Mindfulness and Nature Connection Practices to Reduce Stress and Anxiety for System Involved Youth
Wed, Feb 02
|Online Event
Ursula Elsa and Angelina Manriquez
Time & Location
Feb 02, 2022, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM PST
Online Event
About the Event
Ursula Elsa and Angelina Manriquez
Training Description
Young people are naturally curious, especially about nature. Unfortunately, many support
settings often do not allow for youth to experience the power of the natural world. Access to
parks and nature spaces are often not easily accessible to marginalized communities and
populations of at risk youth. This workshop helps those that support system involved youth find
engaging and innovative ways to integrate nature based practices and connect our youth with our
greatest mindfulness teacher - the natural world. It will provide skills and tools for system
involved youth to cultivate practices and self regulation skills they can develop and practice from
home and in the outdoor space in proximity to where they live. These practices will support
system involved youth and their families in coping with stress and anxiety, and using nature in an
urban setting to help foster a sense of belonging and co-regulation with the earth.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
● Explore and understand how nature based mindfulness can be supportive and culturally
relevant for system involved youth
● Engage in at least 1 culturally relevant activity to support youth in reflecting on their
connection to the earth/nature
● Explore at least 1 activity for supporting youth in practicing mindful breathing outside
● Identify at least 1 mindfulness based strategy for co-regulation using the natural world
● Learn and practice at least 2 activities for integrating nature connection practices in an
indoor setting
● Learn at least 2 nature based mindful listening activities to reduce stress and anxiety
Agenda
11:00-11:30am Welcome, Housekeeping, and Introductions
11:30am-12pm Mindfulness Practices + Self Reflection
12:00-12:30pm Introduction to Mindfulness and Nature Connection Practices
12:30-1:00pm Sit Spot Practice
1:00-1:30pm Nature Expressive Arts Activities
1:30-2:15pm Lunch (CEUs will not be issued for this time)
2:15-2:45pm Mindfulness Practices
2:45-3:30pm Nature Based Expressive Arts Activities Continued
3:30-4:00pm Facilitating Resourcing and Co-regulation in an Outdoor Space
4:00-4:30pm Using Nature as Guide Activity + Demonstration Lessons
4:30-5:00pm Closing and Feedback
Meet Our Trainers
Ursula Elsa (they/she) was born and raised in the beautiful land of the Bay Area, Ohlone Territory. She has been teaching mindfulness and nature connection to youth in the Bay Area for 8 years and is currently leading rites of passage and nature connection programming for Gaia Passages. Ursula is passionate about creating programming for LGBTQI+ and neurodiverse communities. She is also a trained doula and an advocate of parent’s rights in the birth community.
As a mindfulness teacher, Angelina Manriquez has found her art as a way to reach children beyond the classroom. Through meaningful storytelling that children can relate to, Angelina hopes to transform difficult life experience into healing and movement for all generations to come. Angelina holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, and teaches throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Co Author and Designer of two children's books, Master of Mindfulness: How To Be Your Own Superhero In Times of Stress, and Breath Friends Forever
This course meets the qualifications for (5.25) BBS CEUs for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.