Our Approach to Education
The Expressive Arts enrich education through play and creativity. Learning through experience engages all the senses as well as multiple intelligences. It is holistic as it allows for a mind-body connection. This kind of education can connect with kinaesthetic, visual, and auditory learners as well as those with special needs.
Various perspectives like Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga as well as the exploration of Cultural Diversity help to form the foundation of our approach to education. Since the natural language of children is play, this is the ‘package’ all of these wonderful ways of learning are presented. While playfulness is incorporated into all the education we do, the framework changes to engage adolescent and adult learners alike. It is essential for adults to play, to be engaged through their creativity. Approaching experiences with attitude of playfulness, makes creativity accessible, as the goal has nothing to do with being good or an end result.
With a focus on the learning process rather than the product, this encourages freedom of imagination as well as making lots of space for social and emotional learning on an individual and collective level.
Creative Roots programming promotes well-being and makes learning engaging and fun!
Various perspectives like Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga as well as the exploration of Cultural Diversity help to form the foundation of our approach to education. Since the natural language of children is play, this is the ‘package’ all of these wonderful ways of learning are presented. While playfulness is incorporated into all the education we do, the framework changes to engage adolescent and adult learners alike. It is essential for adults to play, to be engaged through their creativity. Approaching experiences with attitude of playfulness, makes creativity accessible, as the goal has nothing to do with being good or an end result.
With a focus on the learning process rather than the product, this encourages freedom of imagination as well as making lots of space for social and emotional learning on an individual and collective level.
Creative Roots programming promotes well-being and makes learning engaging and fun!
Child and Youth Education
Early Years
Our enrichment circles are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of babies, toddlers and preschool age children. Using movement as a base to encouraging spatial and body awareness while integrating the other expressive arts: music and global instruments, drama, storytelling, and puppetry. Each week the children repeat specific exercises that facilitate their sense of mastery. They are also invited to go on a unique and enchanted journey exploring their world through play.
Our enrichment circles are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of babies, toddlers and preschool age children. Using movement as a base to encouraging spatial and body awareness while integrating the other expressive arts: music and global instruments, drama, storytelling, and puppetry. Each week the children repeat specific exercises that facilitate their sense of mastery. They are also invited to go on a unique and enchanted journey exploring their world through play.
School Age and Up (adapted to be age appropriate)
Mindfulness
This education includes four experiential learning components: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and walking the middle path. Through reflecting on their own experiences participants will develop their own insights and gain awareness.
Embodied Education
This program weaves together what is known as the art of dance/movement or more specifically, somatic intelligence and emotional intelligence with standard Ontario curriculum. Embodied Education enhances curriculum to create a process oriented learning space, which allows for the exploration of the connections between the physical body, the emotions and the mind.
Yoga Groove
Each session creates a safe environment cultivate body awareness through a compassionate and creative approach to yoga. Yoga Groove incorporates practices such as breathing exercises, warm ups, experiential activities, yoga postures, deep relaxation, and meditation techniques to strengthen students’ awareness of the connection between their minds and their physical bodies.
SonicCircle
An exploration of learning through sound. In this program you will:
Mindfulness
This education includes four experiential learning components: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and walking the middle path. Through reflecting on their own experiences participants will develop their own insights and gain awareness.
Embodied Education
This program weaves together what is known as the art of dance/movement or more specifically, somatic intelligence and emotional intelligence with standard Ontario curriculum. Embodied Education enhances curriculum to create a process oriented learning space, which allows for the exploration of the connections between the physical body, the emotions and the mind.
Yoga Groove
Each session creates a safe environment cultivate body awareness through a compassionate and creative approach to yoga. Yoga Groove incorporates practices such as breathing exercises, warm ups, experiential activities, yoga postures, deep relaxation, and meditation techniques to strengthen students’ awareness of the connection between their minds and their physical bodies.
