Mindfulness for Children and Teenagers

Supporting the next generation.

Join our transformative Mindful Child Programme, designed to nurture mental, physical and emotional wellbeing in children and teenagers. The Mindful Child Programme has developed from The Mindfulness Now Programme for adults, created by Nick Cook through UK College of Mindfulness Meditation. As an experienced primary school teacher I am able to tailor the sessions to suit the needs of individuals.

Unlocking Wellbeing........
...........One Child at a Time!

I am fully insured and Enhanced DBS checked. These services can be run in schools, at home or from Nirvora Wellbeing – online or in person.

Our services include:
• Small group sessions
• Personalised one-on-one sessions
• Dynamic whole class workshops in school settings
• There are three separate Programmes to cater for: Early Years/Foundation Stage, Primary and Secondary

Schools can utilise their Sports Premium Budget to cover the session costs.

Our primary school sessions align with PSHE/RSHE Curriculum. I provide a comprehensive overview and individual progress evaluation, at the end of the programme.

In small group and one-on-one sessions, I customise the content based on each child’s interests and hobbies whenever possible.

The programmes are designed to help young people:

Key Elements

Formal mindfulness-based programme spanning 4-6 weeks
Flexibility for informal groups or one-on-one sessions
Child-friendly fusion of Mindfulness Now, MBSR, and MBCT
Customised audio recordings available
Adaptability for different age groups and individual needs

Key Components

Cultivating awareness of inner and outer worlds
Integrating mindfulness attitudes into daily life
Empowering mindful responses over impulsive reactions
Developing non-attachment to thoughts
Transforming unhelpful thinking patterns

The programmes are designed to help young people:

Enhance focus, attention and listening skills
Improve confidence and self-esteem
Boost creativity
Increase self-awareness and the awareness of others
Raise levels of resilience and emotional intelligence
Strengthen cognitive effectiveness

Benefits of Mindfulness for Children documented by clinical research include:

Improved sleep
Strengthened self-control
Lower anxiety and stress
Reduction in depression
Decrease in ADHD behaviours
Improved academic performance

Increases in positive moods
Better decision making
Improved emotional regulation skills
Improved health and body image
Improved social skills and communication

Benefits of Mindfulness for Children documented by clinical research include:

Testimonials for Children and Teenager Sessions

I have employed Mrs Rutherford to deliver mindfulness and wellbeing sessions across the whole school and I am really impressed with how the pupils (and staff ) have responded. Children show their parents breathing and calming strategies, they talk about doing things ‘mindfully’ and they use the resources she introduces when they feel anxious or need to talk. I have been impressed with the content of each session which is thoroughly planned and extremely well executed. Mrs Rutherford assessed each pupil at the end of a six week block which was really useful for the class teacher. OFSTEd recently visited our school and were impressed that we had implemented a direct and focussed approach to pupil wellbeing. I would highly recommend this programme to any school.

Leigh delivered the 6-week course to each class within our school. The lessons were age appropriate, very well planned and executed. Leigh has also delivered a session for staff and a further session for parents. Both of which were well received! I highly recommend! We plan to have Leigh back!”

My class loved mindfulness with Mrs Rutherford. They learned how to be more mindful in their daily lives, how to practise calming breathing techniques and how to talk about their emotions. The sessions were extremely well planned and organised by Mrs Rutherford who developed an excellent rapport with the children.

Highly recommended!

At all times the activities Leigh completed with the children were well matched and this led to high levels of engagement. It was clear the children had a good relation with Leigh and that they found the sessions enjoyable. It was great to see as time went by the children developing the confidence to really immerse themselves in the experience. I would thoroughly recommend Leigh, she has done an excellent job with our schools. She has communicated clearly, been extremely reliable and professional at all times.

To me, mindfulness is like starting a new chapter in a book, written in present tense - right here, right now!

Mindfulness is my very own superpower!”

My daughter has taken part in the Mindful Child Programme led by Nirvora Wellbeing at school and has loved it! She continues to use the informative and practical techniques she learnt, in particular the use of the breathing techniques and focusing on what’s happening in the moment.

Our son enjoyed the mindfulness sessions and has used them many times independently, he says “when he needs to be calm”. He has persevered to learn many of the strategies off by heart!

I love the mindfulness lessons we have had at school and especially the mindful eating and types of breathing techniques. I also like the gratitude tree and adding on to it every week. There are so many different things you can do. It is great!

My favourite exercise is ‘Balloon Belly Breathing’ because it is the most calming and I can do it anywhere I can think of.

I was so impressed with the progress made by the pupils in my class. By the end of the 6-week block they were confident and comfortable enough to complete formal mindful meditations for a prolonged period of time (this is not something they would have been able to do prior). They believed in themselves and embraced the moment without any inhibitions, an honour to be part of!