Lesson Plan For Non-Fit Beginner ( 60 mins)

1. Introduction (5 mins)
– Self Introduction
– Check with student if they have any medical condition or injuries.
– remind the students be aware about their bodies during the asana practice to know if they are experiencing pain or discomfort. At anytime if they need to rest they can stay in balasana ( child pose ).
– Prepare blocks and ropes for students.
2. Pranayama ( 5 mins)
– Stand in hip apart.
– Place hand on abdominal.
– Deep breathing exercises. Fully inhale air to the chest and abdominal count for 4 counts and then exhale for 4 counts. Do it for 5 rounds.
3. Joint Warm Up ( 5 mins)
a / Feet – Alternatively raise the toes and then the heels of both feet .5 x each.
b/Ankles – raise your right foot , rotate clockwise/ anti-clockwise. 5 x each . Do the same for left foot.
c/Leg – swing your right foot forward and backward for 5 x each. Do the same for the left foot.
d/ Hip – Raise your right foot and bend. Slowly move outward to the side for 5x and inward for 5x . Do the same for left leg.
e/ Waist rotation – rotate clockwise/ anti-clockwise x 5 each.
f/ Torso twist – raise arm towards to the ceiling and up stretches to right for 3 x . Do the same for left .
g/ Shoulder roll (roll forward/ roll backward) 5x each
h/ Arms – stretch out your arms side of your body and move your arm in a circle, forwards & backwards each 5x.
i./ Finger – Bring the palms of your hand together and interlacing you finger. Rotate the two hands clockwise / anti clockwise x 5 each.
j/ Neck – Drop you head gently towards your right shoulder and then left shoulder. Do it for 3x.
Be careful: Be gently on this exercise, or you may strain the muscles and vertebrae of the neck.
4. Muscle Warm Up
Cat Cow Pose
– Bend both knees & bring your body down to a table-top position, both palms & knees touching the floor. Your wrists should be directly under your shoulders, and your knees directly under your hips. Point your fingertips to the top of your mat.
– Center your head in a neutral position, straight spine, and soften your gaze downward.
– Inhaling, drop your belly towards the mat. Lift your chin and chest. Gaze up toward the ceiling. Broaden across your shoulder blades and draw your shoulders away from your ears. This is Cow pose
– Exhaling, draw your belly to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. Release your head toward the floor, but don’t force your chin to your chest. This is Cat Pose
– Inhaling, release your rounded back & come back to the neutral table-top position, & flow into cow pose
– Repeat for 10x
Asana Pose
1/ Tadasana ( Mountain pose)
–  Stand with the hip apart .
– Spread the body weight evenly over the feet.
– Tighten the kneecaps and pull up the thigh muscles.
– Feel the spine extending upwards and lift in the front of the body.
– Roll the shoulders back and take shoulder blades into the body to open the chest.
– Allow the arms to hang down the sides of the body with the palm facing the legs.
– Extend the neck up, relax the face and look straight ahead. Hold for 5 breaths.
*If you find it hard to balance, try it by standing against a wall. Ensure that
you are standing straight, and not leaning towards or backwards.
2/Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
– Inhale, bend the right leg to the side. Exhale, catch the ankle and place the foot at the top of the inner left thigh. Take it as high as possible. Press the right knee back, in line with the right hip.
– Inhale, takes the arms over the head with the palms facing each other. Straighten the elbows and stretch the arms and trunk up. And join the palms. Hold for 5 breaths.
– Exhale, brings the arms and leg down. Repeat on the other side.
3/ Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
– Inhale, Step your feet ~ 3 to 4 ft apart and extend the arms out to the side, keeping the palms facing the floor.
– Ensure both feet are level with one another, legs extended and straight, knees lifted.
– Turn your left foot out about 90 degrees and your right foot slightly inwards ~ 15 degree. Press the corners of both feet into the floor and lift the instep.
– The left heel should be in line with the instep of the right foot.
– Stretch the toes forwards and the heels back to lengthen the soles of the feet.
– Lift the trunk, extend the arms further and then exhale and stretch the trunk sideways to the left. Hold the left ankle with the left hand.
– Extent the right arm straight up toward the ceiling, palm facing forwards and keeping it in line with the left arm. Extend your arms apart from each other in opposite direction.
– Gently twist your torso and spine to the back.
– Turn the head and look towards the right thumb.
– Hold for 5 breaths.
– Inhale and come up .Then turn the right foot out and the left inwards and repeat on other side.
*Avoid twisting your hips.
4/ Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I)
–  Exhale, step your right foot back 3-4 ft apart.
– Align your right heel behind the left heel and turn your right leg out 45 degrees. Keeping your leg is facing straight forward.
– Rotate your hips so both hipbones are squared forward and are parallel to the front of the mat.
– Inhale, raises your arms up toward the ceiling and the palms facing one another on shoulder width apart. Move the shoulder blades into the body to open the chest and draw them toward your tailbone.
– Exhale, contracts your abdominals and your tailbone. Right heel firmly grounded.
