Physio-Logics is bringing our programming online! Look for Tammy’s mindfulness practices and mindful movement activities each Monday. Use as a full lesson plan or break up throughout the day. Enjoy! Have fun connecting, being silly and capturing mindful moments!
Snake Breath in Child’s Pose
Come to child’s pose with your knees on the floor, let your hips lower towards your heels, and let you belly drop down between your knees. Take a big breath in, and as you breathe out slow, make a hissing sound just like a snake for as long as you can. Repeat this 3-5 times. When you are finished, rise up and come to all fours like a table.
Social Emotional Learning: Snake Breathing is highly calming. A great RESET – It promotes self-regulation
Cow/Cat
From your tabletop, make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders, and your knees are directly under your hips. Inhale and lower your belly toward the floor, lift your chest and chin upward. This is Cow pose.
Now, as you exhale, round your back upward toward the sky and push your hands into the floor. This is Cat pose. Go back and forth between these two poses, and let your breath guide you into the next pose.
You can also add sounds to these poses. Say “moo” for cow, and “meow” for cat. After you have done this a few times, sit back into your child’s pose, and take 3 slow breaths in and out. Rise up to your feet.
Breath of Joy Warm Up
Come to stand with your feet a little wider apart. Swing your arms up over your head as you inhale, swing your arms down to your sides as you exhale, inhale swing your arms back up over your head.
Now, bend your knees and as you exhale let your arms swing down between your legs. Repeat this 4 part pattern: inhale swing arms up, exhale swing arms down to your sides, inhale swing arms back up, and exhale swing arms down between your legs.
Once you get the hang of it, try to go a little faster. This might make you laugh because it feels silly, so go ahead and laugh! After you have done this 4-5 times, start to slow it way down, and stop in a standing position (Mountain Pose). Close your eyes. With your hands at your side, let your shoulders relax. Take a few moments to settle your breath.
Monkey pose
From Mountain pose, exhale and start to bend forward, bend your knees a little, and bring your hands to your shins, below your knees, and let you head lower towards the floor. Look inside towards your belly.
On your inhale straighten your legs a little, and reach the top of your head forward. As you exhale, bend the knees again and look inside. This time as you inhale come back to stand in Mountain pose. Do this a few times, and add a monkey sound when you bend and fold toward the floor.
Grow into a Tree
Come back down to child’s pose, and pretend that you are a tiny seed that is planted in dirt. Make yourself really small into a little ball. Imagine that you can feel the warm sun shining down on you, and you start to lift your head away from the ground towards the sun.
Slowly, you begin to grow into a small plant. Come to stand on your knees, and lift your arms up toward the warm sun. Imagine that the wind starts to blow as you move side to side, or it begins to rain and your leaves (arms) get heavy and start to drop towards the ground.
The sun begins to shine again and you start to grow bigger. Slowly let your plant grow taller as you come to standing on your feet. Still growing, start to become a tall tree. Start to balance on one foot, as you bring the other foot to press into the ankle, calf, or thigh of your standing leg. If it is hard to balance keep your hands on your hips or pressing together (prayer hands) in front of your heart.
To challenge your balance, lift your arms up overhead. Keep your eyes focused on a single point that is not moving, and try to hold this tree pose for a few breaths. Now try it on the other side. You can also start all over again as a tiny seed, and complete the whole growing cycle, all the way up to tree on the opposite leg.
Big Table (Partner Pose)
Stand in Mountain Pose facing your partner. Link your arms just above your partners elbow and start to fold forward, taking small steps away from each other as you do. As your heads come together, slide your hands to reach for your partner’s shoulders.
Inhale and make your back long, straighten your legs a little more to feel the stretch. On your exhale, hold the pose, relax the shoulders, and let the chest sink towards the floor. Stay for two breaths and then release arms, bend your knees, and inhale come back to Mountain Pose.
Be gentle while holding onto your partner. Don’t hold on too tightly. Work together so you both feel a stretch in the back of your legs, and throughout your back and shoulders.
Butterfly
Come down to sitting, and bring the soles of your feet to touch. Open your knees so they start to lower toward the floor. Sit up nice and tall as you inhale, and start to fold forward a little bit as you exhale. Your hands can hold onto your ankles, or stay on the floor.
If this is difficult for you, try it sitting on a folded towel or a blanket. Take two breaths in your butterfly and then bring your hands to the outside of your knees, and help them as they close like a book. Bring your arms around your legs, and give yourself a big hug.
Making pizza
Remain seated and now let your legs be straight. Open your legs wide like you are making the letter V with your legs. Imagine that your legs are a slice of pizza. Decide what kinds of things you like on your pizza. Starting with the sauce, begin to fold forward to spread the sauce all over your pizza slice.
Sit back up tall and grab your next ingredient. Spread your toppings on your pizza slice one at a time. Once your slice is ready to be cooked, fold your body over your pizza slice as if you were placing it in an oven. Stay folded for a few breaths, and then come back to a tall seat. Go ahead and enjoy your creation, gobble it all up!
Seated Twist (can also be done with a partner)
Come back to a seat once again. Sit nice and tall, and stretch your right hand towards your left knee. Inhale, and lift your heart as your drop your shoulders away from your ears. Exhale and come back to center facing forward again. Repeat on the opposite side, stretching your left hand towards your right knee. Come back to center on your exhale.
If you want to practice this pose with a partner. Sit back to back with them, pressing your back into theirs, as they press into yours. Twist in opposite directions, as you bring your hand to their knee. Talk to your partner, and twist to the other side when you both are ready.
Be a Rainbow
Stay seated, or lie back onto the floor with your belly facing the sky. Relax and close your eyes. Take a big breath in, open your mouth big, and exhale. Bring a smile to your face, and imagine that you are walking down a beautiful path. It has just stopped raining and you look up to see a rainbow.
Look at all of the colors! Find the red and know that you are strong and safe. See the orange and know that you are happy and playful. See the color yellow, and feel proud and confident. See the green, and remember that you are kind and caring. Find the blue and know you are smart and creative. Lastly, see the purple color and remember that you are a good friend, son or daughter, brother or sister.
Namaste
To finish your practice, sit together facing each other, bring your palms together and place them near your heart. Say the words “Namaste” (na-ma-stay) to each other. This word means that all of the light and good things that are inside of me, see the light and good in you as well.