Stretch Dance Relax
Training Course

Are you a Facility Manager, Occupational Therapy Assistant,
Activities co-ordinator, Activities assistant or Carer?
Do you wish you could do more to improve the physical health
and quality of life for the people you care for?

Hello!
My name’s Michelle Locke and I’m the founder of Wu Tao Dance and the creator of the Stretch Dance Relax Program. I don’t want to waste your time reading about me but I’d like to take a minute to explain why this training program is worth doing. You see, I’m also a registered nurse and have been working in the Aged Care sector for some years. I know firsthand the challenges facing both residents and staff.

Residents (you may call them clients or patients) spend much of their day sitting in chairs and moving infrequently. They get bored easily and this can develop into low mood, agitation, even depression. Families feel helpless as they watching their loved one withdraw and lose skills and mobility. Staff work hard to do their jobs, but their time is limited and they too often feel helpless to make a positive impact in their patient’s lives.

This is where the Stretch Dance Relax program can help. I have personally been teaching this exact same program in aged care facilities throughout Perth Metro Area for the past 10 years. I teach small and larger groups as well as personalised individual sessions across all care settings including low care, high care, dementia specific wards and transitional care units. The participants love it and are highly engaged in the program every week. It brings them joy and increases their relaxation and flexibility. They love the original music used during a session and especially the massage and meditation sections of the class.
The sessions are particularly useful in dementia specific environments and you can read more about our research below. It’s so rewarding when clients engage and enjoy the dance movement! I have so many delightful and heart-warming stories which I’d love to share with you at this forthcoming 1 Day Seminar on the 21st March in Singapore!

So if’ you’re a dedicated health care worker or a person with a passion for improving the health and lives of our elders read on! I hope you can make it along to the training and gain some wonderful skills to take back into your community.

Warmest regards,

Michelle Locke

Bupa in their ‘Shall we Dance’ Report said this:

“There is considerable and emerging evidence of the benefits of dance as an exercise option for older people. However, too often policy makers in Government and beyond are overlooking the contribution dance can make to the welfare of older people, often concentrating on less inclusive exercise and sports-based activities…. We believe that organisations that provide dance activities for older people in the community, in care homes and hospitals, can make a major contribution to better physical and mental wellbeing of the growing numbers of older people in the population”(1).

What are the benefits of Dance?

Well for starters it’s FUN! It’s also an enjoyable social activity. It encourages conversations and lifts the energy of everyone participating AND dancing always involves music which is one of life’s most precious gifts.

Studies have shown that dance based activities can improve an older person’s aerobic power; muscle endurance; muscle strength; flexibility; static balance; dynamic balance and agility; gait speed and reduce the rate of falls. (2)

Alzheimers Association of Australia have conducted studies examining the benefits of Wu Tao for people with dementia. Results showed a reduction in agitation and improvements in quality of life for participants. (3). You can read the research here.

In response to these positive findings, Michelle Locke, founder of Wu Tao and Registered Nurse has developed a specialised Stretch Dance Relax™ program for people who may be experiencing physical challenges, cognitive impairment, dementia and other symptoms associated with aging or disability.

The Stretch Dance Relax™ program is an easy to implement, non-pharmacological way to improve older people’s quality of life and is particularly useful for people suffering the symptoms of dementia.

A Stretch Dance Relax™ session consists of easy warm-up exercises, self directed massage, gentle dance movements and relaxing meditations.

As a psycho-social intervention Wu Tao’s Stretch Dance Relax™ program brings laughter, joy and fun to residents and their carers. Therapeutically, it improves physical and mental health, improves sleep and induces relaxation.

The program can also be used very effectively with individual clients. It’s particularly useful as a therapeutic intervention with clients who may be displaying agitation and anxiety. Significant improvement has been observed in many clients exhibiting difficult behaviours such as wandering, yelling, non-compliance and aggression.

