Category: Duration

Quick Posture Check

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Description

Ask youth to stand up and clasp their own hands together. Then ask them to take a deep breath in, turn their palms out and breathe out as they stretch their arms away and in front of their bodies. Encourage them to stretch their shoulder blades apart while bringing their chins down to their chests. When they are ready to breathe in again, ask them to move their shoulders up, then roll them back and down, as they release their hands and bring them down to their sides. Continue breathing. Finish by asking them to raise their heads to look up at you and slightly tuck their chins in (as if their head is a drawer, sliding into a dresser). Repeat. Important: Make sure youth are maintaining a good posture. To do a posture check, ask youth to stand against a wall. Their heels, hips, shoulders and the back of their heads should all be touching the wall. Ask them to tuck their chins in slightly, hold the position and step away from the wall.

Follow the Leader

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Description 

When youth are in a single-file line (on the way to lunch, gym, music class, etc.), have the leader make a gesture as he or she starts walking (example: raising arms above head and bringing them back down to the side). Make sure each gesture is something that can be done as the youth walk. After the leader finishes the gesture, the next person in line follows by doing the same gesture (the “domino effect”). The next person can do the gesture only after the person ahead has finished. When the leader thinks everyone has had a chance to move, he or she can start the next move; however, the leader can choose how long to wait before starting the next move. A small break between moves can be more fun! The line can also move in an s-shaped pattern.

Yoga For Any Room! Animal Pose: Sea Turtle Relaxation

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Description

Lie on the floor on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides. Or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and hands on your desk or lap.

The palms of your hands are facing up and resting on the floor, desk or lap.

Close your eyes and breathe gently.

Focus on your breath and allow any thoughts or distractions to come to you and just let them go, refocusing on your breath.

Sometimes you might need a word to focus on, or a favorite place to imagine like lying or sitting on a beach. Imagine the warm sand, the hot sun and the cool breeze off the water. Your breath sounds like the waves! As you breathe in, listen! It sounds like the waves coming up to the shore. As you breathe out, imagine the waves going back out to sea. Keep breathing with the waves for another minute or two.

Yoga For Any Room! Animal Pose: Relaxed Monkey Pose

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Description

Kneel on the floor on your knees, and then sit back on your heels. If you are sitting in a chair, keep your feet flat on the floor.
Lean forward and stretch your arms forward to the ground. Continue stretching as far as you can. Can you touch your forehead to the floor? If you are sitting on a chair, just reach down to the floor as far as you can.
Stretch your arms out as far as they will go, allow your body to relax.
Take in big monkey breaths, feel your chest rise with each breath in and your chest relax toward the floor with each breath out, breathe in and out at your own pace. Relax for a minute.

Star Burst

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Description

Students start in a squatting position, knees directly over ankles. On command, they jump up reaching both hands high into the air and slightly outward.  At the same time their legs should come off the ground and then land in a jumping jack position. The burst of energy makes the body look like a rocket or star bursting in the sky.  Have them return to squatting position, rest for 5 seconds and burst upward again.

Yoga For Any Room! Space Pose: Moon Walk

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Description

Sit in your chair or lie down on the floor on your back.

Begin to walk in the air. Keep your right leg straight and lift it up as you lift your left arm.

Breathe in as you lift. Breathe out as your arm and leg go down.

Then breathe in again and lift your left leg and right arm together.

Breathe out as your arm and leg go down.

Keep going. Lift your leg and stretch your arm straight up toward the sky.

Moon Walk balances the two sides of your brain and helps you think better.

Yoga For Any Room! Space Pose: Shooting Star

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Description

Sit on the floor with your feet in front of you and your hands behind you on the floor.

Breathe in and push yourself up into a kind of backwards push-up.

Make yourself into a perfectly straight line, like a shooting star, by pushing your stomach up and point your toes away from you.

Hold this pose for a count of 10, 20 or 30. Can you go for 50?

Shooting Star makes your arms, legs and stomach muscles strong.

You can also do this pose while sitting in a chair. Hold the edges of the chair and push up like the description above.

Yoga For Any Room! Space Pose: Space Float

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Description

Sit on the floor with your legs crossed or in a chair with feet flat on the floor.

Take hold of your outside ankle. If you are sitting on a chair, hold onto the edges of the chair by the outside of your legs, above the knees.

Breathe in deeply as you stretch your body forward, chest and stomach out.

Breathe out as you slump back, spine is curved, chest is caved in.

Keep moving this way and get faster and faster.

Space float gives you a flexible spine. It keeps your back muscles relaxed and strong. It also helps you digest your food.