Achieving Peak Performance
Eating for energy

with Ana Alexandre

This practical clinic focuses on how food affects mood, energy and performance. Emphasis is placed on how to eat during long rehearsal schedules, while traveling, and maintaining energy while working as a performer and holding several jobs. Participants discover small changes that can lead to big results through the review of how to stock a healthy kitchen, choosing nutrient dense foods, and pre and post performance meal planning.

Artists Living with Hip Replacements
Before and After Surgery

with Ginette Hamel and Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua

This clinic focuses on pre and post surgery exercises and nutrition. Participants discuss individual experiences, expectations and concerns.

Artists’ Work and Well-Being
Make your day job work for you

with Anne Carbert

In this clinic, participants will determine the best day job options for their creative time and personal well-being. Through discussion of their daily needs, creative needs, strengths and transferable skills, they will: describe their ideal day job, evaluate recent employment and new job options, and plan for next steps.

Building a Vocal Warm Up
Preparing the voice for performance

with Lori Holmes

This hands-on clinic helps performers develop an individual vocal warm-up. Participants explore ways to prepare the voice for performance and through experience, determine the exercises that best suit their needs. Emphasis is placed on tension release and body awareness, breath, vocal range, sound and resonance and articulation.

Building Confidence and Self-Esteem
Creative tools for self-care

with Dr. Anita Shack and Ruth Bittorf

This interactive clinic discusses the importance of self-esteem. Participants explore exercises to help define, develop and maintain a healthy self-image. Factors contributing to the artists’ perception of self worth are considered with emphasis is placed on examining core beliefs, quieting the inner critic and tools to shift attitudes and perceptions.

Feldenkrais Method of Movement
Reducing strain and increasing focus

with Karen Bowes-Sewell

The Feldenkrais Method® is a gentle, whole body approach to moving which helps to enhance artistic practice and support healthier, pain-free activity. This clinic explores verbally directed movement sequences focusing on freeing the back, neck and shoulders. This practical format is suitable for all disciplines and focuses on working with less effort, gentle self-care exercises, and the relationships between movement and creativity.

Living As (and with) an Artist
Managing stress together

with Steve Schklar

Explore communication in your primary relationship surrounding the challenges you both face in your careers and daily lives. This interactive group session is driven by the issues brought forth by the participants and can range from money and time management to stress and self-esteem. Primary relationships include partners, parents, friends, etc., and registration is limited to 6 “couples”.

Managing Stress for Health and Wellness
Increasing creative energy for artistic practice

with Dr. Anita Shack

This clinic helps manage stress and increase daily energy and vitality. Participants explore low impact movements and deep-breathing exercises to help strengthen and rejuvenate the creative process and enhance general health. Special emphasis is placed on stress management involving the mind, body, spirit connection, how posture and optimal alignment are related to health, and how to perform a “personal health inventory” to decrease negative effects of stress and increase energy.

Meal Planning On The Go
Informed decisions and healthy choices

with Ana Alexandre

Participants will take a virtual grocery store tour to plan food for the week ahead, learn how to read labels, and make wise decisions while shopping. This clinic will begin with a quick review of how to stock a healthy kitchen, followed by a practical step by a step process to determine inexpensive and time saving strategies to prepare menus for busy schedules. Emphasis will be placed on choosing nutrient dense foods, determining meals and snacks, and increasing energy and organization.

Restoring Energy Through Rhythmic Motion
An introduction to Craniosacral Therapy

with Dr. Anita Shack

This clinic provides an introduction to the holistic healing properties of Craniosacral Therapy, and the benefits of individual practice and work with a practitioner. Energy or “life force” is essential to maintaining health and vitality, and is expressed as rhythmic movement in every part of the body. Participants examine unique self-care tools to reconnect the mind, body and spirit, and explore how to ‘listen’ to the body to achieve a state of deep relaxation. Emphasis is placed on wholeness and restoration, balance and self-discovery, and breathing and relaxation exercises.

Shifting Perceptions for Positive Change
Exploring the impact of thoughts and emotions

with Dr. Douglas B. Misener and Dr. Diana Brecher

Drawing from the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Theory (CBT), participants will explore tools and exercises to enhance awareness of negative thoughts and attitudes, and the relationship between events and emotional responses. These self-care techniques will support, motivation and self-confidence, reasoning and relaxation, and stress management. *This clinic is a participatory learning experience, not a therapeutic group-session.

Upper Body Care for Artists

with Ginette Hamel and Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua

This clinic focuses on repetitive strain, arthritis, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel and the relationship between the neck and upper body injuries. The small group format encourages participants to discuss specific injuries and participate in stretches and exercises while learning about treatment options and managing ongoing issues. Upper body includes: neck, upper back, shoulders, upper arms and wrists.

Working Long Hours the Healthy Way
A practical guide to meeting deadlines

with Jennifer McGillis and Ana Alexandre

Discover a healthier approach to last minute projects and looming deadlines! Participants will create a personal checklist to use when faced with late nights and long hours. Through discussions addressing workstation and environmental challenges and how to choose nutrient dense snacks to maintain concentration and stamina, this new interactive clinic will focus on ergonomic assessments, break schedules and stretches, and natural energy sources.

For more AHCF programs go to Workshops or Community Presentations