Wellbeing
for schools
creative WELLBEING for schools
Creative Wellbeing supports the emotional and mental health of young adults through yoga, somatic movement, self-inquiry, expressive arts, meditation, breath work and self-care practices for everyday life.
For learning to be effective and sustainable we need to consider the school and home environment and encourage the integration of new learning into all aspects of a child’s family and school life.
The unique creative focus on learning and caring for our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing through movement allows for greater engagement, expression, progression, and transformation for both adults and children.
“It is fun and creative, providing tools for kids to care for themselves now and into their adult years!”
Wellbeing workshops are bespoke to each school’s needs, and customised to the interests of their students.
+ The science behind wellbeing practices
+ How creativity, movement and self-expression support our emotional health,
+ A diversity of effective techniques to support a diversity of emotional needs, abilities and ages
+ The physiological benefits of wellness practices, yoga, meditation and self-regulation techniques
+ Techniques to support them in decision-making
+ How to better connect to their needs and to communicate from a place of self-awareness
+ Self Compassion practices to support self-esteem and personal resilience
SKILLS FOR LIFE
Learning positive self-care tools educates and empowers children and young adults to proactively manage their physical and mental health, develop emotional intelligence, and encourages their progress towards personal goals and ambitions.
There is an increased need to support children, families and schools with practical self-care skills to better understand emotion, stress and anxiety, and expressive movement practices to promote mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Supporting teachers
A lot has been demanded of teachers in recent years. Aside from educating they are supporting children with a complexity of emotional, behavioural, and learning difficulties that affect their concentration, development, and social engagement.
Lockdown, COVID regulations, social-distancing, and protocols around contact added huge stress and strain to family and school life. Children have experienced new pressures and confusion that will require additional sensitivity and support from their teachers.
A recent study reveals Children’s first-hand experiences:
- Anxiety amongst school children has escalated due to the COVID pandemic and lockdown.
- Home schooling and working from home has put strain on the family dynamic and children experience their parents stress.
- Bed-time reading has reduced with two-thirds of second class students saying they rarely hear a bed time story.
- Use of technology has increased and social and physical interactions have reduced.
- Schooling has primarily focused on maths and English over subjects such as PE, drama, dance and art.
There is an increased need to support children, families and schools with practical self-care skills to better understand emotion, stress and anxiety, and wellbeing practices to promote mental, emotional and physical health.
Creative Wellbeing supports children through practical and creative techniques to engage student interest and support the learning environment and morale within the classroom. This program supports teachers in designing the wellbeing components of their curriculum.
“An excellent work out for body and mind. Great techniques on how to destress and relax.” – Ms. Kelly
“Yoga, mindfulness and meditation can be just the antidote to the go-go, technology-saturated lives in which children are immersed. Dowdall aims to empower them with techniques that they can use in decision-making and in recognising and coping with different emotions.”
Extract from Irish Times Article in the Family and Health Supplement, September 2017
PHYSICAL WELLBEING
Techniques include:
Yoga, Somatic Movement (Hanna Somatics and Feldenkreis Techniques)
Qi Gong, Brain Gym, Body Puzzles, Creative Movement
Dance, Developmental Movement Patterns, Floorwork
Why?
- To Release Stress, Unburden the Nervous System
- Express Worry and Emotion
- Experience Movement (exercise) as Fun!
- Support Development and Co-ordination, Brain-Body Health & Connection
Mental health
Techniques include:
Meditation for Kids, Self Compassion, Yoga Nidra, Breath-work, Focusing Techniques, Deep Rest
Why?
- To empower children with self-care skills
- To soothe anxiety
- To calm worry and busy thoughts
- To support self-awareness, recognition of needs
- To ground and centre themselves so they feel safe and empowered in their self-care
Emotional Wellbeing
Techniques include:
Expressive Dance, Improvisation, Partner-work, Somatic Sensing, Ideo-Kinesis
Why?
- To use movement as a tool for emotional release
- For non-verbal expression of worry- no pressure to explain or find words
- E-motion needs movement to shift and decompress
- To better recognise emotions and their effect on the body
Creative Wellbeing is a comprehensive wellbeing program for schools that includes:
- Student Workshops bespoke to different ages and needs
- Teen Wellbeing Workshops
- Workshops for Secondary School Students, Transition year and Exams year Workshops
- Teacher and Staff Wellbeing workshops as part of Croke Park Hours
- Interactive Parent Talks, Family Workshops
- Online Classroom Supports for Teachers
- Creative Wellbeing Teacher Training
- Workshops for SNAs and SEN children
Contact us about YOUR SCHOOL EVENTS:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087-9633229
Wellbeing Services
Full Moon Gathering: Sea, Soul & Sauna
DATES: June 3rd, July 1st, August 1st & September 1st
Full Moon Gathering- outdoor event with the full moon, movement alchemy by the sea, meditation, cleansing moon ritual, sea dip, circle & sauna!
Somatic Movement
DATES: Weekly Class: Weds 8pm, Online
Somatic Movement brings the body and mind back to a state of deep ease, co-ordination, clarity and relaxation.
Release anxiety and tension. Restore harmony and bliss. Improve posture, cognition and sleep.
Forest, Sea & Soul- Day Retreats in Nature
DATES: Sundays, July 23rd & August 13th
Nature-based retreats to reconnect to our instinctive nature, creative wisdom and natural joy with workshops in the forest and by the sea.
