Children's Courses
What is Mindfulness?
"The ability of every person and child
to be attentive in a special way:
to be conscious and present in a friendly way, in every moment, without judgment,
conscious of the urge to react."
Eline Snel
Children and teenagers are dealing with so many pressures: at school, with their friends, and at times in family relationships.
Mindfulness can be a powerful tool for teaching them coping skills.
Mindfulness helps to strengthen emotion regulation skills, improve sleep and relationships, and increase self-awareness, which all benefit their overall health and happiness.
Most young people manage to channel their attention on the task they have at hand, especially when playing: they have this natural ability to immerse themselves in the fun imaginary world they create – whether with friends or alone, in person or in video games.
However, they can find it difficult to engage the same attention at school or when doing homework – even more so if emotions or stressful thoughts monopolise their attention.
​
Research has shown that teens who consistently practice mindfulness experience lower rates of anxiety and depression.
I’m a parent myself and have enhanced DBS certification. Take a look at my testimonials section to see some comments and drawings from children who have taken my course, and teachers.
​
I teach ‘Mindfulness Matters’, a mindfulness method developed for children by Eline Snel, bestselling author of Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents), which has been published in 44 countries and translated into 30 languages. This 8-week attention training method has been specifically designed to be used with children and teenagers. It is an evidence-based course centred around Jon Kabat-Zinn’s 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme. It has been delivered in schools, hospitals, clinics, and private practices on three continents for the last ten years.
​
I have taught the course at a Fulham school for 5 years and worked with over 20 classes totalling approximately 500 pupils. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from both pupils and teachers.
​
My approach provides children with tools they can use to build concentration skills, resilience and inner calm, and help them to be kinder to themselves and others.
​
I have also noticed that most children enjoy slowing down and ‘catching their breath’, just as much as adults do.
Key benefits of mindfulness
Increasing
concentration
Developing the ability to relax and
release tension and unpleasant emotions (including anger, fear and frustration)
Reducing impulsive/reactionary
behaviour
Reducing stress reaction and improving resilience
Building awareness of thoughts and emotions
Improving self-awareness emotionally, psychologically and physically
Enhancing friendliness, respect of others (and ourselves), confidence in ourselves
Developing the ability to self-regulate across environments and demands
Enhancing a sense of well-being, calm and peace
Improving quality and quantity of sleep
Course Description
The course is tailored to four different age categories. Each session involves practical exercises, gentle mindful movements, and short guided meditations. They are structured like a lesson, and each class leads into the next, making for fun yet well-constructed, tried-and-tested mindfulness training.
​
Themes include:
Discovering the body as an anchor of attention (specifically, the breath); Patience; Trust; Identifying and regulating emotions; Letting go of things we cannot change; Detaching from unhelpful thoughts; Being kind to ourselves and others.
​
Course details:
Group or 1-to-1 courses
Ages: 5–7, 8–11, 12-14 & 15-18
Where: Schools in Central London or private practices in South West London
Frequency: Weekly - 8 weeks for Children, 10 weeks for Teenagers
Duration: 45-50 min (children) 1h - 1h15 (teenagers)
Duration: 8 weeks
​
Schools
Helping children’s minds work to the best of their abilities
In 2019, the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework recognised the importance of pupils’ emotional wellbeing. This is where the “Mindfulness Matters!” Method Eline Snel course can help. It fosters mental and emotional resilience and includes elements that support personal development and behaviour management with a view to improving the overall wellbeing of staff and pupils.
I teach key mindfulness concepts to pupils (including awareness, acceptance and gratitude) through storytelling and nuggets of age-appropriate theory. The exercises (mindful breathing, awareness of the senses, body scan) and mindful content (mindful movement, guided meditation, relaxation and visualisation) can be done at home and in class.
The course is taught on school premises during term time, on days and at times agreed with the teachers at the introductory meeting. All material is provided, and follow-up exercises are suggested to keep up the mindfulness practice in class after the end of the programme.
For more information, email claire@bridgemakermindfulness.com. I’m also happy to answer any questions you may have by phone on 07563301530.
