The purpose of this class is to support students' healthy emotional growth as they pursue their rigorous academic goals.
This method consists in mind and body exercises. Students are taught how to explore negative thoughts that are causing them anxiety, and how to tackle them using three basic Bioenergetics exercises:
Owning Anger Exercise
Anger is stored through the spine and goes up into the shoulders. This exercise helps release negative emotion and puts the body into a more confident/affirming position.
Technique: The student hits a block with a foam bat to express anger towards a negative thought, and adds a positive thought to the hitting action. A simplified example: a student thinks it is impossible to complete a certain assignment. Another student is given the task to express the negative thought: “You can’t do it.” The receiving student counters with a positive counter-dialogue: “Yes, I can,” while hitting the block.
grounding exercise
Grounding is not just a psychological metaphor. This exercise helps students to remove excitation from their body and bring negative, anxiety producing thoughts into consciousness.
Technique: Feet on the ground, legs slightly bent, concentration on keeping posture. Focus then expands to breathing and sound.
self validation/self acceptance exercise
Exercise with a Mirror. In this exercise students are taught how to express and give themselves positive praise of their specific abilities.
the effectiveness of Bioenergetics exercises increases through repetition over time, like any other exercise. The more students practice them, the more confidence they build in their abilities, academically, socially and in many other areas.
Additional components to further students' understanding of Bioenergetic Principles include: journaling, classroom discussions, tutorials and one-on-one meetings with a Bioenergetics Specialist.