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Surfer: Mindful Movement (Yoga) Practices K-5

Surfer

A K-5 Mindful Movement Practice

Subject

Type of Practice: Yoga

Recommended Grade Levels: K-5

Contexts

Social Context: Individual

Duration of Practice: 4 minutes

Preparations and Resources

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. 
Script

Begin by standing comfortably on your mat. 

As you breathe in, bring your arms out to your sides in a T-shape as you jump or step your feet apart like you’re doing a jumping jack. 

Take a look at your toes. Are they facing straight in front of you? If not, move them so that they are. 

Check in with your body. Are your feet so wide apart that it is uncomfortable? If so, bring your feet in a little bit. 

Are you able to move your feet out without losing your ability to push down evenly through both of them? If so, move your feet out just a little bit. 

Wonderful.

Now turn your right foot toward the short edge of the mat. 

Take a look at your feet. Is the heel of your front foot in line with the arch of your back foot? If not, move it so that it is. 

As you breathe in, press down into the mat through your feet. 

As you breathe out, bend your right knee over your ankle. Gently turn your head to look out over right fingertips. 

Pause here and check out your front knee. Does it move out over your toes? If so, move your left foot back a little so that it doesn’t. 

This is surfer pose. Let’s hold this pose for three breaths. 

As you breathe in, focus your attention forward, like a surfer watching where the wave will take you.

As you breathe out, press your feet down firmly, keeping your legs strong and engaged as you surf the wave.

As you breathe in, straighten your back, making sure that you’re not leaning forward over your right knee. 

As you breathe out, tighten your stomach muscles, keeping your back strong and tall.

As you breathe in, reach your arms out even wider – imagine stretching them the length of your surfboard!

As you breathe out, lower your hips down toward the mat, deepening the lunge.

Take one more breath in here, looking over the ocean. 

As you breathe out, turn both of your feet to face forward and then jump or step back to mountain pose. 

Let’s repeat this pose on the other side. 

Take a deep breath in, and as you do, bring your arms out to your sides in a T-shape as you jump or step your feet apart. 

Take a look at your toes. Are they facing straight in front of you? If not, move them so that they are. 

Check in with your body. Are your feet so wide apart that it is uncomfortable? If so, bring your feet in a little bit. 

Are you able to move your feet out without losing your ability to push down evenly through both of them? If so, move your feet out just a little bit. 

Wonderful.

Now turn your left foot toward the short edge of the mat. 

Take a look at your feet. Is the heel of your front foot in line with the arch of your back foot? If not, move it so that it is. 

As you breathe in, press down into the mat through your feet. 

As you breathe out, bend your left knee over your ankle. Gently turn your head to look out over left fingertips. 

Pause here and check out your front knee. Does it move out over your toes? If so, move your left foot back a little so that it doesn’t. 

Wonderful! We’re surfing. Let’s hold this pose for three breaths. 

As you breathe in, focus your attention forward, watching where the wave will take you.

As you breathe out, press your feet down firmly, keeping your legs strong and engaged as you surf the wave.

As you breathe in, straighten your back, making sure that you’re not leaning forward over your right knee. 

As you breathe out, tighten your stomach muscles, keeping your back strong and tall.

As you breathe in, reach your arms out even wider – imagine stretching them the length of your surfboard!

As you breathe out, lower your hips down toward the mat, deepening the lunge.

Take one more breath in here, looking over the ocean. 

As you breathe out, turn both of your feet to face forward and then jump or step back to mountain pose. 

Tips

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.” 

You can also move into this pose from dog. To do so, invite students to step one foot up between their hands, and then lift up from their hips as they cartwheel their hands out to their sides. 

Alternatively, you could enter this pose from superhero. To do so, invite students to place the foot that is lifted in the air near the back of the mat as they cartwheel their hands out to their sides. Then cue them to bend their front knee and sink down into a lunge position. 

Authorship and Provenance

Authors: Megan Downey and Anna Basile

Adapted from: Compassionate Schools Project

Associated graphic

Surfer: Mindful Movement (Yoga) Practices K-5
Collection Practices: K-12
Visibility Public - accessible to all site users (default)
Author Megan Downey, Anna Basile
Year published 2019
UID mandala-texts-61741
DOI