Three Legged Dog
A K-5 Mindful Movement Practice
Materials:
- One yoga mat per student.
- Enough floor space that students can spread out.
Set Up:
- Arrange the yoga mats, ensuring that students have enough space to move without bumping into one another.
- If you have enough space, consider arranging the yoga mats in a circle so that you can see each student from your own mat.
Begin on your hands and knees on your mat.
Take a deep breath in, and as you breathe in, lift your feet up and put your toes on the mat with your heels facing away from you.
As you breathe out, lift your hips up high so that you make an upside-down “V” with your body.
Wonderful!
As you breathe in, lift your right foot up into the air, without twisting your hip. Excellent.
Now your dog has a tail! Let’s wiggle our tails a little bit.
We’re going to stay in this pose for two breaths.
As you breathe in, lift your hips just a little higher.
As you breathe out, press down into the mat through your hands and feet.
As you breathe in, notice where in your body you feel a stretch.
As you breathe out, gently bring your right foot down to the mat.
Wonderful! Let’s repeat that on the other side.
As you breathe in, lift your left foot up into the air, without twisting your hip. Wonderful.
Pause here for two breaths.
As you breathe in, lift your hips just a little higher.
As you breathe out, press down into the mat through your hands and feet.
As you breathe in, notice where in your body you feel a stretch.
As you breathe out, gently bring your left foot down to the mat.
Great job! Now gently bend your knees and lower your hips to return to your hands and knees.
You do not need to read the included script verbatim. Adapt the language so that it is appropriate for your students in particular.
It is perfectly appropriate to simplify the breathing cues, particularly when you first introduce the pose to your students. You might invite students to simply count several breaths in the pose, or you might opt to omit them altogether.
It is not important for students to get the pose “exactly right.” Instead, focus on helping them build mind-body awareness each time you practice.
Offer students positive reinforcements throughout each practice. Focus on qualities and behaviors they can control, like their focus, effort, or persistence. Be specific whenever possible. This will help your students develop a “growth mindset.”