SonicCircle
An exploration of learning through sound. In this program you will:
- Be introduced to numerous instruments from all over the world
- Learn basic techniques (i.e. hand drumming)
- Explore creating texture and quality of sounds, both individually and as a part of the group
- Develop personal awareness and gain greater insight into group dynamics (i.e. gain confidence through leadership, deep listening, harmony)
Noted Benefits
Emotional Benefits
Emotional Benefits
- Less reactive
- More optimistic
- Increased focus and concentration
- Improved quality and duration of sleep
- Reduced stress
- Dissolved social barriers
- Enhanced peer-to-peer relationships
- De-emphasized belief in stereotypes
- Improved academic performance
- Improved school attendance and enthusiasm for school participation
- Improved athletic performance
- Increased bodily awareness
- Increased flexibility, alignment, and core strength
- Increased confidence in physical abilities
Adult Education
Group, Semi-Private, and Private Sessions Available
Global Groove!
Global Groove is a movement class inspired by our global ancestry to use dance as a way of gathering in community to express & celebrating life! Gather inspiration by traveling through your own body, playfully exploring dance styles from around the world such as African, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, West Indian, Samba, Authentic Movement, Yoga, Middle Eastern/Belly, Folk, Expressive, and Contemporary.
This class will explore a combination of various qualities of movement and expression with the intention of increasing range of motion, enhancing strength and flexibility and developing the capacity to regulate and contain energy.
Moving in a compassionate way we will always begin and end our journey by coming home to our own bodies. No experience is necessary, just the desire to move!
Kripalu Yoga
The meaning of Kripalu is compassion. This is the foundation where you will be guided through a yoga practice that integrates body, mind and spirit. You will receive specific guidance that will assist in: stretching and toning muscles, releasing chronic tension, de-stress and refresh, calm restless thoughts, cultivate concentration, encourage self-acceptance, honour inner wisdom and invite deep peace. Each class ends with deep relaxation with live music and meditation. This class is appropriate for beginner or moderate level practitioner.
Introduction to Meditation
Are you curious about meditation and looking for a place to learn and continue your exploration? This is a 10-week program where you will be introduced to various kinds of approaches to meditation; seated, movement, sound, visualization. The intention is for each student to discover, develop and deepen this practice.
Dancing Buddha
A movement based exploration of awareness, embodied joy and expanded expression.
Global Groove!
Global Groove is a movement class inspired by our global ancestry to use dance as a way of gathering in community to express & celebrating life! Gather inspiration by traveling through your own body, playfully exploring dance styles from around the world such as African, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, West Indian, Samba, Authentic Movement, Yoga, Middle Eastern/Belly, Folk, Expressive, and Contemporary.
This class will explore a combination of various qualities of movement and expression with the intention of increasing range of motion, enhancing strength and flexibility and developing the capacity to regulate and contain energy.
Moving in a compassionate way we will always begin and end our journey by coming home to our own bodies. No experience is necessary, just the desire to move!
Kripalu Yoga
The meaning of Kripalu is compassion. This is the foundation where you will be guided through a yoga practice that integrates body, mind and spirit. You will receive specific guidance that will assist in: stretching and toning muscles, releasing chronic tension, de-stress and refresh, calm restless thoughts, cultivate concentration, encourage self-acceptance, honour inner wisdom and invite deep peace. Each class ends with deep relaxation with live music and meditation. This class is appropriate for beginner or moderate level practitioner.
Introduction to Meditation
Are you curious about meditation and looking for a place to learn and continue your exploration? This is a 10-week program where you will be introduced to various kinds of approaches to meditation; seated, movement, sound, visualization. The intention is for each student to discover, develop and deepen this practice.
Dancing Buddha
A movement based exploration of awareness, embodied joy and expanded expression.
Professional Development for Educators & Health Care Providers
Creative Roots brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to create inspiring and experiential training to suit the needs of each organization.
We support wellness and vitality, generate new ideas and ways of thinking, as well as offering insights into team dynamics and playful approaches to team building.
Conference and/or Workshop Topics
We support wellness and vitality, generate new ideas and ways of thinking, as well as offering insights into team dynamics and playful approaches to team building.
Conference and/or Workshop Topics
- The Medicine of Play
- Yoga & Mindfulness (Children, Adolescents, Adults)
- Play for Parents, Understanding the Language of Children
- Encouraging Child Development through Play
- Integrating the Expressive Arts in Education: Movement, Music, Puppetry, Storytelling, Drama, Creative Writing, Painting
- Integrating the Expressive Arts in Psychotherapy: all modalities as above with the focus on Therapeutic *Principals
- Relating to Children with Learning and/or Developmental Disabilities through the Expressive Arts
- Nothing is Everything: Exploring Deep Relaxation