BAA Course: Yoga 11 District Name: Cowichan Valley District Number: 79 Developed by: Leah Gough Date Developed: 2015 Schools Names: Principal s Name: Cowichan Secondary, Frances Kelsey Secondary, Chemainus Secondary, Lake Cowichan Secondary, Cowichan Valley Open Learning Co-operative Mr. C. Coleman, Mr. J. Doyle, Mr J Rowan, Ms. S. Peterson, Ms. N. Boucher, Mr. L. Mattin Board/Authority Approval Date: Board/Authority Signature Course Name: Yoga 11 Course Category: Health Related Activities Grade Level of Course: 11 Number of Course Credits: 4 Number of Hours of Instruction: 120 Prerequisite(s): None Special Training, Facilities or Equipment Required: In order for the course to be conducted safely, the teacher should be a certified yoga teacher. The course will require yoga mats and yoga props such as blocks, straps and blankets. Course Synopsis: In Yoga 11 students will develop and sustain a regular physical yoga practice while cultivating an understanding of alignment and anatomy as it relates to the safety and the benefits of the practice. The students will make connections between the physical practice and their ability to handle stressors both on and off the mat. Further, by a study of yogic philosophy, the students will see that by developing a healthy state of well-being within themselves, they can affect the larger community in a positive way. Rationale: The purpose of Yoga 11 is to help the student develop and use a regular physical practice to develop skills of self-awareness and reflection, to make time in one s busy day to take care of
his/her physical and mental state, to complement one s athletic pursuits, to provide an outlet for stress, and to strengthen and tone the body. Senior students have multiple stresses in their lives: they are often taxed academically, athletically and through after-school and weekend employment. Yoga 11 s primary aim is to bring awareness to the stress-reducing benefits of developing a regular practice of self-awareness, relaxation, and body strengthening. These aims will be accomplished through an exploration of the different types of yoga, a physical practice, concentration on pranayama (the breath), journaling, and by studying anatomy and alignment. Further, the ancient philosophy of yoga will be studied. This philosophy, at its most basic, leads one to become a healthier person in both mind and body which then creates a positive relationship between the self and others. In this way, yoga is not just a practice for the self, but also has broader implications for relationships with others. The aim is to encourage the student to take what she/he learns from the course and apply it to her/his life outside of school. Much of what is learned or developed through a regular yoga practice can be extrapolated to many real-life situations. Organizational Structure: [units, topics, modules] Unit/Topic Title Time Unit 1 Body (Physical Practice) 40 Unit 2 Mind (Self-awareness, Mindfulness, Wisdom) 40 Unit 3 Spirit (Emotional Well-being & Connection to Others) 40 Total Hours 120 Unit 1: Yoga, as it is practiced today in the Western world, is a physical practice combining many different postures in order to achieve increased flexibility and strength. Through establishing a consistent and meaningful practice, the student will not only achieve this, but reap the many other rewards which naturally follow: calm, relaxation and an ability to deal with stressors both on and off the mat. develop a consistent practice of yoga explore and try out many different types of yoga such as Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kundalini, etc. explore the use of pranayama (breath) and understand how it affects one s body and mind understand the concepts of alignment develop a basic understanding of anatomy and how it relates to the physical practice of yoga explore both yin and yang yoga poses develop a balance between ease and effort both on and off the mat increase muscle tone improve flexibility know contraindications to practicing certain poses teacher-led yoga classes of a variety of styles
video-led yoga classes of a variety of styles student-led yoga classes posture labs in which the concepts of alignment are explored handouts, videos and lectures about anatomy and how it relates to the practice independent yoga practice (teacher-supervised) modeling of reflection on results of the physical practice student conferencing reflecting through journal entries with teacher feedback self-assessments quizzes observation Unit 2: Of course, yoga is about much more than just the physical body. It is about connection to ourselves, to others and to the world. Through the class, the students will not only experience certain emotions or states of being, they will reflect on these and try to understand them. The students will also learn about the history and evolution of the different types of yoga. use yoga to achieve a state of relaxation and calm use a journal to chart emotions and reflect on the experience of the class identify and describe a number of different types of yoga understand the history and evolution of yoga name common asanas (postures) using sanskrit develop a consistent meditation practice using mantras and other methods and reflect on that experience lectures inquiry group-work practice modeling journaling, practice and charting video of experts and practitioners self-assessment journal checks and feedback short quizzes informal presentations oral feedback
Unit 3: One of the fundamental teachings of yoga is the ethical tenets of the Yoga Sutras. The students will become familiar with many of these in order to help them understand their own sense of well-being in relation to those of others. feel revitalized, uplifted and more positive understand and model the concepts behind Patanjali s Yoga Sutras (i.e. ability to accept differences in people, empathy, tolerance, non-violence, non-stealing, honesty, sensory control, non-possessiveness, gratitude, calm and peace) show how the broader ideas of yoga contribute to not only a healthier person, but a healthier way to relate to others lectures readings group work practice modeling inquiry journal checks self-assessments observation informal presentation Leaning Resources: For Teachers: Print The Power of Ashtanga Yoga by Kino MacGreogr The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga by Bernie Clark Yoga Journal (magazine) Web Teach Asana: http://www.teachasana.com Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/yogasutr.htm Ashtanga Yoga Info: http://www.ashtangayoga.info/practice/ Yoga Journal: http://www.yogajournal.com and especially: Yoga Journal s very accessible pages about the Yoga Sutra: http://www.yogajournal.com/category/yoga-101/philosophy/yoga-sutras/ A BC-Based free online yoga video service: http://doyogawithme.com Teachers are encouraged to contact yoga teachers from a variety of disciplines in the community
For Students: Images of common asanas (many in MacGregor book or can be readily found on the internet) Anatomy & Alignment handouts Access to the internet!