Nature Connection Practices to Support Youth with Stress & Anxiety

Salina Mae and 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. 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 youth that support coping with stress and anxiety and using nature in an urban setting to help self-regulate.

Learning Objectives

• Explore at least 1 activity for supporting youth in practicing mindful breathing outside 
• Identify at least 1 mindfulness-based strategy for self-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

10:00-10:15  Welcome, Housekeeping, and Mindfulness Practice

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

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

10:45-11:00 The Inequities of Access to Nature

11:00-11:30 Activities 2 and 3: Nature Expressive Arts Activities-Having fun with animals!

11:30-12:00 Activity 4: The Neuroscience of Nature Connection

12:00-1:00 Lunch Time and Individual Questions

1:00-1:45: Activity 5: Using Nature as Guide

1:45-2:00 Closing and Feedback; Course Evaluations

Meet Our Trainers

Salina Mae (she/her/hers), is a Bay Area born and raised community leader with over 15 years’ experience serving California schools both as a K-12 classroom teacher and as a mindfulness coach and consultant. With a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion, she received her Master’s in Education and California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at the Claremont Graduate University in 2006.  She specializes in building creative, inspired, and socially awake trainings and curricula that lead to action in the areas of mindfulness, social justice, and systems change. Salina is a certified yoga teacher, a dedicated mentor and advocate for LGBTQI+ youth and is currently the Director of Mindful Education at Seeds of Awareness in Oakland. 

Ursula Elsa (she/her/ hers) 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 Girls. 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 collaborating with Salina since 2013 to create mindfulness-based programming, educator trainings and curricula. 

This course meets the qualifications for (4) 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.