Consultations with partnering Aboriginal communities have identified that successful healthy ageing programs should be holistic and contribute to cognitive, social, emotional and physical wellbeing as people age. The Standing Tall with Our Mob Project (STOMP!) is a co-designed program incorporating three components: (a) a home-based exercise program (StandingTall) (b) a group mindfulness-based stress-reduction program (Ngarraanga Giinganay), (c) a Healthy Ageing Education program. We present the process of developing and adapting the mindfulness-based stress-reduction component with a partnering Aboriginal community.

The Ngarraanga Giinganay program (meaning ‘thinking peacefully’ in Gumbaynggirr language) was developed on Gumbaynggirr land with the inclusion of local language, bush medicine, artwork and poetry. The program includes eight facilitator-led group sessions covering teachings and culturally-appropriate mindfulness activities. As the project expands to other Aboriginal communities, the need to adapt cultural elements within the program to the local context is crucial. In the first adaptation on Dharawal land a yarning group with Elders was held on Country, to share information about the program and gather feedback on the specific cultural elements that should be included. Six Elders and two health workers from a local health service participated in the yarning group. Elders stated that the program would be beneficial to their community and suggested incorporating Dharawal language whilst keeping the name Ngarraanga Giinganay in acknowledgement of where the program was developed. Utilising local artwork and poetry in the program were also preferred. Based on this feedback, we have developed a model for adaptation to other communities in the future.