Rebecca A Withey: (BSL vlog) Why learning Mindfulness in your first language is so important

Watch Rebecca’s vlog below or scroll down for the English transcript:

Transcript:
Learning something in your own language is so important. I know this first hand both as a student and also as a tutor. So often, a deaf person may be labelled as not ‘understanding something’ or not being ‘bright enough’ but the actual truth is the simple fact that the deaf person wasn’t offered information in their first or preferred language.

I recently met a deaf man who was struggling to understand instructions in a workshop I was delivering in BSL. It turned out that he hadn’t been in Britain very long, that his first language was actually Spanish and the only sign language he knew was American Sign Language. Together, with a lot of gesturing, basic ASL on my behalf and the help of google translate, he was able to participate and have fun feeling fully involved.

Not knowing a language doesn’t have to be barrier if you have a willingness to communicate. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Unfortunately, not every tutor has the same philosophy. I’ve been disappointed many times in the past when I’ve researched holistic therapies or training and told that the organisers don’t have any BSL access nor any interest in providing access.

Over the weekend, I was delivering workshops in mindfulness at a deaf festival and I was really surprised by the large numbers of deaf people who came to the workshops. However, when I asked ‘does anyone know what mindfulness is?’ I got a mixed response. Some had a vague idea, a few thought it was like yoga and several thought I was some kind of counsellor.

None of them had ever learnt about it in BSL before, and their attendance proved to me that there is a demand for more knowledge to be shared in BSL.

I’ve been contemplating how best to reach the BSL using community as this is the part of the deaf community that have the fewest accessible opportunities in society. Those who use english as their first language can read a book or read a transcript and feel fully informed on what mindfulness is and how to practice. But those who rely on BSL have next to no resources available online.

Even the sign for ‘mindfulness’ varies. When I completed my training ten years ago, the interpreter who I was working with created her own sign which loosely translates into english as ‘focus – now.’ I’ve seen other signs used that are similar to Yoga or Meditation but the ‘focus – now’ is the one that I use in my own work as it makes sense to me.

At the moment, I’m looking into delivering a brief mindfulness course aimed at BSL users – as these are the people that are currently unable to learn elsewhere. There’s such a gap in the provision, and there is such a demand. I will share news of this course on my socials and website once it’s all confirmed, so keep your eyes peeled if this is something that interests you.

For the moment though I’d like to use this opportunity to share some awareness in BSL about what mindfulness is – and the most common questions I get asked!

So what is mindfulness?

It’s an approach to life that encourages you to stop thinking so much, get out of your head, back in your body and enjoying your life.

What is it good for?

It’s scientifically proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. It lowers blood pressure, boosts your mood and brain power too!
Do you have to sit on the floor with your eyes closed to learn it?

Absolutely not! Being mindful can be as simple as having a coffee in the garden – taking in the sights, the sensations, the tastes – and not getting lost in your head planning, thinking, worrying and so on.

How do I know it will work for me?

We are all mindful to a degree. Everyone was born as mindful babies, taking in the world around us, like an open book but over time we learnt to think, plan, reflect, worry, criticise – all of this happens inside our mind. It’s not a bad thing – but when our mind is out of control it means we can’t relax and this can affect our health.

You may also engage in activities that you already know soothe and calm your mind. It’s the hobbies you do that help you ‘switch off’ from everything else. The dog walks, the hikes, the football, the music, the crafts. Becoming mindful doesn’t mean you have to sit in silence. It’s learning to enjoy life as it is without getting lost in thought.

I hope you found today’s vlog useful! Do keep in touch if exploring mindfulness in BSL is something you would like to do.

Rebecca Anne Withey is a freelance writer with a background in Performing Arts & Holistic health. She is also profoundly deaf, a sign language user and pretty great lipreader. She writes on varied topics close to her heart in the hope that they may serve to inspire others.