Healing the Healers: Mind-Body Skills for Resilient Schools

Across California, educators, students, and families are facing unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, and trauma—from the impact of poverty and wildfires to the daily pressures of teaching and learning in an increasingly complex, legislated world.

This session offers a hands-on introduction to the evidence-based, trauma-informed model developed by The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), the world’s largest organization dedicated to transforming communities through a public health approach to stress and trauma.

CMBM’s model has been used successfully with educators and students across the globe—in post-hurricane New Orleans, in war-impacted regions of the Middle East, and in the aftermath of school shootings in Parkland, Florida. Closer to home, CMBM has supported wildfire-affected school communities across Northern California.

Participants will explore several simple, powerful tools proven to calm the nervous system, regulate emotions, and foster connection and healing. These include: 1) soft belly breathing to activate the parasympathetic response and reduce physiological stress; 2) expressive movement to release tension and restore energy; and 3) guided imagery to cultivate inner calm and personal insight. Participants will experience each tool, learn why they work from a Stanford-trained neuroscientist turned charter school leader, and get tips on how to share these tools with their own school communities.