Take a moment and imagine a group of your favourite clients.
They’ve had a long week of sitting around.
They’re dealing with their on-going health issues, missing family and looking a bit low.
You bring them together and guide them through a gentle dance process to beautiful music
that gets them smiling and laughing in 5 minutes!
They swing their arms around, dance the cobwebs out of their bodies
and deep breathe like there was no tomorrow.
40 minutes later they are sitting quietly, peaceful expressions on their faces,
as they listen to your guided relaxing meditation.
When they open their eyes they are beaming with gratitude and warmth.
They are so grateful for the opportunity to share this place of joy and fun with you!
You can see it in their eyes…..They are happy and relaxed again.

Course Content

• Introduction to Wu Tao Dance and the Stretch DanceRelax™ Program.
• An overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine healing principles.
• Discussion of recent research and benefits of dance and music therapy.
• Learn the format for a Wu Tao Stretch Dance Relax™ group session
• Learn best practice methods for implementation.
• Review recent case studies
• Learn how to use the program with individual clients.
• Learn specialised visualisation and relaxation exercises
• Learn when and how to use personalised music therapy with clients.

What will you gain from doing the course

• The skills to deliver the Stretch DanceRelax™ Program to your clientele
• The ability to devise individualised movement programs for client
• Knowledge of how non-pharmacological tools such as dance can help reduce client anxiety and improve mood.
• Insight into the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to health
• A beautiful method to help restore the well-being and health of clients.
• Increased physical energy, emotional balance and inner peace for yourself
• The satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something positive and therapeutic for your clients

The online program consists of a series of lessons which you can do in your own time at home or in your workplace. We support you to stay on track with the course, by sending you regular lesson emails and we are only a phone call or email away to help with any training queries.
Your training package includes comprehensive resource materials which includes DVD’s, music CD’s, and a workbook manual to help you to successfully learn and implement the Stretch Dance Relax™ program. This is posted out to you after your enrolment is received.
These resources are also available as downloads through your private online learning portal.

A certificate will be awarded on successful completion of the training program.
Course Cost

$597.00

Your investment for this course which includes the complete training online, the audio, video and workbook resources, and personalised mentoring.

The Stretch Dance Relax Training has been a very rich experience for me and so far, it has been a discovery tour working with residents at the residential rehabilitation service for people living with chronic mental illness.

On Thursday I worked with a resident who said she felt emotionally stuck and appeared very ungrounded. I just intro’d her to the first few movements of the dance. I encouraged her to close her eyes and just feel the movements and listen to the music. she debriefed attempting to put words to her experience. . she seemed very grounded at this point . . she said she was very touched by the music and the beauty of the movements. Later after the meditation she fed back she had visualised floating through the changing scapes that I mentioned . . she said it was a very lovely experience!
I can’t imagine residents’ experiences when I can facilitate the full session! But I am excited to find out!

Jill

Melbourne Victoria

“I completed the Stretch Dance Relax Online Course with Michelle in 2013 and introduced into my workplace. My residents love it! We do the program every week and the feedback from them is always positive.

One of the gentlemen who has been coming for over a year now calls it TP which stands for therapeutic peace! Staff often join in with the meditations at the end and also benefit from a few moments of quiet time. The course has given me all the skills to share this beautiful practice with the people I work with and I am very grateful to be able to do this every week.

Jan

Perth Western Australia

“Wu Tao Dance Therapy has proven to be an effective activity with all residents. Residents present as unsettled and anxious before the commencement of the dance therapy session and are displaying numerous behaviours such as sundowning and wandering.

The group brings all of the residents together and gives them something active to focus on which reduces the amount of residents wandering and displaying agitative symptoms. The music used in the session calms the residents and reduces their stress.
After the session is finished, the residents are content and willing to sit in the lounge area and listen to music. There is a reduction in the amount of residents rambling and confusion after the session. it is an fantastic program and an asset to Carinya”.

Rachel

Perth Western Australia

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