Items needed: music play list, yoga mat(s) if you have them, eye pillow(s) if you have them, My Daddy Is a Pretzel by Byron Baptiste, sensory bins and medium for bins (i.e. Kidfetti plastic beads, colored rice, water, dried beans) and toys to use in each bin, blankets or tarps to put under bins to help protect the floor.

Lesson Plan: Intro to YoGalore

Rules of the class: Use listening ears. Respect each other. Don’t interrupt when someone else is talking. Have fun!

What is yoga?
Many of you may know about yoga because you have parents or older siblings who may practice yoga. Yoga has been around for thousands of years, it began in India. Yoga combines movement and breathing.

Why do we use yoga?
We use yoga because it helps to keep our bodies strong and healthy. Yoga helps us focus, relax and even can affect our body directly by lowering heart rate and blood pressure. We can also use yoga to calm our bodies when we’re feeling like we need to slow down.

Mood Music: You can choose any music you would like. I use a variety for this particular lesson plan. I start out with something calm and soothing (like Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles, Stardust by Nat King Cole, Take Five by Dave Brubeck), then when we pick up our movement a little, music with a little “pep” if you like (Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, Change the World by Eric Clapton are a few faves of mine). I play a wide variety through the rest of class until its time for Rest & Relax and then I like some classical music or Enya to help the children relax.

Beginning Breaths: These are included in the yoga pose cards below.

Moving  & Grooving: I usually do yoga poses that are in the story before I read the story. The children like saying, “Hey! We did that pose!!!!” Click below the graphic to download the yoga pose cards. You can use them on any digital device or you can print them out (make sure you adjust your printer settings to print more than one card per page).

Want these yoga pose cards—and more free printables? Visit the Yogalore Freebie Hub to find the My Daddy Is a Pretzel cards and browse all the other freebies for home and classroom.

Terrific Tales: My Daddy is a Pretzel by Byron Baptiste
You can have the students demonstrate each pose as you read the story. This is usually easier in smaller groups.

Creative Sensory Exploration: Sensory bins
Set up the bins in different locations around the room, break children up into groups so that no more than three or four students are at each bin or sensory station/activity. Allow children to play about five minutes at each station. If they are older, they can probably do more than five minutes.

Rest & Relax (savasana): Savasana means “corpse pose” and it’s a time to allow our minds and bodies rest. You can use an eye pillow if you want over your eyes while you are resting. Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing upward and eyes closed. Listen to the music and try to relax.

You can read a guided visualization if you choose to, or even a short story if the children are very young. You may only be able to do this for a minute or two starting off if they find it difficult to be still, but the goal is to eventually get to at least 4 to 5 minutes, possibly longer depending on the age of the children.

“Namaste” (end of lesson)

For more FREE printable yoga cards, see our wake-up yoga sequence.