New space for teachers to relax

A LOCAL meditation practitioner has developed a class specifically for school teachers.  

Bridget Allan, of Lotus Reflections, said she had heard how stressful teaching could be and wanted to provide a space to help professionals relax while informing emotional regulation techniques. 

“I just think it’s the hardest job, and they do such a good job with our kids. They’re the future,” said Ms Allan.  

“I hear a lot about how stressed teachers are, how it’s really important for them to start their day with a calm central nervous system, and so that’s my motivation.” 

Ms Allan said creating the class for teachers was about helping them grow their skills for emotional regulation and how to respond rather than react. 

“It’s so important for teachers because their energy is what feeds the energy of the classroom,” she said. 

“If we can create emotional regulation and teach teachers the techniques that they can use for grounding it’s an example for our kids to do the same.” 

While Ms Allan said she knew some teachers already included regular mindfulness sessions in their classrooms, it was important that it was done with attention to the needs of the students. 

“Meditation’s not always a good thing for people because it can be quite triggering to trauma and we just need to know how to handle that,” she said. 

Ms Allan said the techniques are around simple relaxation and possibly visualisation, while avoiding focus on specific body parts.  

The meditation for teachers classes are on Wednesday mornings at 7am at the Heart of Hargreaves, 391 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo.