Hi, I'm Christa Folmer. I'm a mindfulness trainer for young people and a coach. I trained as a qualified secondary history teacher and spent many enjoyable years in front of the class in Amsterdam.
Like many people, my mind was always on. I worried a lot, made endless to-do lists and slept badly, but I could also (especially as a child) spend hours in a fantasy world. Until I came across a short mindfulness exercise.
A friend had done a multi-day silent retreat and I was intrigued. When I faced setbacks in my personal life, I decided to go too. I set out on a path of personal growth, and the longer I followed it, the more I noticed that my work as a history teacher no longer offered everything I was looking for. I saw how valuable it would have been to learn as a child what I was now learning as an adult.
Many of my students were dealing with difficult situations. I became convinced that the most important thing we can teach children is how to handle those situations by becoming more aware. Although I still loved teaching, I wanted to teach students what I had learned myself. So I trained as a mindfulness-in-schools teacher. I started giving mindfulness training to my students and wove mindfulness into my history lessons.
What matters most to me is that students feel at ease and lose their shyness. Mindfulness can feel exciting, like anything new; I try to make it something normal. I pay attention to each individual student, create a welcoming setting, and above all make it fun. Because I spent years in front of the class myself, I know what it takes to bring a class along with you. I make sure the lesson is structured and fun. As a mindfulness trainer, I hope to contribute to a more aware generation.
Qualified secondary history teacher (eerstegraads) · Trained as a mindfulness-in-schools teacher · Dance coaching · Courses in systemic therapy and constellations · Non-violent communication for children · Certificate of conduct (VOG)