Integrating Mindful Awareness Into Movement Instruction
Presented by Carolyn McManus
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When patients lack movement awareness, they can undermine their progress and/or incur an injury by overdoing or performing exercises improperly. They can also fail to pace themselves and persist in activities or postures that result in symptom flares. In addition, clinicians may adopt a rigorous approach to teaching movement and lack appreciation for how simple, slow movements performed with awareness can promote symptom relief and treatment progress. This course addresses the need for professionals to both have an appreciation for the power of moving slowly with a therapeutic awareness and have skills to teach awareness to patients. Mindful movement is the practice of bringing open, friendly attention to the experience of the body and breath while engaged in movement. This course introduces the practice of mindful movement and highlights formal movement awareness practices and evidence for their application to patient care. A model for integrating mindful, therapeutic awareness into movement instruction is identified. An experiential exercise in moving with mindful awareness is offered to promote the direct experience of the power of moving slowly with friendly, present moment attention. Combining lecture and an experiential exercise, this course is applicable to healthcare professionals in both inpatient and outpatient settings serving patients who may lack body awareness and/or have been unsuccessful with traditional movement instruction.
Meet your instructor
Carolyn McManus
Carolyn McManus is a highly skilled clinician, researcher, and professional trainer and is a national leader in the integration of mindfulness into healthcare. She is the past president of the APTA Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Pain Special Interest Group. She holds master’s degrees in physical therapy and in…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. An Introduction to Mindful Movement and Formal Movement Awareness Practices
This chapter introduces the topic of mindful movement. Mindful movement is defined, alternative language is introduced, formal practices are identified, and research is discussed. Bringing mindful, therapeutic awareness into any movement instruction is highlighted.
2. Bringing Mindful (Therapeutic) Awareness to Movement: Experiential Exercise
This chapter introduces mindful movement instruction guidelines. Movement zones are reviewed and appropriate zones for mindful movement are identified. An experiential exercise in bringing mindful, therapeutic awareness to movement is guided.
3. Broadening Movement Awareness to Daily Activities
This chapter introduces extending mindful, therapeutic movement awareness to routine, daily activities. Research on the role of present moment awareness on usual moving/standing behavior and negative affect is highlighted. Suggestions for integrating mindful awareness into routine activities in the clinic and as a component of a home program are introduced.
