Australia’s first community led Mindful Movement Education Project
Two-way Learning in Community
In May 2021 over 300 Aboriginal children, teenagers and school staff from the Ngaanyatjarra Lands Schools joined our Outreach team to learn about the mental and physical health benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness. The team visited Western Australia’s most remote schools in Kiwirkurra, Warakurna, Wingellina, Wanarn, Warburton, Jameson and Blackstone.
This was Australia’s first culturally relevant Yoga and Mindfulness Education project in Australia – it was deliberately intended to be fun and engaging, including evidence-based activities to support breathing, movement and relaxation. This fostered an awareness of mental health and a joy of movement from Kindy to Year 12.
Trauma-informed and Evidence-Based
What makes this program so unique, is the trauma-informed framework of evidence-based Yoga – which was then customised to meet the remote Ngaanyatjarra Lands region. Yoga shapes were named after local animals and translated into Language, the illustrations for the shapes were designed by local children as part of a school art project and together we celebrated a connection to Country.
This project was partially funded by Healthway and lululemon’s social impact arm ‘Here to Be’. The team also partnered with Act Belong Commit and Fair Game Australia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gCX8Lma7MU
Media Releases
31/3/2021 – Remote Western Communities to benefit from Mindfulness and Movement
25/5/2021 – Two-way learning in the remote Ngaanyatjarra Lands
23/6/2021 – Australia’s first culturally relevant Mindful Movement Education Project a huge success
7/6/2022 – ABC News Story
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Aboriginal children and school staff reached. This is over 15% of the population in the remote region.
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Hours of Mindful Movement education and classes held in classrooms and on country
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Volunteer Hours invested
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km
travelled by car within 4 weeks to reach the seven different remote campuses.
https://youtu.be/QJak_3gb4dQhttps://youtu.be/MSQkV-g7FsU
Testimonials
“One of the most significant factors contributing to the successful take-up of the Yogazeit Mindful Movement is the collaboration that has contributed to the cultural contextualisation of this curriculum. Rather than being just another westernm odel which is squeezed into an indigenous context, this project has been developed with a clear focus on collaboration. Probably the best indication of the efficacy of Yogazeit Mindful Movement is the enthusiastic take-up of students from all our campuses!”
Tim Thornton, School Psychologist
“I would like to congratulate Yogazeit on the launch of the yoga training program to improve the wellbeing of people living on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. It is fantastic to hear the organisation has fostered relationships with recognised partners such as Healthway and Act Belong Commit, whom the Mental Health Commission work closely with on a range of community-based initiatives.
Hon Stephen Lawson MLC. Minister for Mental Health; Aboriginal Affairs; Industrial Relations
“The Yogazeit program, specifically developed in collaboration with the NG Lands Schools is contextually relevant, age appropriate and an engaging way for students to explore mindfulness, yoga and breathing. … Students feel safe and comfortable with this program and I am hopeful that it will provide our students with opportunities for healing and to develop strategies that support them as they move through schooling and life”.
Nina Horeb, Early Childhood Teacher at Kiwirkurra campus
Key Points
Yogazeit launches Pilot Project, supporting the remote Aboriginal School Community of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands School with Yoga and Mindfulness, customised to meet their needs.
Consultation with Aboriginal Elders and School Staff supports the development of unique, culturally relevant resources and curriculum to empower sustainable Mindfulness and Movement practice.
Executive Director of Yogazeit, Regina Cruickshank, hopes to support long-term benefits of Mindful Movement, such as emotion regulation, dealing with stress and anxiety and healthy body and minds for students and the wider community. This is not just some Yoga School Program – these are skills for life.
Tim Thornton, School Psychologist says “If we can embed the Yogazeit skills in our school, we have the potential to make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of people of the Ngaanyatjarra lands.”
This Pilot Project includes a customised curriculum, training of school staff, yoga and mindfulness classes for students and staff and community yoga yarning circles, fostering storytelling and sustainability beyond project end date.
Supporting Aboriginal Youth with Tools for Life.
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” ~ Confucius
Dedicated to improving the mental, physical and social health and wellness of Aboriginal youth, The Ngaanyatjarra Lands School Project seeks to introduce Yoga and Mindfulness practices to students and the wider school community. The unprecedented project will equip teachers and staff across the eight remote Western Desert Ngaanyatjarra Lands School campuses with training, curriculum and ready to use mindful movement lesson plans to further their skills, knowledge and confidence in teaching Yoga and Mindfulness in the classroom and beyond.
School staff and educators will be empowered by Yogazeit’s four-week pilot program, which draws on yoga techniques and culturally appropriate mindfulness tools with the aim to increase self-awareness, physical and mental health, and supporting the ability to self-regulate behaviour, de-stress, relax and unwind for students and staff alike.
“To us, health is about so much more than simply not being sick. It’s about getting a balance between physical, mental, emotional, cultural and spiritual health. Health and healing are interwoven, which means that one can’t be separated from the other.”
Dr. Tamara Mackean. Waljen woman, Public Health Medicine Physician and Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine
Thank You To Our Project Donors and Supporters
Programs and Partnerships
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