<p><span><span><span><strong><em><span>Last week we hosted <a href="https://www.goodpush.org/node/1278">our first online Goodpush Summit</a>, joining together for three days of workshops focused on Mental Health, Inclusive Skateboarding and Sustainability. Hearing perspectives from all over the world, we discussed the triumphs and shortfalls of the current social skateboarding landscape and how we can work together towards a more collectivised and supportive future.&nbsp;</span></em></strong></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Day 1 - Mental Health &amp; Wellbeing&nbsp;</span></span></strong></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>We kicked off this year’s Summit with a topic which has become a central theme, close to many skateboarder’s hearts – <a href="https://www.goodpush.org/node/1279">mental health.</a> Whether you are a skatepark owner, the founder of an organization, a participant, volunteer, a grant-maker, or even just an avid skateboarder, you have most likely thought about the connection between skateboarding and mental health. You may have experienced the benefits of skateboarding for your own wellbeing and self-care and wonder if you can pass this on to others.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In this first day of workshops, Ashwyne Dames (an educator at Skateistan South Africa) shared some practical methods from the <a href="https://www.goodpush.org/node/1274">MindPower curriculum</a> which Skateistan have implemented into their skate programmes. MindPower was developed by <a href="https://waves-for-change.org/">Waves for Change</a> and <a href="https://www.healthwarriors.org/about/">Health Warriors</a> in 2020 and we at the Goodpush are now working to make it available for free to the wider social skateboarding community on our new e-learning platform (coming soon –&nbsp;stay tuned!)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ashwyne’s workshops encouraged us to consider how participants in social skateboarding programmes may be negatively affected by external factors, and how these uncontrollable outside factors may affect their internal worlds. Ashwyne demonstrated how behaviour, feelings and thoughts affect each other and how positive changes in one aspect can help one to cope with life’s challenges. We practised some mindfulness exercises together and discussed the effects these had on our bodies and our minds, as well as how we can practically implement them into skateboarding curriculum. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
