Agenda for Dancing Mindfulness Facilitator Training Certification Intensive, October 18-20, 2019  University of North Texas

FRIDAY (October 18)

Registration/Meet-and-Greet                                                                                                               11:00am-12:00pm
This session is not required for certification, rather, it is an informal opportunity to meet with your fellow trainees and Ramona. You are encouraged to attend and be ready to dance at 12:00pm. 

Opening Dance with Ramona*                                                                                                             12:00pm-1:45pm 
In this session, you will experience a complete Dancing Mindfulness class facilitated by your trainer, Ramona Skriiko, an essential component to the "learn by doing" theme of the weekend.

Break

Didactic & Facilitation Lab I*                                                                                                                 2:00pm-4:00pm
In this session, you will learn about the seven primary attitudes of mindfulness (non-judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go) and how they can be practiced through the seven elements of Dancing Mindfulness (breath, sound, mind, body, spirit, story, and fusion). You will be leading others in simple facilitation experiences in these attitudes and elements by the end of the session! 

Break

Didactic on Trauma Sensitivity*                                                                                                            4:15pm-6:00pm
Education in the realities of trauma, how to recognize the presence of unresolved trauma in your participants, and how to work with it by creating safety in your classes is essential for successful Dancing Mindfulness facilitation. In this session, you will learn how Dancing Mindfulness was developed using principles of trauma sensitivity. 

SATURDAY (October 19)

Open Q & A with Ramona                                                                                                                      8:30am-9:00am
Come at your leisure, it is optional. Ramona will be on hand to answer your individual questions throughout the hour. Feel free to bring your breakfast and hang out!

Morning Yoga & Seated Meditation with Ramona                                                                             9:00am-10:30am
Having body awareness and an ability to facilitate physical movement is part of teaching Dancing Mindfulness. Taking a gentle yoga class and experiencing some traditional practices in seated mindfulness meditation is an essential part of this formation. 

Break

Facilitation Labs II & III*                                                                                                                         10:45am-12:45pm
In these sessions, you will be "on the microphone" in the main studio, going deeper with learning how to facilitate using music, imagery, and descriptive movement. This is a fun session in which participants are amazed by seeing their potential come to life!

Lunch Break

Facilitation Lab IV: Fundamentals of Planning a Class                                                                          2:00pm-3:15pm

 In this lab you will learn several other fun, engaging exercises that you can do in Dancing Mindfulness classes to promote group participation. Then, participants will select a full song that they want to lead for the practice class.

Student-Led Practice Class*                                                                                                                     3:30pm-5:00pm        
In this evening session, YOU, the participants will be leading a full Dancing Mindfulness class with help from Ramona. Bring your music that grabs you to the training, as we can likely use it here.    

SUNDAY (October 20)

Open Q & A with Ramona                                                                                                                          8:30am-9:00am
Come at your leisure, it is optional. Ramona will be on hand to answer your individual questions throughout the half hour. Feel free to bring your breakfast and hang out!

Morning Movement Meditation: Dance Chapel*                                                                                    9:00am-9:30am
Required session; get moving for the final day in a slow, gentle way. 

Discussion on Class Construction*                                                                                                           9:30am-10:30am
Tips from Ramona on how to construct the ideal Dancing Mindfulness class for your venue. Open Q & A will be offered. Issues like promotion, marketing, participation release forms, and other logistical matters will be discussed in this session.

Break

Facilitation Lab IV: Class Planning*                                                                                                         10:45am-11:45am
In this session, we will work together as a group to plan the student-led community class. 

Student-Led Open Community Class*                                                                                                   12:00pm-1:30pm
The high moment of the training, we open the studio up to members of our community to experience a Dancing Mindfulness class led by YOU, the trainees! A donation will be taken for a local charity in lieu of a class fee for community members. 

Wrap-Up/Certification*                                                                                                                              1:30pm-2:00pm     
Required session to celebrate your accomplishments!  

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Total Hours Required for Certification: 16.25
*Required session for certification