Yoga

Austin Kendrick
EDU 255 Colleen Buchanan
Austin Kendrick EDU 255

Objectives

Psychomotor
1. Demonstrates correct technique for basic skills in at least 2 self-selected individual
performance activities. (S1.M24.8, 1A)
2. Demonstrates basic movements used in other stress-reducing activities such as yoga and
tai chi. (S3.M18.8, 1A)

Cognitive
1. Describes and applies mechanical advantage(s) for a variety of movement patterns.
(S2.M12.8, 1B)
2. Employs a variety of appropriate static stretching techniques for all major muscle groups.
(S3.M9.8, 1B)

Affective
1. Identifies and participates in an enjoyable activity that prompts individual self-
expression. (S5.M5.8, 2A)
2. Discusses how enjoyment could be increased in self-selected physical activities.
(S5.M4.8, 2A)

History

The first variations of yoga were developed in Northern India over 5,000 years ago and
practiced by Brahmans. The art of yoga was continuously being refined and it took the idea of
ritual sacrifice and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge,
action and wisdom. The first systematic presentation of yoga was written sometime in the second
century by Patanjali. Patanjali organized his yoga into what he called an “Eight Limbed path.”
This path was the steps to obtaining enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of
yoga and his style still has many influences in modern yoga. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s,
masters of yoga began traveling west attracting a lot of attention and followers. The first school
of Hatha Yoga was opened up in 1924 in India and by 1947 the first studio opened in
Hollywood, California. This sparked an uprising of yoga teaching in the west and across the
world and it is still a popular practice to this day.

Source: Carrico, Mara. “A Beginner's Guide to the History of Yoga.” Yoga Journal, 28 Aug.
2007, https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/the-roots-of-yoga.

Academic Language

Namaste - used in yoga as a greeting to one another to signify respect and gratitude.
Meditation - Using breathing and relaxation to clear the mind and calm down the body
Asana - translates to “seat” and refers to the shape your body makes in any given pose.
Om - a sound often chanted at the beginning and end of class that is broken up into three parts to
signify three stages of life, creation, maintenance and destruction
Yoga - the relationship between the physical practice, meditation, breath and philosophy
Austin Kendrick EDU 255

Ujjayi - most common breathing technique used throughout yoga practices

Savasana - often the final pose in a yoga practice, it involves lying on your back in active rest
Pranayama - means to control your breathing Ujayii is the most common form of this
Drishti - a focused gaze meant to draw awareness, concentration and intent to your yoga practice
Vinyasa - a style of yoga characterized by stringing together different poses into a flowing
sequence

Source: Gray, Kevin. “10 Common Yoga Terms to Know Before Your First Class.” Aaptiv,
Aaptiv, 10 June 2019, https://aaptiv.com/magazine/common-yoga-terms.

Procedure
During a yoga lesson in a physical education class the students will follow the teacher
along as they practice doing a sequence of poses. The teacher will demonstrate each pose and
help students as needed and then they will go through the sequence as a class. For an 8th grade
class the sequence might be around four poses which are laid out below.

1. Downward Dog
- Starting on your hands and knees, press your heels into the ground and lift your
hips in the air so your body is forming an upside down V. It is important to keep your
neck and back straight and knees straight. If this pose is too challenging a slight bend in
the knees will make it easier.

2. Cobra Pose
- From downward dog you will lower your body to the ground having your hands
planted next to your chest and your toes pointed. Push up with your hands raising your
stomach and hips off the ground and look towards the ceiling.

3. High Lunge
- After cobra pose, you will stand up and step into a lunge with the right foot
forward making sure the knee doesn’t pass the front of the foot. You will then lift both
hands high over your head and hold that position.

4. Tree Pose
- From high lunge you will stand up and lift one leg and place your foot either on
your calf or thigh but never directly on the knee joint. If a student can't balance like that
they can place their foot on the ankle with their toes resting on the ground. You will then
lift your arms into any position you want and try and hold your balance.
Austin Kendrick EDU 255

Block Plan Design

Day 1- Introduction- Yoga Day 2

Instant Activity- Toilet Tag Instant Activity- Child’s Pose

Fitness Activity – Full Body Stretching Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching
Lesson Focus- Breathing and Child’s Pose Lesson Focus- Forward Bend and Corpse
Activity Close- Students will be Pose
completing a pre-assessment to see where Activity Close- Students will correctly
they are at with yoga as well as perform both poses
demonstrating proper breathing and the Lesson Close – Next class we will work on
child’s pose the table pose and cat and cow stretch.
Lesson Close – Next class we will work on
the forward bend and corpse pose
Day 3 Day 4- Intermediate skills