– Exhale, bends the left leg to form a 90 degree angle.
– Keep your head in a neutral position, looking forwards. Or tilt it back and look up at your thumbs.
– Hold for 5 breaths.
– Inhale, press the back heel firmly into to the floor and reach up with your arms, straightening your left knee. Turn your leg forward.
– Exhale, releases your arm.
– Repeat on the other side.
5/ Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II)
– Inhale, step right leg back 3-4 ft apart. And extend the arms out to the side, palms facing the floor.
– Turn your right leg in 80 degrees. Align you right heel with your left heel.
– Exhale, bends your left knee to 90 degrees, keeping the right leg firm and straight. Stretch the trunk upwards, open the chest. Turn your head to the left and look out over your finger.
– Extend the right arm more to the right so that trunk doesn’t lean toward the right .
– Hold for 5 breaths.
– Inhale and come up.
– Reverse your feet and repeat on the other side.
6/ Garland Pose (Malasana)
– Stand in tadasana pose with feet in hip apart .
– Inhale, bring your arms out straight in front of you on shoulder level and parallel to the floor.
– Exhale, slowly squat down, keeping your heels on the floor.
– Spread your knees apart and lean forward in between them.
– Bring your palms together as if you were praying and press your elbow against the back of your knee. Hold for 5 breaths.
7/Dandasana ( Staff Pose )
– Sit on the floor with your legs extended together in front of you.
– Draw your sit bones into the floor and away from your heels and the toes up towards the ceiling. Tighten the thigh muscles and knees.
– Place your palms on the floor beside your hips, press into the floor and lift up through your spine.
– Roll the shoulder back, open the chest/ribcage. Look straight ahead and relax the eyes.
– Hold for 5 breaths.
8/ Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
– Inhale, extend the arms up with palm facing, keep the upper arms beside the ears.
– Exhale, extend the trunk forwards, clash the sides of both feet with the hands ( or use a strap).
– Inhale, extend forwards, and make the back concave. Lift the chest and look up.
– Exhale, continues extending the spine forwards over the legs and catch the hands around the foot. Bend the elbows out to the side.
– Fully extend the front of the body and the sides of the trunk. Press the legs down to the floor to extent the spine more. Take the head down.
– Modification * If the back aches, rest the head on a foam block or a folded blanket.
– Hold for 5 breath.
– Inhale and come up.
9/ Locust Pose ( Salabhasana)
– Lie on the belly, and place your arms by your sides with your palms facing downward.
– Squeezing your buttock, inhale, lift up your head, chest, arms and legs simultaneously.
– Extend your arms and legs behind you, with your arm parallel to the floor. Lift up as high as possible. Pelvis and lower abdominals are stabilizing your body on the floor. Head is in neutral position.
– Hold for 2 breaths. Repeat for 3 times.
11/ Balasana
– Kneel on the floor, with knee about one hip width apart.
– Lower your body to rest your buttocks on your heels.
– Exhale, lowers your torso down to your inner thighs. Elongate your neck and your spine, stretching your tailbone down toward the floor.
– Place the back of your hands on the floor beside your feet. Allow your shoulder to relax toward the floor, widening them across your upper back.
– Place your forehead on the floor.
– Hold for 5 breaths.
10/ Marichyasana III (Sitting Twist)
– Sit in dandasana.
– Bend your right knee, pulling your heel towards your groin.
– Keep your left leg extended and keeping your leg grounded.
– Place your hands on the floor by your side.
– Inhale lift up through your spine and chest. Keep both sit bones on the floor and relax your shoulder.
– Exhale, twisting toward your right knee. Place your left hand outside of your right thigh, pulling your knee in toward your abdominal.
– Press the fingertips of your right hand on the floor behind your hips. Turn your head to the right.
– Twist deeper with each exhalation.
– Hold for 5 breaths.
– Gently untwist as you exhale and repeat with your left leg bent and you right elbow over your left knee.
12/ Corpse Pose (Savasana)
– Straighten your legs one at a time. Allow your leg to fall open, separate the same distance from the center of the body. The feet should be turned out equally.
– Relax your arms on the floor by your side. Spread your shoulder blades and your collarbones and turn your arm out so that palms face up.
– Lengthen your neck away from your shoulder and release it comfortably toward the floor.
– Close your eye. Breath smoothly. Focus on your body alignment and your breath.
– Relax every part of your body, starting with your toe and ending with your head.
– Feel each part sinking into to the floor.
– Relax the muscles in your face and calm your brain.
–  Bring the awareness back to the body.
– Gently raise your arm stretch over your head and make a torso twist.
– Exhale, gently bending your knees closer toward your chest, placing each hand on your opposite elbow. Make a roll over to the right and left , front and back of your body. When feel comfortable, use the front and back rolling momentum and push your body back to the sitting position.
To end the class, inhale as you exhale chant “OM” together
Namaste
Esther Woon Chooi Kean (200hr weekend YTTC 2013)