Mindfulness training helps combat restlessness in the classroom

How mindfulness programmes can help students 

Of course, there has always been and always will be unrest in the classroom - that's part of it. But something has changed since the coronavirus pandemic. There has been a change in the behaviour and development of pupils. But the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis and extreme weather conditions have also left their mark on children and young people. Sylvia Bonn, founder and owner of „the culture grinding shop“ and cooperation partner of the youth hostels in the Rhineland, is very aware of this in the context of the school trip programmes. The children are more restless, complain of sleep disorders and are increasingly unable to concentrate. Increased sensory overload is also a problem. The new mindfulness training programmes from Kulturschleiferei are just the thing to help with these challenges. They promote relaxed interaction and more effective learning.

„In mindfulness training, it's important that the children and young people are able to let off steam first so that they can leave the stressful things that are bothering them behind them,“ explains Sylvia Bonn.

„The aim of our training programmes is for participants to have fun, relax and recharge their batteries. This requires On the one hand, working out and on the other, silence and meditation.“

Mrs Bonn knows what she is talking about, as she has studied indigenous cultures and the Buddhist way of life. She also found inspiration in monastery stays and further training courses on mindfulness training and nature coaching. All these experiences flow into the „Kulturschleiferei“ programmes. Team training for children, young people and adults has been on the programme there for over 25 years, and for some time now also with the mindfulness school. In addition to simple breathing exercises, the programme also includes fragrances and sound elements. The Kulturschleiferei team has created its own fragrance spray from various oils, which is used as a „fragrance rain“ in the mindfulness training sessions. The pleasant fragrance is very popular with many participants.

In Sylvia Bonn's experience, children and young people are more open to new experiences outside the classroom, as they are inspired by their new surroundings - if possible in nature. In the Bad Honnef Youth Hostel For example, pupils can rediscover their taste buds in a cocoa ceremony. Also the Brüggen Youth Hostel offers the specific „Kulturschleiferei“ alternation of action and stillness with its team training programme. In addition to mindfulness and team building, the „Kulturschleiferei“ programmes also focus on fun and games. There is plenty of room for discovery. Which is not to say that there is no guidance. „Sometimes you have to provide impetus, as some children and young people don't know what to do with the free space.“ The mindfulness programmes take place over a period of one to three days and are aimed at pupils in years 4 to 10.

It is a central concern of the „Kulturschleiferei“ team that the whole class takes the content learnt in the mindfulness training sessions into everyday life and into the classroom. At the end of each training session, the participants often discuss which of the points they have learnt should be taken into the school context. „We can provide impetus with our programmes, but integrating what we have learned into everyday life is the trick,“ explains Sylvia Bonn.

„Mindfulness not only teaches me how to treat myself well, but also how to behave towards others and how to deal with conflict situations in the best possible way.“ So everyone benefits.

If you would like to try out the mindfulness programmes with your class, you can find the offers here:

• Bad Honnef Youth Hostel - „There's still time“
• Brüggen Youth Hostel - „Hyg jer class training“

If you have any questions or need advice, our DJH Service Team Rhineland will be happy to help and advise you. Call us at Tel. 0211-3026 3026 or simply write an e-mail to service@djh-rheinland.de.
Or you can use our page jh-klassenfahrten.de. Here you can view all the offers, enquire directly with the youth hostel or use our virtual School trip assistants Jugi use. Try it out!