​
I also offer courses for adults that could benefit school staff and help them build mindfulness into their everyday life and teaching.
​
The course for children aged 5–11 years old is usually held during class time. However, with teenagers, it is recommended to hold it after school, preferably on the school premises.
Group courses
Group course details
Fulham Spiritualist Church
51 Kelvedon Road, SW6 5AS
​
SPRING COURSES
​
For ages 11–14
Wednesday 24th April – 27th June 2024, 5-6pm
​
For ages 15–18
Wednesday 24th April – 27th June 2024, 6-7pm
Course fee: INTRODUCTORY FEE £10/session = £100 for the entire 10-week course
To find out more or to enrol your teenager, email claire@bridgemakermindfulness.com
​
15 teens max/course. Enrol early to avoid disappointment!
Samsara Mind and Body
205 Merton Road, SW18 5EE
​
WINTER COURSES
​
Green programme (for ages 5–7)
Wednesday 17th Jan – 13th March 2024, 4-4:55pm (no session during half-term 14th Feb)
​
Red programme (for ages 8–11)
Wednesday 17th Jan – 13th March 2024, 5-5:55pm (no session during half-term 14th Feb)
​
Course fee: £12/session = £96 for the entire 8-week course
To find out more or to enrol your child, email claire@bridgemakermindfulness.com
10 children max/course. Enrol early to avoid disappointment!
1-to1 Courses
Private course details
I offer 1-to-1 courses in South West London.
At SW18 practice
Course fee: £80/ 55 min session = £640 for the entire 8-week course
At Ralph Child & Family Practice, SW6
Course fee: £90/ 55 min session = £720 for the entire 8-week course
​
To find out more or to enrol your child, email claire@bridgemakermindfulness.com
I’m also happy to answer any questions you may have by phone on 07563301530.
How to enrol
1) Email claire@bridgemakermindfulness.com to arrange an in-person or Zoom meeting.
2) I meet your family and child in person or via Zoom. This is an opportunity to assess whether the programme is suitable for your child, provide all the course information and answer any questions you might have. If you decide to enrol your child, a £200 non-refundable deposit is required. This will be deducted from the full course fee when your child attends the course.
​
3) The remainder of the course fee is due one week before the first session.
Follow-up sessions
Once the course is finished, participants can continue to attend ad hoc 1-to-1 sessions.
You will agree the frequency of sessions with Claire. The hourly rate applies to these sessions.
Audrey
I liked the session with the sultanas, it was fun.
Lucas
Meditation sessions have helped me, I try to calm down when I argue with my brother.
Maxence
Everything was great,
Claire is very kind.
Testimonials
Further to the 8-week mindfulness programme with Claire, I had a very positive feedback from the pupils. Most of them have said, that thanks to this programme, their concentration has improved and they identify and manage better their emotions. I have witnessed real progress in pupils, especially in terms of anxiety and attention deficit that have particularly increased as a result of two lockdowns.
A warm thank you to Claire who has done an amazing job!
Mrs Peggy Esculpavit-Dupret, CE2/Year 4 Teacher, Marie d’Orliac, London SW6
Teachers
Claire worked with my class for 45 minutes once a week for 8 weeks.
My pupils quickly showed a lot of interest in the various meditation and reflection activities and applied themselves.
Her gentle manner meant she quickly made the pupils feel at ease.
These sessions helped certain pupils express their emotions, especially those who have experienced trauma.
We are continuing to practise certain mindfulness exercises quite regularly to help them express their emotions and build confidence. The pupils feel liberated and are more likely to learn.
Maeva Duret, CE2/Year 4 Teacher, Marie d’Orliac, London SW6
Claire worked with my class for eight weeks. Via the “Mindfulness Matters!” course, she introduced the children to breathing, listening and calming exercises, which helped them focus their attention. They now work better together as they are more considerate and patient when listening to each other. Having a session once a week gave pupils who struggled to concentrate more time to incorporate these new exercises into their routine. The course had a really positive impact on the atmosphere in the classroom as well as on my pupils as individuals, and these effects lasted well beyond the eight-week course right through to the end of the school year.