Little Red Hen
The Little Red Hen is a familiar children’s story about a mother hen who follows through with what needs to be done, even if no one else wants to assist. Feel free to change the storyline as best serves the children in your care. When I tell the story the hen’s little chicks always help her, and she shares the bread with them as they shared the workload. I try not to say too much about the unhelpful animals.
Before we begin reading the story, the children enjoy lighting a candle together and saying a little verse to open our practice. After we have finished our practice, we meet together around the little candle on the floor. The children sit “ knee to knee” in a circle and we say a closing verse. Afterwards I ask all the children to close their eyes and make a wish for only them, then we all blow out the candle together on the count of three ( sometimes children need a little reassurance they did indeed blow the candle with their breath, all together).
Read or tell the children the story of The Little Red Hen. After the story askeveryone to help you retell the story and add the movements and breath.
Below is a link to the story if you need a little refresher.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18735/18735-h/18735-h.htm
Yoga Practice:
The Little Red Hen finds a tiny golden wheat berry.
Standing tall, push your feet deeply into the earth. Let the rest of your body lift to the sky. Place your hands on your heart and take a long deep breath through your nose. Now, turn your palms up like you are cupping a tiny seed. Gaze into your hands and take another long deep breath through your nose.
The Little Red Hen then plants the wheat in the soil beneath her feet.
Step your feet open to hip width apart. Take a deep breath through your nose and as you exhale come into a squat with your hands one on top of the other between your feet.
Little Red Hen tends the wheat and it grows tall.
Bring your palms together from the ground and let them rise towards the sky, following with your body, until you are standing with your hands together above your head. Gaze upward and take three long breaths.
It is now time to harvest the wheat.
Step your feet really wide apart, bend your knees halfway and bring your arms up so they are parallel with the earth. Now, take a deep breath and lean to one side. Sweep that arm across your body, bending at the elbow and following with your body. Once your hand and body are reaching towards the opposite knee, sweep the other arm the same way across to the other side. Go back and forth, using an exhale for each sweep for a total of three sets.
The Little Red Hen then takes the wheat to the mill. The mill stone grinds the wheat berries into flour.
Keeping your feet where they are, bring both your hands into prayer before your heart. Inhale, then exhale as your turn your palms towards the earth and keeping your arms together, reach in a big broad slow circle in the air before you, keeping your palms facing the earth. Make three circles in one direction, then three circles in the other direction. Inhale when your hands reach your chest and exhaling as they make the circle.
Little Red Hen brings home the flour and kneads it into bread.
With feet still apart, straighten your knees and bring your arms to your sides. Inhale as your bend your knees and scoop your hands up from your sides. Come into a wide squat, with your hands side by side on the ground between your feet. Now, push into the hand and foot on one side while you inhale, then exhale to the other. Move back and forth a few times.
And now she bakes the bread.
Bring hands together, palms facing up and rise to standing, bringing your feet together. Inhale, then exhale as you bend the knees and reach your palms far in front of you ( chair). Take three breaths.
The aroma of freshly baked bread begins to fill the air. And The Little Red Hen brings the bread from the oven ready to share with all her little chicks.
Bring your hands to cover your heart, one over the other, while rising to full standing. Bow your head and take a breath.