Ashtanga Flow
I am still really enjoying each class, I actually really look forward to them and have always been able to make time for a class so far. I’m curious to see if I am improving or what changes are happening and if I’ll be able to feel those changes.
This week, at the beginning of class the instructor noted how there were a lot of new faces in her class, so she said she was going to include a lot more cuing and maybe slow the practice down and focus on form. I found it helpful to go back to the basics and hear her describe what the poses should feel like in addition to watching her demonstrations. This made me think about how it never hurts to review the basics even with students who seem to be thriving. It can help solidify their understanding – as long as it’s not every time and they are still being challenged in other ways.
Another thing she mentioned a few times was how yoga poses rarely fall perfectly. They take practice and adjusting and sometimes you fall out of them. I like that for yoga but also the general sentiment for a classroom setting – you won’t always figure something out right away, maybe you think you’ve got it and you’ll stumble and have to try again – and it’s all completely normal and it’s okay to try without being perfect.
Other Ideas
I really like the yoga cards, they’re fun little movement breaks, and usually when you use them it’s on gym mats which kids love, and they like when it’s a challenge or when you add challenges like time how long they can hold it or even compete with them. I thought it could be fun, if you have a group of kids that really like the yoga cards, they could make their own yoga card to add to the yoga pose deck. Maybe take them for a walk and they could mimic something in nature or even something from the playground and then they can draw it or we can take photos and then they can name them too. Could also use them like charades, have a kid do one of the poses and then the rest have to guess what the pose is. Make it fun and silly and see what they come up with.
Resources
This first website (openphysed.com) has really cool actual lesson plans that incorporate yoga – both poses and breathing – into PE. You have to make an account but it’s free and even supplies yoga pose cards for kids and other activities as pdfs.
The second website (playsport.net) had some cool options as well but it was more skills that would help to develop yoga practices, like balance and different types of movement.
