More Than Mindfulness

Building resilience and improving well-being

MtM For Schools

MORE than MINDFULNESS (MtM) Wellbeing and Resilience programs for schools (SEL – Social and Emotional Learning).

MTM is taught in all classrooms to embed the practices especially focusing and mindfulness.

The FULL MtM program:

  • This program is taught for 10 weeks or 1 term (50 minute sessions), with an extra term or two to embed the practices especially focusing and mindfulness.
  • The teachers do 2 x 4 hour (or 1 x 7 hour) professional development days to give them knowledge about what underpins the MtM program and learn the methods.
  • The teachers also participate in a 10-week program to practice the methods for themselves so they have a lived experience of the methods.
  • The MtM program is offered to interested parents so they can learn what their children are learning and also use the methods they like for themselves.

The idea is that, by the time I leave the school, students and teachers will be using the methods for their own “self care” and emotional regulation which will allow them to be less anxious and better learners.

  • In a primary school this can be implemented in the whole school. I do 10 classes with the teacher present so they can use the practices when I am not there. And for one or two terms I come back for half hour sessions to embed the practices.
  • In a high school this can be a whole year group or targeted to identified students (for example those affected by anxiety). I do this program with a teacher present so they can continue to implement the methods when I leave the school.

In summary, student wellbeing and resilience programs provide:

  • Full program is 10 x 50 minute sessions for students, teachers and interested parents.
  • A professional development day/s for the teachers.
  • 10 to 20 weeks of additional support to embed the practices into the classroom and the school which can be done as half hour sessions.
  • Once I leave the school, the teachers and students will be able to use the methods they find helpful either in the classroom or at home.

A custom made program to suit your context can also be designed to your needs. For example: perhaps you only want the students to learn Focusing and mindfulness and not have sessions on the other things taught, for example: communication skills or gratefulness. ** see below

Retreats

As part of the MtM program, I can make elements of the program available to fit in with class or year “retreat” events during the school year. MtM could add value to the retreat experience.  I will work with teachers and retreat leaders to design modules that fit in with their overall program.

An Add on:

I can also offer, if it helps and makes sense in your context, a Survey Monkey questionnaire before an after the program to measure perceived stress and to see if it is reduced. This helps to provide some reliable data about the program’s impact and effectiveness.

 

**The “MORE than MINDFULNESS” Wellbeing and Resilience Program has modules that will help students:

  • Understand what stress is and how it affects them
  • Learn methods to help them be less stressed
  • Know their values
  • Be intentional
  • Be grateful
  • Become more mindful and use various strategies that help them best
  • Learn to pause, so they can respond and not react
  • Become better listeners and communicators
  • Become more empathic and compassionate to themselves and towards others and learn forgiveness.
  • Learn to Focus so they can get in touch with their own implicit wisdom and therefore find their own way forward
  • Become more aware of how they walk in the world – what they do, think, feel, believe and the sense they make of all that.

This will enable them to:

  • Soothe themselves in times of trouble.
  • Show themselves self-compassion and others empathy and compassion too
  • Listen and communicate more effectively.
  • Open their vision to ‘the more’, which includes the good things even when things are tough
  • Use the mindfulness and focusing methods that help them the best
  • Gain insight and decide to whether and how to change in some way.
  • Connect better with others to get a sense of belonging and be more able to build strong quality relationships.

You may decide you would like to implement the Wellbeing and Resilience program MORE than MINDFULNESS in your school. If you do here is a Summary of what is included in the MtM Program Workbook to help you decide.

The MtM worksheets

  • What is stress to you?
  • How do you relax now?
  • Your brain and what it does under stress
  • Loving kindness meditation
  • CAN Do Practice
  • Values
  • Intentions
  • Gratefulness
  • Affirmations
  • Listening exercise
  • ‘When, I feel, because’

Mindfulness

  • 10 quick mindfulness exercises
  • Breathing
  • Body scan
  • Breathing for relaxation
  • Loving kindness
  • Smile down meditation
  • Concentrative meditation
  • Guided visualisation
  • Combined mindfulness script

Focusing

  • Clearing a space
  • Getting bigger than what is bothering you
  • Notes on how to be a Focusing listener
  • The steps of focusing – Summary
  • Questions you can ask
  • Guiding notes for Focusing
  • Guiding notes for Focusing for the listener
  • Guiding suggestions for the Focuser
  • Friedman’s focusing steps
  • Campbell and McMahon
  • Rappaport – clearing a space
  • The grounding exercise – McEvenue
  • Allowing a ‘felt sense’ to emerge
  • Words that may help when you are with someone helping them focus
  • Skills Practice – Listener – your role
  • Skills Practice – Focuser – guiding notes
  • Clearing a space – short form – Gendlin amended by Marder
  • Clearing a space with art – Rappaport
  • Getting a ‘felt sense’ of something we like and dislike
  • Picture and object work and Art
  • Art and Feeling
  • What are some of the ways in which you control or deny feelings?
  • Things to do when you find it hard to be friendly
  • Morning check in
  • Mini Focusing Moments
  • Benefits of the Focusing steps – Rappaport
  • Rappaport Spiritual exercise
  • Definitions of Focusing from writers and teachers of focusing
  • Definitions of ‘felt sense’

The whole MORE than MINDFULNESS wellbeing and resilience program builds and enhances your students’ inner resources and their ability to connect and care for themselves and others

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