An experiential exploration of the mindfulness-nature-wellbeing connection

![CDATA[This workshop will explore the interconnectedness between mindfulness, nature, and wellbeing. Mindfulness is not a new concept; however, it has gained increasing attention in recent years, particularly in relation to positive education and strengths-based approaches for enhancing the wellbeing of young people. The importance of connection to nature for health, wellbeing, and educational outcomes is firmly supported by evidence-based research. As a result, environmental sustainability is established as a contemporary challenge for health researchers. Studies also suggest that our direct contact with the natural world, particularly in industrialised and urbanised settings has declined; thus, presenting a timely opportunity to examine health knowledge(s) and consider the possibilities for alternative understandings of health and wellbeing in relation to interconnectedness with the human and more-than-human world. In this workshop, I will draw from fieldwork and research projects to provide a practical introduction to mindfulness, and initiate discussion with participants on initial steps and approaches to embedding mindfulness practices into diverse settings. We will begin this experiential workshop with a short and accessible mindfulness exercise, which will serve as both a stimulus and provocation to explore the concept of mindfulness. One of the central aims of the workshop is to mutually generate and exchange ideas with participants on ways to integrate mindfulness into our educational and therapeutic approaches and modalities.]]