Glimmers & Grounding
– Mira Rao, Mira Rao Coaching
Participants will be guided through a simple practice of noticing moments of ease and pleasure – known as “glimmers” – and exploring how these positive sensations show up in the body.
Through light movement, reflection, and mindfulness practices they’ll start building a personal toolkit for grounding and resourcing themselves in moments of stress or overwhelm
Connection Through Rhythm: A Heartbeat Approach
– Carolyn Forte & Michelle Cherry, Holistic Wellness Community
Drumming Circle
Get ready for an energising and joyful experience! In the first part of this workshop, participants will be immersed in the power of drumming—feeling the beat, creating music together, and discovering the deep sense of connection rhythm brings.
In the second part, they will learn simple, practical ways to use drumming to help children express and process their emotions, building stronger connections in their communities and workplaces.
Building Physical Literacy Through Active Play in the Early Years
– Amanda Derbyshire & Julia Andrew, KIDDO
This practical and energising outdoor workshop will provide early childhood educators with the opportunity to participate in movement activities and experience how movement can foster connection — to self, others, and the environment — while building a foundation for lifelong physical activity and wellbeing.
Physical literacy is more than just physical skill development. It’s about nurturing a child’s motivation, confidence and competence to be active, which supports their physical health, their social-emotional wellbeing, promotes language development, and supports executive functioning.
Delivered by the team behind the University of Western Australia’s KIDDO program, this session translates the latest research into practical, evidence-informed strategies tailored for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. KIDDO is designed to bridge the gap between research and practice, providing professional development, activity ideas and everything that educators need to deliver active play and intentional teaching programs with confidence.
Whether you’re catching bubbles, casting spells, jumping like a frog or balancing along logs, this session will reconnect educators to the power of play and the essential role of physical literacy in children’s development.
Get to know the Speakers
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Mira works with individuals, leaders, teams and organisations to cultivate resilience, emotional intelligence, and embodied leadership. Her workshops and coaching programs provide practical, neuroscience-backed strategies to help professionals manage stress, prevent burnout, and lead with confidence, clarity, and authenticity.
Many professionals and organisations recognise the need for better boundaries, emotional agility and self-regulation – but struggle with the how. Mira’s approach blends psycho-education, simple meditation and movement practices, and structured self-inquiry to translate insight into tangible, sustainable change.
Through individual and coaching, workshops and programs, Mira support high-performing individuals and teams in breaking cycles of stress, reactive decision-making and employee disengagement.
Rather than relying solely on cognitive understanding or surface-level positivity, her work enables leaders to develop deep embodied resilience, navigate change with composure, and create cultures of psychological inclusion, safety and innovation.
With 25 years of experience in yoga and embodied practices, a decade of teaching body-based therapy, and academic credentials spanning an MBA, postgraduate studies in French, Linguistics, and Journalism, and a Master’s in Counselling at Notre Dame University, Mira brings a holistic yet results-driven approach to wellbeing in the workplace.
She helps individuals and organiszations build resilience, not just manage stress – so individuals, teams and leaders can thrive, not simply survive.
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Harmony Gatherings Incorporated is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating spaces where people can reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world.
Founded on the belief that authentic connection and positive mental health outcomes flourish in supportive, creative environments, Harmony Gatherings hosts transformative events and workshops from their Harmony Retreat in the Peel region and across Western Australia.
From large-scale gatherings that bring hundreds together, to intimate retreats and community drum circles, every offering is guided by values of inclusivity, creativity, and belonging. Central to their work are drumming circles—powerful, research-backed experiences that reduce stress, uplift mood, and foster trust and collaboration. Through rhythm and sound, participants are invited to experience a profound sense of unity while also building confidence and joy in self-expression.
With years of experience in facilitating drumming workshops for schools, educators, community groups, and corporate teams, Harmony Gatherings blends play, mindfulness, and music to create memorable, uplifting experiences. Their events empower participants of all ages to find their rhythm, connect deeply, and carry these tools back into their communities and workplaces.
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- Amanda Derbyshire
Amanda Derbyshire is the Director of the KIDDO program at The University of Western Australia. As a sport and exercise scientist and researcher, Amanda has overseen the development of KIDDO from its inception in 2014 to where it is now. She is at the forefront of physical literacy implementation in the early childhood setting in Australia and has led the development of KIDDO’s world-leading and proven professional development the ‘Certificate of Physical Literacy’ for early childhood educators.
Amanda is renowned for her expertise in practical and effective methods that educators and coaches can use to help children develop gross motor skills and fundamental movement skills through teaching and the encouragement of active play.
- Julia Andrew
Julia is the Early Years Project Manager at KIDDO at the University of Western Australia. Julia holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, a Graduate Certificate in Human Nutrition, and is nearing the completion of a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood).
With 17 years of experience in diverse educational roles across Australia and Hong Kong, she brings a well-rounded and global perspective to early childhood education. Her passion lies in the connection between physical movement and children’s holistic development.
Julia is a dedicated advocate for incorporating movement-based learning experiences in early childhood settings, recognizing its positive impact on children’s cognitive,social, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, in both the formative years and beyond.