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Mindfulness and Yoga Techniques for School Teachers Wellbeing

Thank you Greensand Academy for inviting me to teach Yoga and Mindfulness today at Reigate School for the Wellbeing Inset day hosted by the Academy uniting on this occasion their 10 schools. A large event attended by 550 local school teachers. It ran so smoothly, It was very well thought-out; and well organised from timing to parking, briefing,  flow in and out of workshops rooms, not forgetting the complimentary refreshments and lovely cakes (including vegan and GF options). No doubt the Greensand staff put in a lot of hours to get this organised.

Smiles throughout in the crowd from what I could see at refreshments time, and everyone seemed very grateful for the opportunity to try out a new activity such as Yoga, Mindfulness, Cake Decorating or Enameling.

I felt privileged to teach Yoga to complete beginners and experienced Yogis alike.  My objectives were to demonstrate 3 techniques of Yoga and Mindfulness to achieve personal growth:

-On a mental basis, we developed focus and attention by focusing on new physical sensations and body awareness, which in turn reduces mental activity. Combined with the synchronisation of breath and movement, we pacified the nervous system to lead to regulation and co-regulation.Challenging holds of poses created an opportunity to observe our mental narrative, whether inner critic or inner coach, further discovering how situational our inner narrative can be.

Physically, our focus was on Balance and Coordination, a very good way to build core and physical strength as well as mental agility, resilience , patience and acceptance.

Finally, we used breathing visualisations in our meditation, final relaxation and standing poses, invoking images of nature such as mountains and plants, and elements such as light and water. This is soothing to the senses, the mind relaxes and the breath deepens. You can then begin to invoke the qualities of the images you are visualising. Nature based visualisations can help you use your imagination in a way that is calming and beneficial, and guide you out of a restrictive thought pattern to something more expansive and free.

All of the above techniques are effective for participants of all ages, whether school teachers or pupils!

Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity !
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