Creating an Online Mindfulness Course

During different moments throughout my career imposter syndrome has creeped into my mind.

A lot of the time it appears in relation to my business. When I first started Butterfly Minds it was an Instagram account set up during lockdown. It then later became an official business in summer 2021, after completing my 200hr yoga teacher training.

I started offering live online yoga classes, however I didn't have the confidence to create a course. I had been told that courses were a good way to start and they are especially useful for a specific audience.

Although my main intention was, and still is to help people slow down through mindful practices, I didn't have a particular person in mind when promoting my classes.

Fast forward to now, I have created my first online self-paced mindfulness course! I designed this course especially for parents to children with Additional Support Needs/SEN.

A few months ago, I decided to offer my main services to neurodiverse families. I also offer in person yoga and mindfulness workshops to organisations in Edinburgh. 

I have 15 years of experience working with children, teenagers and adults from different backgrounds within the voluntary sector. Many of them had diagnosed and undiagnosed Additional Support Needs, particularly being neurodivergent. 

While being on maternity leave, from my full time job, I had time to reflect on my personal and professional life experience. I have recently become fully self-employed and went all in on my business, which is exciting and scary at the same time!

The main reasons I decided to create my new online course were:

1) Pairing Related Skills 

I realised that it would be beneficial to combine my skills and experience from working in the voluntary sector with my mindfulness and yoga teaching experience.

I observed and supported parents who experienced chronic stress and exhaustion from navigating accessing services for their child(ren) with additional needs.

This often impacted their own physical and mental health. I often went to various meetings and appointments to support and help advocate for the families. The lead up to the meetings/appointments, the actual appointment, and afterwards were stress inducing for parents and carers.

2) Flexibility for Everyone

I wanted to be more flexible with my time and be able to share a service which parents could fit round their schedule. Since becoming a mum, balancing life and work has been a bigger juggling act than it already was before.

This is the reason I wanted to make my first course, The Mindful Reconnect for ASN Parents, a self-paced course. I understand the unpredictability and packed schedule that comes with being a parent. This is even more so for parents with a child(ren) with Additional Support Needs. 

3) Reaching More People

I used to teach weekly classes in a yoga studio, which I really enjoyed. I also taught online classes, I always loved that people could join from anywhere without location being a barrier. Plus, not travelling, especially when teaching while heavily pregnant, was a bonus!

I reflected upon this and thought that potentially reaching people further afield than Edinburgh, and Scotland, would help me make a bigger impact. 

4) Mindfulness can be Practised Anywhere

By making the course online and on-demand it will be more accessible for people. It might seem like mindfulness is something “woo woo” or that you need to be in a silent space to practise. However, you can be mindful anywhere.

When supporting a child with ASN/SEN it is important to prioritise your own wellbeing so you have the mental space and energy to care for and advocate for your child. Mindfulness can help with this, especially when you experience moments or periods of comparison or feeling deflated. 

5) Creating a Community

Connection is a need which everyone has on varying levels. Some people prefer meeting people face-to-face whereas other people enjoy connecting online.

Joining a self-paced course can sometimes feel challenging to stay motivated and continue, particularly when you don't have anyone to chat to on the course. That's why I created an online community via Telegram for parents, on the course, to receive ongoing mindfulness support and practices. 

Want to learn more about The Mindful Reconnect for ASN Parents?

If you would like to reconnect to prioritising your mental wellbeing while letting go of stress, I would love to support you.

The early bird price is available until Tuesday 24th September 2024.

Discover more about this 8-week course by clicking here.