Body & Brain Clubs

The Body and Brain Club held a student run presentation and workshop, on March 8 at Earthfoods Cafe. It gave students who think creating inner peace is a worthy objective a chance to connect with each other and share ideas.

Led by Julia Simonso, Michael Munson and Aaron Daniels the workshop started off with a simple writing exercise that asked students to elaborate on their college lives. What followed was a flurry of complaints about things ranging from the University Health Services to the Dining Commons.

This exercise in frustrations was followed by more soothing mind and body activities. There were mind games and even free dancercise. Apart from learning new techniques for breath, meditation and movement students learned how to strengthen their bodies through slow yet steady exercises.

Music for the soul created a calming ambience in the usually bustling Earthfoods Cafe. With the lights dimmed, participants continued to practice various methods of relaxation, breathing and stretching.

One of the highlights of the workshop was the super slow power walk. Using slow, steady and yet invigorating movements it took most students 30 minutes to walk from one end of the room to the other. In each activity there was a lesson to be learned.

An important question that came up during the workshop was-when your eyes are closed is your mind open? The workshop focused on creating inner peace using new and innovative techniques that were entertaining and yet also helped participants to discover their hidden confidences. Not only did participants get to stretch, dance, laugh and meditate, but they also were treated to an energy martial art demonstration by the three organizers.

As a closing activity, participants were once again asked about their college lives. The answers were totally divergent from the ones that had been revealed before. One participant, who initially had described his college life as mundane and long, later said his life as a student had a lot of potential and that he just needed to slow down and think about what mattered to him at times. A number of people responded that they felt refreshed after the workshop and the energy they had accumulated made them feel confident, flexible, peaceful and self-assured.

Though the workshop did not have a spectacular turnout it gave the students who did show up and who were interested in their inner peace a place to articulate that desire. The Body and Brain Club aims to help UMass students and non-students to both cultivate their own inner growth and help others.

Their fee for the semester is $14 and participants are allowed to attend unlimited workshops on a variety of subjects. In addition to class, there will be several events for anyone interested in a deeper experience. Additionally the Body and Brain Club has summer programs and even some internships.

Illustration student teaches Body and Brain classes SCAD-Atlanta illustration student Katherine Potter is helping fellow students gain more control over their lives and bodies with a unique fitness routine, Body and Brain class, which she teaches three times per week at the SCAD-Atlanta fitness center, 1600 Peachtree St.

The classes are designed to strengthen the mind and rebalance the body through a combination of stretching, martial arts, meditation and dancing, working with the body’s energy to help release stress and anxiety, Potter said.

Student Katherine Potter leads a Body and Brain class in SCAD-Atlanta’s fitness center April 9.
Students are taught combinations of movements that are designed to help strengthen and rebalance their bodies, make them more flexible and increase circulation.

“By increasing the body and mind connection, the classes help students gain more control over their own lives and make choices as things come up as opposed to just following a flow,” said Potter. “If you imagine a boat on a river and a student sitting in it, the tools they learn in the Body and Brain classes are like the oars that they use to steer the boat.”

Potter began conducting the classes a year ago after attending a camp in Sedona, Ariz., where she first learned about Body and Brain clubs, which focus on creating health and happiness at universities throughout the United States. According to the Body and Brain Web site, www.bodynbrain.org, the core aspects of the classes include energy yoga, energy martial arts, dance and power drumming.

Energy yoga, which is slightly different from traditional Indian forms of yoga, involves deep stretching in both static and active postures and is geared toward releasing tension and stress from the entire body, energy systems and brain.

Energy martial arts is similar to Tai Chi in that it brings practitioners an inner awareness of the body, mind and energy through slow and meditative movements.

The classes incorporate dance or various forms of faster movements to warm up and connect with the body, as well as power drumming, the use of ancient drums to produce powerful rhythms and stimulate the heart.

“During the class students also learn a lot about focusing. They need to focus on their bodies the entire time and pay attention to the moment they are in,” said Potter. “They see when their minds begin to wander away and have many thoughts. Also they see how great it feels to not let their thoughts run out of control.”

Another aspect of the training is learning to overcome self-imposed physical and emotional limits, she said.

“A lot of times our minds tell us we can’t do something and then there are probably a ton of things to back this up … not enough money, not enough time, not enough knowledge or skill … but all of these things can be overcome, although it may be a struggle,” said Potter.

She tries to help students in the classes overcome limits by holding somewhat challenging postures for part of the class, she explained.

Potter believes that the mental and physical benefits from the class will assist students in their daily lives and pay off many times over. She is a testiment to the benefits of relaxation, circulation, strengthening and better sleep, she said.”It is a great way to connect with oneself and also other students,” said Potter. “I am an illustration major and the main way that these techniques have helped me with my work is that when I have a clear mind and I am not feeling really stressed out, I can be much more creative, get my work done more efficiently, and, although some days I still am tired for class, I can stay awake and active in the class.”

The exercises are simple but effective, and everyone is encouraged to work at their own level. Body and Brain classes are offered at the SCAD-Atlanta Fitness Center Monday, Wednesday and Friday; consult the master calendar for times. There is no need for previous experience.