Education Authority Y Box Doc

ACTIVITY: SPACES

ACTIVITY: MINDFULNESS EXERCISE EXAMPLES

CORE COMPETENCY 2

Type: Group or Individual

Aim: Create awareness around risk taking to detect threat, social cues and critical appraisal. Objective: To develop risk aversion skills

CORE COMPETENCY 2

Type: Group or Individual

Several novel aspects were integrated into the delivery of the pilot which demonstrated the importance of the role of the practitioner and use of their professional skill. For example, during the risk taking sessions, a virtual reality video was developed. Supported by a professional with the skills to develop this tool, the young men used VR headsets to review various aspects of local communities. Some of these the young men were familiar with and some they were not. The process for these sessions involved: 1. An overview of the session 2. An introduction to the concept of VR 3. The young men watched the VR video using the headsets from start to finish with no prompts or questions 4. Feedback was sought on their general impressions 5. The young men watched the video segments again, this time with prompts from the youth worker a. What did you notice? What did you hear/see? b. Why does that stand out? c. How do you feel? d. If you were there, would you feel safe or not so safe? e. What action might you take?

Aim: To introduce young men to non-violent alternatives for dealing with stress, anxiety and worry. Objective: To promote positive mental health and wellbeing Guided forest meditation

Close your eyes and imagine that you are standing at the edge of a field. You see a tree line where a forest begins only a few yards away. Just on the other side of the tree line, you see a trail, so you walk out of the field towards the path and enter into the woods. The light in the forest cascades down through the leaves in a soft spray of light. The layers of forest have various textures. The lower undergrowth is soft and green. There are ferns, moss, and small growths reaching towards the light. The upper canopy of the trees covers you like a stained-glass roof overhead. The light green leaves against the light blue and white sky create a soft, glowing, ambient light. The light is gentle and soothing. The path you are walking upon winds down a slight hill and curves. It’s well-trodden, and you continue to follow it. The path is a combination of soil, roots, and small plants, and it is easy to walk upon. Once you round the corner, you see a stream. You continue toward it, admiring the large trees and the different types of bark on each tree trunk. Some trees have rough bark, and some have smooth bark; some have light bark, and others dark. As you near the stream, you can hear the rippling water sounds getting louder in a constant rhythm. You see the rocks just under the surface of the water; the water swirls around some and pours over others. You decide to sit upon a large tree that has fallen over, and you slip your shoes off and dip your bare feet in the stream. The water is very cold,

6. After this second review, the youth worker facilitated a guided conversation about the experience with a focus on risk taking. The aim of the conversation was to explore how, why and when young men feel at risk; how this connects with the reality of community safety and how they could put themselves at greater risk by the actions they take. This particular video can be made available to groups facilitating the model but more importantly, illustrates the importance of adapting content and being creative. Alternatives could include: Role Play Community Visits Pictures Videos of locations Film or YouTube clips

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