What is Mindful Movement Practice?
The principles of mindful movement are the same as any other mindfulness practice. It is to bring our full attention to the present moment to experience what is happening here and now. We bring awareness of our movement and focus on our breath or the way our body feels as it moves.
Let's Move!
Mindful Movement Workshop- Saturday, October 14, 2023
9:45 a.m.-10:20 a.m.
Listen to our interview with Prof. Wayne M. Smith and his description of his upcoming workshop
Professor Wayne M. Smith gives us a description of his workshop…
The focus for the workshop will be CURIOSITY, at the intersection of mindfulness & body movements. Most of us as human beings are naturally curious. Especially as children, we tend to want to know more about a thing we are less familiar with. I will invite participants to explore what we do in the session with childlike abandon and curiosity. We will commit to practicing together at the moment, breathing deeply, and moving our bodies in a mindful manner. We will use mindfulness as a way to better connect to ourselves. This work can ground us plus lead to better (listening) connections to ourselves and others as well. We will embody our living breath and move our bodies in ways that relax as well as energize us. So…Let’s be curious!
Question Prompt:
HOW CAN MINDFULNESS, BREATH, & BODY MOVEMENTS LEAD US TO BE MORE HEALTHY HUMAN BEINGS?
- 1st activity – Deep Breathing…Individually and in Unison
- 2nd activity – Guided Mindful Breath & Movement Sequence…a simple breath and body movement sequence that everyone can mirror, instructor will demonstrate and lead
- 3rd activity – Working in pairs…In pairs, participants will share and reflect on their experience, then express their reactions with a creative response.
- Last activity (if there is time) – Move/Breathe/Vibe together in time and in their own way, listening to how their body calls for them to move at the moment to music
Featured Instructor
Professor Wayne M. Smith, MFA
Wayne M Smith is a native of Memphis, TN, and a professional dance and theatre specialist with expertise in improvisation, choreography, and performance. As an independent artist, he works under the auspices of his company SmithWorks. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis as well as an instructor, performer, and choreographer with the contemporary dance collective Project: Motion Memphis. Wayne does regular diverse community engagement and advocacy work including performing with Playback Memphis, an improvisational audience-interactive physical theatre company. Also, he works extensively with Memphis’ Company d, a dance organization for dancers with Downs Syndrome. Smith holds an MFA degree in Dance from The Ohio State University and a BFA degree in Theatre/Dance (minor in Mathematics) from the University of Memphis.
Wayne has broad experience teaching, choreographing, improvising, and performing. He has facilitated and taught numerous master classes in improvisation, contemporary/modern dance, jazz dance, and ballet basics. Smith has also orchestrated several workshops in mindful movement practice, creative dance composition, performance techniques, and dance education.
Don't miss out on this workshop. Come and experience a day of mindfulness and awareness!
Go and register for this event- Healthy Heart Healthy Living- 2023