Creating a Resilient Nervous System: Using the Superpower of Neuroscience to Cope with Stress and Trauma

Participants will gain knowledge of trauma and stress and how to use the “superpower” of neuroscience to tap into the nervous system in order to regulate and calm their children (and themselves). These strategies are vital to all people, not just children. The better we can understand stress/trauma and its impact on our body, the more we’ll be able to take action and make choices in order to limit that negative impact. In the first portion of this presentation, attendees will learn about: types of trauma, how it impacts children\u27s neurological development and as a result their learning, health, and relationships, what fight/flight/freeze looks like in the classroom, and what makes some people more resilient than others. This information is grounded in the theories of the polyvagal nerve and somatic experiencing, as well as the Circle of Courage indigenous model of youth development. Given that background, attendees will then engage in hand-on activities, games, exercises, and interventions which tap into the nervous system. They will be provided with strategies on how to both calm and activate the nervous system and when to use which. Over 50 techniques which can be immediately implemented will be taught so participants are armed with not only knowledge but the tools to use that knowledge in the classroom. These strategies will include yoga, breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, rhythm, and sensory stimulation. Also presented will be methods to identify strong areas of resilience for a child and how to build other protective factors into a child’s day