The Cultiver le calme en Soi workshops are offered to students at the Cégep GIM’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine Campus. The trial version of the project consisted of a series of 1.5-hour workshops held weekly for 4 weeks. An 8-week version is planned.
This course is designed to support student retention and enrich the student experience through greater serenity and presence. Participants are invited to learn mindfulness to improve stress management, strengthen resilience and self-regulation.
Workshop sequence
1- Arrival: Short meditation to settle down. Seated at a desk to reproduce the arrival in class (10 minutes).
2- Discuss the session theme (40 minutes)
- Session 1: Foundations of mindfulness: introduction to the basics of mindfulness meditation, its benefits and tips for getting started.
- Session 2. Awakening to the present moment: techniques for cultivating attention and presence in everyday life.
- Session 3. Managing emotions and stress: learning to identify and deal with difficult emotions, and transforming stress into opportunities for growth.
- Session 4. Discovering or strengthening personal resources: exploration of internal and external resources to draw on.
3- Meditation practice on a cushion or sofa (20 minutes)
4- Herbal tea and conclusion (15 minutes) : feedback on what has been learned and informal exchanges
In terms of organization, here are few of the elements implemented:
- A printed workbook is given to each participant to accompany their learning.
- Cell phones are not forbidden during sessions.
- The workshops take place in the student lounge, a familiar, calm and soothing place.
- At the end of the sessions, time is set aside to fill in a satisfaction questionnaire and consider possible improvements.
Various strategies are used to encourage student participation in these workshops:
- Invitation sent by Omnivox (Myo)
- Choice of a strategic time slot (when most students are on campus)
- Register directly on the student life activities board
- The workshops are led by someone the students know and trust.
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