and bring the left leg to the back of the mat HIGH PLANK Transition: Slowly bring the elbows into the ribs LOW PLANK • Transition: Roll over the toes. Push forward and up. UPWARD FACING DOG • Transition: Roll back over the toes and lift the hips DOWNWARD FACING DOG • Transition: Bend the knees to the ground. CHILD’S POSE • Back is rounded • Chin tucked into the chest • Arms extended forward with shoulders relaxed • Transition: Bring hands by your sides and slowly stand up one vertebrae at a time. Bring arms out like wings and overhead. Touching palms together lower the hands. PRAYER POSE • Palms touching together • Tall spine • Feet together • Strong legs • Transition: Extend the arms by your side MOUNTAIN POSE