Materials
- One yoga mat per student.
- Enough floor space that students can spread out.
Setup
- 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 by sitting comfortably on your mat.
Now gently bend your knees and put the bottoms of your feet together.
Wonderful.
Sit up a little straighter. Do you feel taller when you sit like this? Check and see.
Now gently relax your knees down toward the floor.
Wonderful.
Slide your right hand between your legs and then underneath your right calf, placing your right palm flat on the mat.
Do the same with your left hand. Slide it between your legs and underneath your left calf, placing your left palm flat on the mat.
Take a deep breath in, lean back slightly, and hold your arms steady as you lift both your legs and hands off the mat.
As you breathe out, press down through your bottom to help you find your balance.
Wonderful! This is flower pose.
Let’s hold this pose for two breaths.
As you breathe in, lift your arms just a little bit higher.
As you breathe out, press down more firmly into the mat.
As you breathe in, lift your chest toward the sky, noticing whether it feels any different when you do so.
As you breathe out, imagine any discomfort you feel leaving your body.
Now gently lower down toward the mat.
Slowly sit up straight.
And gently bring your hands to your lap.
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 explicit reference to breath 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.
Younger students may enjoy imagining themselves as flowers in this pose. Here is a sample guided script with breathing cues:
As you breathe in, imagine that your body is a little flower balancing at the top of its stem.
How many petals do you have?
As you breathe out, press down more firmly into the mat.
As you breathe in, lift your palms and your chest to open up your flower and soak in the sunshine.
As you breathe out, gently lower your hands and legs and return to a comfortable seated position.
Authors: Megan Downey and Anna Basile
Adapted from: Compassionate Schools Project
