Kathleen Syme Centre
Melbourne City Town Hall
90-120 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Cost: $135

4 HOUR INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING MINDFULNESS
As the benefits from Mindfulness are becoming more widely recognised and acknowledged, there is now a real opportunity for teachers and parents who see the value of providing students and children with attention training and simple exercises to help improve impulse control and focus in the class room to be part of bringing Mindfulness to more students in New Zealand.

Young children are usually more present than adults but as they grow older they lose touch with the immediacy of themselves and their environment. They are told to hurry up all the time and have an increasing number of demands to juggle. Children soon begin to lose touch with the present and start to live on the same auto-pilot as adults.

Mindfulness is about keeping our thoughts clear so we can focus on what’s happening now without being distracted. It helps us pay attention to the present moment, something as simple as really experiencing the rich aroma of coffee, the sound of birds singing, rain on our faces. Mindfulness is about purposefully taking time to connect with all the life experiences we have every day, without judging them, just being fully present every moment in our own lives. If we can be aware of our thoughts, it’s easier to accept they are just thoughts and let them go, knowing they don’t have to affect us.

Studies have shown that emotional regulation, social behaviour and academic achievement have increased as much as 600% among students who have received Mindfulness instructions.

In this half day workshop (4hrs) you will not only be introduced to the powerful Mindfulness techniques that are helping individuals from all walks of life to have more balance, harmony and focus in their lives, you will also get the tools and initial training in how to teach these techniques to students and children in a way that makes it interesting, non intrusive and accessible for children of all ages.

The Workshop Covers:

• What is Mindfulness?

• Why Teach Mindfulness in Schools

• Evidence- based reseach and background

• Mindfulness Exercises and Activities to assist internalising the process

• Training Session – Teaching Mindfulness