Catherine Nasskau
Qualified mindfulness teacher
Having coached adults in my earlier career, I set up Mindful Surrey in 2018 to expand my work with Surrey adults and children in a range of settings, including schools and companies. I've been teaching mindfulness to students and teachers in schools since 2017, and find it rewarding to support individuals and communities through mindfulness training.
Besides mindfulness, I'm also an experienced drama teacher. Mindful awareness can help young people manage challenging situations, and drama can be a key way for them to explore this. I'm currently developing a project in which children use drama and mindfulness together to find ways to cope with difficult thoughts and emotions. Children of an increasingly young age are struggling with stress and it is great that mindfulness is now taught in many schools.
Registered UK charity
Mindful Surrey is a registered charity which aims to provide mindfulness training to all throughout Surrey, so that people can live with greater ease, peace and joy. We're currently raising funds in order to offer our classes to schools and individuals at a subsidised rate. Thanks to our trustees, Pauline Saxby, Diana Davies and Eleanore Hargreaves for their support and expertise.
Background
I've led a varied career based around helping people of all ages, which began with teaching self-development courses in London. I enjoyed supporting people in achieving their goals and expressing themselves. I took up Yoga and studied Dramatherapy, at the same time as working as a professional theatre director, before going on to teach in schools and have children. Visit my blog to find out how I actually came across 'modern' mindfulness. When I did, it felt like coming home.
Qualifications
- Following my Drama degree, I trained as a secondary school teacher in 1983.
- I took my first MBSR course in 2013 and have been meditating regularly ever since.
- I trained with MiSP (Mindfulness in Schools Project) to teach mindfulness to 11-18 year olds.
- I trained to teach the MBSR course to adults at The Mindful Academy in Spain, which is at the forefront of mindfulness training in Europe.
- In early 2020 I trained to teach mindfulness online.
- I follow the Good Practice Guidelines for teaching mindfulness of the UK Network of Mindfulness Teachers.
I've found mindfulness profoundly useful over the years. It's helped me experience events such as bereavement with calm and confidence, as well as find greater joy in life. I'm immensely grateful, especially at the current time, to have my mindfulness practice; it offers me rocks of calm to rest on when in a swirling river of change and uncertainty. I'm committed to sharing what I have learned so that I can empower and inspire others.
If you'd like to know more, please get in touch.
Warm wishes,
Catherine