Workshops
Mindful Hearts Workshops can be provided in person or virtually for a wide range of audiences from school staff and administrators to students. All Mindful Hearts workshops have an inside-out approach in which participants practice wellness strategies within themselves before considering how to reach students. This deepened sense of awareness and experiential practice makes teaching mindfulness more accessible to students. If you don't see an SEL or mindfulness topic you're interested in here, please reach out to Sara Baio to discuss creating a workshop that meets your needs. Workshop duration is flexible and starts at 1 hour. If you would like to take a deep dive into these topics, each workshops can be extended over a period of days to increase participant's depth of understanding and ability to form new healthy habits. Workshops contain elements of meditation, reflection, inquiry, journaling, and movement including yoga, tai chi, and qigong healing practices.
1 Hour Workshop: $100
Full Day Workshop (6 hours): $400
An Introduction to Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness helps reduce stress and depression, increases awareness and focus, and cultivates happiness and compassion. In this workshop, participants will learn the basic fundamentals of mindfulness and the science behind the strategies. They will learn how to begin their own personal practice, as well as bring mindfulness to students. This workshop will be experiential, as participants explore strategies and a wide range of resources including meditation styles, mindful movement, journaling, and more.
Embodying SEL and Deepening Your Mindful Toolbox
In this workshop, educators will learn how to embody Social Emotional Learning (SEL) tools and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework. They will take a deep dive into these practices on a personal level through meditation, journaling, mindful movement, and other mindfulness strategies. Participants will consider how their personal commitment to wellness can make SEL more accessible for students. Additionally, they will explore how integrating mindfulness into other SEL programs, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), increases their effectiveness. There will be time for a resource share, so participants are encouraged to bring their own supplementary materials.
Mindfully Working with Difficult Emotions, Anxiety, and Burnout
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In this workshop, participants will explore the complexity of human emotions and the ways in which emotions serve us. They will examine strategies for recognizing and articulating emotions in themselves and others. Participants will learn mindfulness strategies that help them stay present with feelings such as anger, fear, sadness, overwhelm, anxiety, and loss, and use soothing techniques to cope. They will also develop resiliency tools that make space for gratitude and savoring joy. Participants will learn not only how to teach students coping skills, but how to be an anchor for them when difficult emotions arise. This is a trauma sensitive approach to working with difficult emotions that is rooted in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
Regulation Through Mindfulness: Integrative Strategies for Special Education
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In this workshop, educators will learn how mindfulness can support students with special needs. Participants will explore the nature of the human brain and how to harness attention and mindset; especially when self-regulation and focus are difficult. They will experiment with mindful movement, breath work, meditation techniques, and self-regulation exercises that integrate students’ thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. Participants will learn ways to bolster confidence, happiness, compassion, and resiliency, which help stabilize our nervous systems. They will develop specific mindfulness tools to reach their individual students. Participants will consider how to creatively meet students where they are and empower them to be their own best resource.
Mindful Communication and Connection
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In this workshop, participants will explore the purpose of communing and how to uncover what matters most in a conversation. This is a restorative approach to nonviolent communication that focuses on healthy relationships and balanced solutions. Participants will practice grounding techniques that facilitate clarity and compassion, as well as deep listening and speaking skills. They will use an inquiry based method to hold meaningful conversations that open dialogue and give everyone a voice.
Mindfully Navigating Bias and Moving Towards Belonging
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In this workshop, participants will examine the effects of bias on confidence, connection, and culture. They will investigate their personal awareness of bias and stereotypes, and begin to uncover unconscious biases that are deeply rooted in our society. They will learn how to separate intent from impact, and ways to support themselves and others when biased behavior or language arises. They will develop meditation tools, loving-kindness practice, and acceptance activities that open their minds and hearts to other people’s experiences. Participants will also learn how these lessons can be applied to students and discussed with staff. This is an inside-out approach to addressing a challenging, but empowering topic in our community.
Maintaining Your Personal Mindfulness Practice
This workshop is designed for participants who are trying to maintain regular mindfulness practice in their personal lives. As educators, when we build time and space for our own practice, we’re giving ourselves the gift of healing and balance. This allows us to fully embody teaching and the way we interact with ourselves and others. Participants will explore strategies for deepening their mindfulness practice and building it into their routine. They will discover resources and local centers they may explore. They will also have an opportunity for Q and A, as well as develop their own personalized plans for moving forward.
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Be Your Own Best Resource:
Self-Compassion for Educators
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As educators, we spend a tremendous amount of time caring for others. This workshop will give participants the space to rest, reset, and care for themselves so they can not only improve the quality of their own lives, but show up for others with even greater kindness. Participants will explore nourishing self-care strategies that are backed by neuroscience and accessible at any point in our busy lives. Participants will increase their awareness of thoughts, emotions, and mindset through mindfulness meditation and journaling. They will learn how to bring choice to mindset, reframe self-talk, and develop a toolbox of positive self-coaching strategies. Participants will also consider how to teach self-compassion strategies to youth.
Mindfully Managing Challenging Behaviors: A Healing-Centered Approach
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This workshop examines challenging behaviors and habits not only in our students, but within ourselves as well. Participants will explore the science behind unhelpful habits and strategies to rewire the way we respond to challenges. They will develop an awareness of mindset and learn how to identify needs within themselves and others. Participants will explore self-regulation tools, restorative language, and compassion techniques to meet students where they are. This is an inside-out approach to managing challenging behaviors rooted in mindfulness meditation and grounding.
Building Resilience with Mindfulness: Returning to Ourselves and Nature
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In this workshop, participants will discover mindfulness strategies that enrich our lives and build resilience in ourselves and our students. They will explore ways to cultivate joy, compassion, self-care, gratitude, generosity, and peace. Participants will learn an array of strategies including seated and walking meditations, journaling and letter writing, games, and nature noticing. Part of this workshop will be held outdoors, so participants can explore the ways that mindful attention of nature revitalizes the nervous system.
A Mindful Approach to Restorative Justice
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In this workshop, participants will learn how to bolster restorative practices with a mindfulness framework. They will learn mindfulness meditations to help students settle and bring awareness to their needs, intentions, and impact. Restorative practice focuses on building connections, healing relationships, and honoring people’s emotions and needs. When mindfulness is incorporated in the process, students are able to recognize and articulate their emotions with more clarity. Participants will use an inquiry-based framework with purposeful language that mindfully guides students through restorative conversations. This is a trauma sensitive approach that focuses on student readiness and releasing feelings of shame.
Managing Pain Mindfully
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In this workshop, participants will learn strategies for managing both emotional and physical pain. As human beings, we all experience pain throughout our lives. Participants will examine the function of pain, how physical and emotional pain are bound together, and ways to be with and nurture ourselves while experiencing pain. Teachings from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) will be incorporated. Participants will also consider how to use these strategies with students while being cognizant of trauma.