Highlighting Our Community Work Placement Graduates – Jo Johnson

This month we want you to meet ACMM graduate Jo Johnson! Jo is a Mental Health Nurse and Yoga Teacher who has recently completed our new Community Work Placement program and ran a 6 week meditation program for elderly residents at Baptcare.

Jo is also completing her Diploma in Guiding and Teaching Meditation and Mindfulness!

Continue reading to find out Jo’s post graduate experience.

Hi Jo! Tell us a little bit about yourself

I have lived with my husband and two boys in the Diamond Valley, Victoria for over 20 years. We were drawn to Diamond Creek; the hills and the abundant wildlife that surrounded our home. After so many years, we are making a sea change, swapping out hills and creek for sand and surf, on Phillip Island. We have travelled there for many years and we have fallen deeply in love with the wild coastline. Both boys love the beach and my four legged fur baby, Sari – pointer cross, is now a surfer too – enjoying time on the front of my stand up paddle board.

During the Advanced Certificate, I delved deeply into what was important for me, getting in touch with my values of family and spaciousness and accepted the long time request of my husband to move back to Phillip Island where he had lived for 15 years. I work as a Mental Health Nurse, and after 30 years, I still experience it a privilege to walk beside those who are struggling and vulnerable. Alongside this, I teach yoga in Melbourne’s very own Gita tradition.

What attracted you to the Community Work Placement (CWP) and Diploma programs?

During the Advance Certificate in Meditation and Mindfulness, I began teaching a small group of students on line. I have loved the intimacy of the small gatherings, but at times it was only one student or maybe just me. The Diploma, recently commenced, is an opportunity for me to continue to grow and deepen my own practice whilst expanding my class sizes.  My hope is to be teaching across a number of mediums,  to a variety of different students.

The CWP gave me the forum to branch out into teaching at The Orchards, aged care facility. I was drawn to the structured program, themed differently each week and giving me the scope to make it my own.

How has the CWP program and Diploma impacted you?

The Diploma has connected me in with the ACMM community, sharing and learning from others’ practices and giving an ongoing learning opportunity. I have just completed the CWP and it has given me a structured program to take into any environment. It kept me focused and directed me in a way I did not think possible whilst delivering a rich  experience within a 45 minute session. I feel I can take this anywhere.

I began my nursing career working in aged care and the CWP returned me to working with elderly people once again. I had forgotten the deeply felt joy of these interactions and I know that the meditation and mindfulness hit a chord with the group with whom I shared this experience. I was able to be flexible to the participants altering  alertness and cognitive capacity, also to embrace sound into my practice as a universal medium for emotional connection, often bypassing the thinking brain.

Do you have your own meditation/mindfulness/holistic business, plans to start one?

My passion is to combine my Mental health nursing skills with those of yoga and meditation so all aspects of the person can be drawn into balance and alignment with their values.

My business is Stillwater Wellness, delivering yoga, meditation and mindfulness. I offer both in person and zoom classes and have run retreats for Community Health Services. Separate from this, I have a business with a dear friend, running wellness retreats. Those that are attracted to what I offer are predominantly health care workers and teachers.

My vision is for a future where health care professionals and teachers build the strength and courage to nurture themselves first, so they are resourced to continue their care of others.

What would you say to someone thinking about enrolling in the CWP Program?

Don’t over think it, just dive in!

You can find out more about Jo’s offerings at:

Website – www.stillwaterwellness.com.au

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/longslowexhale/  &  https://www.facebook.com/returntolivinginharmony/

We provide a range of post graduate training options and support, including our Community Work Placement Program which supports new meditation teachers to begin or expand their teaching practice. Download a prospectus for all the details or book a discovery call with us here to find out more!