Mindful audio guide and guided mindfulness sessions at RAMM
Date of project: 2022 – 2024
RAMMs new mindful audio guide
In recent years mindfulness has grown in popularity as a valuable skill for self-care that can support our wellbeing. It helps us to connect with the present moment through our senses which, in turn, can deepen our appreciation of artefacts and works of art. If you’re curious, then learning the basics of mindfulness in the museum galleries is a wonderful first step towards bringing it into your everyday life.
You can now explore the museum at a slower and more mindful pace with our new, free Mindful Museum audio guide.
The tracks can be played individually, or as a full trail. You can choose your own route and spaces in the museum to carry out the activities in the guide. You can go at your own pace, pause, reflect and return to the resource depending on how you feel.
This resource was created with students and tutors from the Devon Recovery Learning Community, a Recovery College of Devon Partnership NHS Trust.
There are two voice options for this guide: the first is voiced by a female narrator, the second features the same tracks, but voiced by a male narrator.
The guide is available on the RAMM website here, or can be accessed on Soundcloud.
Ways of Seeing: mindfulness in the museum
Since 2022 RAMM has been inviting members of the public to explore artefacts in the museum using mindfulness, to cultivate an awareness of their senses and breathing whilst learning to look at objects in a different way.
Each of the sessions, run by experienced mindfulness practitioner Jo Gosling, focuses on a different gallery and involves different handling objects. Themes have ranged from sea creatures and World textiles, to geology and mammals. Participants are invited to contemplate them in different ways and cultivate an awareness of their experience as they look and use their senses through handling objects. There is no right or wrong to the experience.
The learning process begins in the gallery, but it doesn’t end there; the practice of letting thoughts come and go while looking at an object, without getting caught up or carried away by them, can be transferred to real life situations to improve our mental health.
Jo starts each session with a brief calming meditation and a short introduction to mindfulness. Participants spend some time in quiet reflection, either sitting or standing, and some time discussing their experience.
The sessions are ideal for people over the age of 18 who have an interest in spending time in a calm space and would like to connect more closely with artefacts in our galleries.
Feedback so far…
“Really enjoyed the peaceful, calm beginning…I have taken from todays’ session to enjoy the moment and not let everyday worries intrude. All helpful tips on how to be more mindful.” (Handling sea urchins in Sladen’s gallery)
“I enjoyed the session. It left me feeling peaceful and happy to be here. The handling exercise was very interesting and reminded me how much I like my own curiosity!” (Ornamentation and visiting World Cultures gallery)
“This opens one’s senses to what’s possible especially tactile, plus the complicated nature of so much in the museum that we often ignore in the daily rush” (Slices of rocks and visiting geology gallery)
What next?
In March and April 2024 Jo ran a mindfulness course in partnership with Devon Recovery Learning Community.
More public programme sessions will be announced soon for 2024-25, including mindfulness sessions open to all Exeter City Council employees.
Further information
Maya Herbolzheimer
RAMM Engagement Officer
