Mindfulness and Nature Connection Strategies and Practices for Virtual Facilitation

Ursula Elsa

Training Description

Young people are naturally curious, especially about nature. Unfortunately, many educational 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. During this shelter in place, this inequity of access has become even more apparent. This workshop helps youth workers 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 to share with at risk youth for 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 at risk youth and those that are system-involved 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

• Explore and understand how nature based mindfulness can be supportive and culturally relevant for at risk 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

10:00-10:15am Welcome, Housekeeping, and MindfulnessPractice

10:15-10:30am Introduction to Nature Connection Practices 

10:30-10:45am Activity 1: Sit Spot Practice 

10:45-11:30am Activities 2 and 3: Nature Expressive Arts Activities

11:30am-12:00pm Lunch (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

12:00-12:45pm Facilitating Resourcing and Co-regulation in an Outdoor Space 

12:45-1:30pm Activity 4: Using Nature as Guide, Demonstration Lessons 

1:30-2:00pm Closing and Feedback

Meet Our Trainer

Ursula Elsa (she/they) 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 over 6 years and is currently leading rites of passage work 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. Ursula has been developing curriculum at the intersection of mindfulness, social emotional development and nature connection to support organizations and families that she collaborates with.

This course meets the qualifications for (3.50) BBS CEUs for LCSWs and MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.