Instant Activity- Forward Bend and Instant Activity- Cat and Cow Stretch
Corpse Pose Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching
Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching Lesson Focus- Plank Pose and Cobra Pose
Lesson Focus- Table Pose and Cat and Activity Close- Students will correctly
Cow stretch perform the plank pose and cobra pose
Activity Close- Students will correctly Lesson Close- Next class we will work on
perform table pose and do the cat and cow the upward and downward facing dog pose.
stretch
Lesson Close- Next class we will work on
plank pose and cobra pose
Day 5 Day 6

Instant Activity- Plank and Cobra Pose Instant Activity- Upward and Downward
Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching
Lesson Focus- Upward and Downward Facing Dog
Facing Dog Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching
Activity Close- Students will perform both Lesson Focus- Warrior 1 and Warrior 2
Poses
poses correctly
Activity Close- Students will perform both
Lesson Close- Next class we will work on
poses correctly
warrior 1 and warrior 2 poses
Lesson Close- Next class we will work on
chair pose and warrior 3 pose
Austin Kendrick EDU 255

Day 7 Day 8- Advanced Skills

Instant Activity- Warrior 1 and 2 Instant Activity- Warrior 3 and Chair Pose
Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching
Lesson Focus- Warrior 3 and Chair Pose Lesson Focus- Gate Pose and Triangle
Activity Close- Students will correctly Pose
perform both poses Activity Close- Students will correctly
Lesson Close- Next class we will work on perform both poses
gate pose and triangle pose Lesson Close- Next class we will work on
dancer pose and upward abdominal lock
Day 9 Day 10- Routines with Partners/Small
Groups
Instant Activity- Gate and Triangle Pose Instant Activity- Dancer Pose and Upward
Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching Abdominal Lock
Lesson Focus- Dancer Pose and Upward Fitness Activity- Full Body Stretching
Abdominal Lock Lesson Focus- Crow Pose
Activity Close- Students will correctly Activity Close- Students will correctly
perform both poses perform the crow pose
Lesson Close- Next class we will work on Lesson Close- Students will be taking a
crow pose and take a post-test post-assessment

What Students Should Know

Strategies - Yoga is a peaceful activity that doesn’t involve strategies but students should focus
on breathing and remaining calm.

Concepts - The concept of yoga is to connect the mind, body and spirit. People who partake in
this activity should feel more calm, relaxed and have reduced stressed.

Skills - yoga doesn’t require much skill aside from being flexible which is something that gets
improved through the use of yoga. Focusing on breathing is important because that’s what will
slow your heart rate down and make you feel more relaxed. Another thing important to yoga is
focus. You want to make sure you are focusing on only your poses and breathing and not other
things that may be going on in your life.

End of Unit Performance Task

At the end of the unit the students will be able to design their own short yoga sequence as well as
perform it without teacher help and with proper form. The student should exhibit correct
technique as well as a fluid transition between poses and controlled breathing throughout the
routine.
Austin Kendrick EDU 255

Assessment

1. What is the most common breathing practice used?

2. Yoga is the union of what?
3. In Downward dog, your neck and back should be what?
4. What’s one main skill you should focus on throughout yoga?
5. Where was yoga first developed?
6. True/False, your arms can be in any position during tree pose
7. Namaste is a term used to signify what?
8. What shape should your body make in Downward dog?
9. This uses breathing and relaxation to clear the mind and calm down the body.
10. What is a focused gaze meant to draw awareness, concentration and intent to your yoga
practice?

Answer Key
1. Ujjayi
2. Mind, body, spirit
3. Straight
4. Breathing
5. India
6. True
7. Gratitude and respect
8. Upside Down V
9. Meditation
10. Drishti
Austin Kendrick EDU 255

Reference Page
Carrico, Mara. “A Beginner's Guide to the History of Yoga.” Yoga Journal, 28 Aug. 2007,
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/the-roots-of-yoga.

Couturier, L., Chepko, S., & Holt/Hale, S. (2014). National standards & grade-level outcomes
for K-12 physical education. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Fronske, Hilda A, and Edward M Heath. Sixth ed., Pearson Education, 2015.

Gray, Kevin. “10 Common Yoga Terms to Know Before Your First Class.” Aaptiv, Aaptiv, 10
June 2019, https://aaptiv.com/magazine/common-yoga-terms.

Miller, Olivia H. The Yoga Deck: 50 Poses and Meditations for Body, Mind, and Spirit.
Chronicle Books LLC, 2010.