Yoga

COURSE TITLE: Yoga Instructor: Jean Woodward

Email: jwoodward@ursulinestl.org Phone: 314.984.2833

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to introduce students, safely and accessibly, to the basic postures, breathing techniques, and relaxation methods of yoga. Students will begin to experience the benefits of stretching, moving, and breathing freely as they relieve built up stress, learn to relax, and ultimately get more out of day-to-day life. The aim of this course is to promote vibrant health and to tap the body’s latent energy reserves.

GOALS: (Student needs the course is intended to meet)

Student needs to:

• Acquire the basic skills of a yoga practice

• Develop an understanding of yoga etiquette and terminology

• Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness

• Develop skills, knowledge, and interest to independently maintain a regular yoga practice

• Develop an understanding of individual differences and acquire a non-competitive, positive self image in regard to their own body and yoga practice

• Experience immediate and long term benefits of yoga practice

CONTENT STANDARDS:

Students will:

• Demonstrate understanding and competency in using controlled movement to begin, maintain, and end the yoga asanas.

• Use body awareness and self-visualization to achieve proper position and alignment in the yoga asanas.

• Demonstrate acceptance and understanding of the etiquette of group yoga practice.

• Identify specific yoga asanas they can practice for a lifetime.

• Create and implement an individualized yoga practice and continue to modify it in order to ensure personal benefit.

• Monitor and modify their independent yoga practice to ensure maximum physical and mental benefit.

• Select asanas and practice them during leisure time.

• After sampling and practicing a wide variety of yoga asanas, develop an understanding of which particular ones are best suited to their own physical development and well-being.

• Develop an appreciation of their individual strengths and limitations in relation to their yoga practice.

• Become increasingly aware of the benefit they are receiving from yoga practice

• Develop an appreciation for the importance of commitment and dedication to their yoga practice.

• Develop an awareness of the beauty and harmony of their yoga practice.

• Cultivate respect and appreciation of other students’ practice by honoring the community environment of the yoga session.

• Cultivate respect and appreciation for the achievements and limitations of others.

• Discuss and consider the history of yoga and its influence in today’s culture of physical fitness.

OUTLINE OF CONTENT AND TIME ALLOTMENT:

Course Preparation and Policies - 1 week

Brief history and philosophy of yoga, explanation of curriculum, expectations, and grading Rules and procedures, dress requirements, and procedures.

Basics of Yoga Practice - 8 weeks

Breathing: Importance, philosophy, physiology

Yoga Three Part Breath Instruction and daily practice

Relaxation: Importance, philosophy, physiology

Deep relaxation practice (Savasana)

Notebooks: Record all poses learned and instructions

Beginning Yoga Poses: Instruction and guided practice in 10-15 elementary yoga postures, possibly including the following:

Shoulder shrugs and neck exercises, Chest Expansion (Uttanasana), Back Stretch (Pascimottanasana), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana), Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana), Mountain Pose (Tadasana), Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Child’s Pose (Darnikasana), Simple Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana), Cat Stretch Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana), One Leg Seated Forward Bend (Janu Sirasana), Down Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Extended Foot Pose (Padottanasana)

Intermediate yoga practice - 7 weeks

Breathing: Instruction and practice of Alternate Nostril Breath (Aruloma Viloma) and possibly Pumping Breath (Kapalabhati)

Intermediate Yoga Poses: Instruction and guided practice in 8-10 intermediate yoga postures possibly including the following:

Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar), Half Locust/Locust Pose (Salabhasana), Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana), Plough Pose (Halasana), Fish Pose (Matsyanasana), Extended Side Angle Pose (Uhitta Parsvakonasana), Lying Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana), Straddle/Wide Leg Seated Forward Bend (Upavista Konasana), Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Dancer Pose (Nataranjasana), Eagle Pose (Garudanasana)

Vocabulary: Continued introduction use of Sanskrit terms, why we use Sanskrit terms, individual projects to reinforce Sanskrit terminology

Independent Practice

Importance and benefits

Guidelines for individual practice

Notebooks continued

Semester’s Final Project - 2 weeks

In small groups each student role-plays as both teacher and evaluator

METHODS: A variety of instructional strategies will be used to accommodate all learning styles.

Demonstrations by teacher, student(s), visual aids or experts on video, Lecture Guided Practice and Group Discussion, Modeling Handouts, Notes

Student centered learning to include: Peer coaching, Reciprocal Teaching, Notebooks, Peer evaluation, Peer modeling

Some components may occur once in a lesson, others will recur many times. Checking for understanding occurs continually; input, modeling, guided practice and closure may occur several times. There may even be more than one anticipatory set when more than one content piece is introduced.

Active Participation: Teacher will incorporate the principles of active participation and specific strategies to ensure consistent, simultaneous involvement of the minds of all learners in the classroom. Teacher should include both covert and overt active participation strategies, incorporating cooperative learning structures and brain research. Some of the possible active participation strategies include:

Baldrige Quality Tools

Team Building Activities

Student Survey

MATERIALS USED IN TEACHING THE COURSE:

• Clean, warm room that is quiet and peaceful

• Mats for floor

• Eye covers for relaxation

• Stereo

• Loose clothing

• Notebooks

• Handouts

• Clipboards

General Reference Books for Teachers

Yoga for Beginners; Ansari, Mark and Lark, Liz; New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc., 1998.

The Yoga Handbook; Belling, Noa; New York: Barnes & Noble Books, Inc., 2001

Yoga, 28 Day Exercise Plan; Hittleman, Richard; New York: Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 1969.

101 Essential Tips Yoga; Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre; New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 1995

The Sivananda Companion to Yoga; Sivananda Yoga Center; New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2000.

EVALUATION: Student achievement will be measured using multiple assessment tools including but not limited to:

• Attendance, promptness, dress - attendance is expected, missing zero hour but attending regular period classes will negatively affect student achievement in this course (daily points)

• Participation, cooperation, sincere effort (daily points)

• Demonstration of yoga etiquette and mutual respect (daily points)

• Notebooks

• Small group demonstration (rubric assessed)

• Projects (rubric assessed)

Percent of Grade:

Movement Skills and movement knowledge (skills and knowledge assessments: 25%

Social Skills: Respect, responsibility, observation of yoga etiquette: 25%

Performance to best of individual ability: sincere effort: 25%

Notebooks/Projects/Quizzes: 25%