THERAPY THROUGH THE ARTS

By Christina Danos

Art is a reflection of self. It is expression. It can provide a sense of accomplishment and control not felt in other life domains. The act of using leisure activities to help people improve their skills, abilities, overall health, and emotional well-being is referred to as recreational therapy. Recreational therapy is known to aid both the body and mind. Listed below are a few of the common types of recreational therapy.

Experience all of these art forms and more at Active in the Arts, our newest SmartSenior special event, on Friday, August 11!

Music Therapy

Music has the beautiful power to reach individuals on both conscious and unconscious levels. It elicits neurological, emotional and physiological responses like an increase in endorphins and a decrease in dopamine and serotonin levels. Because of these responses, the right music can promote change within these internal processes and heal both mind and body.

Art Therapy

Art therapy relies heavily on the art materials themselves. It isn’t always about the image or sculptural construction that is created, but rather on the thoughts, emotional themes, feelings, and experiences the piece represents. The act of making art itself can act as a springboard for further discussion or provide insight and opportunity to develop and strengthen skills.

Dance/Movement Therapy

Benefits of Music Therapy

Studies have demonstrated that music affects numerous parts of the brain, including those involved in emotion, cognition, sensory, and movement. Here are just a few documented benefits.

• Lowering blood pressure

• Improving memory

• Enhanced communication and social skills through experiencing music with others

• Self-reflection: observing your thoughts and emotions

• Reducing muscle tension

• Self-regulation: developing healthy coping skills to manage your thoughts and emotions

• Increasing motivation

• Managing pain

• Increasing joy

According to the Save the Music Foundation, music therapy has been found successful in treating a wide range of physical and mental ailments, including depression, anxiety, and hypertension.

Source: my.clevelandclinic.org

Dancing is not only enjoyable, but it also helps to promote blood flow through the body. It is both an easy form of exercise and an important therapeutic tool. Dance/Movement Therapy works with the assumption that the body and mind are connected. Exploring this allows you to expand your abilities and knowledge of the ways in which you can adapt, communicate, and express yourself.

Drama Therapy

Drama therapy engages your mind, body, and spirit. It evokes creativity and imagination, and the embodied action of drama therapy provides opportunities to build social, emotional, and behavioral coping skills.

Written Therapy

Writing words on paper isn’t just a great way to help you remember something. It is also a great way to help you process everything that is going on internally. Something as simple as journaling can help you create balance and positive change in your life.

Source: itachicago.org

Please make reservations for all of the following events. Call the SmartSenior office at 912.352.4405 to register.

MOVIE DAY

Hidden Figures

Friday, July 7 | 1 p.m.

SmartSenior Office

Rated PG | Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. The story of a team of female AfricanAmerican mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.

TUESDAY TEA

Emma

Tuesday, July 11 - Tuesday, August 1 | 2 p.m.

SmartSenior Office

Join us for tea, snacks, and television shows on Tuesdays at 2pm. Every week we will tune in for a new episode.

EGGS WITH AN EXPERT

Cybersecurity & Internet Safety

Terry Messer & Nolan Hennessee, St. Joseph’s/Candler

Wednesday, July 12 | 9:30 a.m.

Marsh Auditorium at Candler Hospital

Discover important ways to recognize and combat scams on your phone and email with our newest seminar. Terry, our Director of Technology, and Nolan, our Chief Information Officer here at St. Joseph's/Candler, will teach us how to protect our personal information.

SELF DEFENSE CLASSES

Thursday, July 13 and Thursday, July 20 | 2 p.m.

SmartSenior Office

Learn awareness tips and basic self-defense skills from martial arts specialist Larry McDaniels.

BOOK CLUB

Surviving Savannah

Monday, July 24 | 11 a.m.

SmartSenior Office

This month’s Book Club pick is Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan. Experience the lost history of the sinking of the steamship Pulaski, a steamship carrying the elite of Savannah and Charleston, in 1838. This is a moving and powerful exploration of what women will do to endure in the face of tragedy, the role fate plays, and the myriad ways we survive the surviving.

MOVIE DAY

Being the Ricardos

Friday, July 28 | 1 p.m.

SmartSenior Office

Rated R | Starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.

Smartsenior Weekly Activities

There’s always something going on here at SmartSenior! Just a reminder, please make reservations for all of the following events. Call the SmartSenior office at 912.352.4405 to register. Our weekly activities are open to members only.

Exercise Class

SmartSenior Office

Mondays: 9:15-10 a.m.

Enjoy our low-impact chair exercise class with a certified instructor from the Wellness Center at Candler Hospital. Class minimum of three SmartSeniors.

Mahjong Mondays

SmartSenior Office

Mondays: 1-3 p.m.

Join us on Mondays for Mahjong. Please let us know if you’re interested in instruction of this classic game.

Line Dancing

St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church

Advanced: Tuesdays & Thursdays 10 a.m.

Beginner: Tuesdays & Thursdays 11 a.m.

Grab your dancing shoes and join us for Advanced Line

Dancing, Beginner Line Dancing, or both!

Game Day

SmartSenior Office

Tuesdays 1 p.m.

Do you enjoy chess, UNO, or card games? Each week we will host a rotating schedule of games. See the calendar for more information.

Chair Yoga

SmartSenior Office

Wednesdays 2-3 p.m.

Sandy guides us through a peaceful, relaxing workout every Wednesday afternoon. Please bring your own Yoga mat, and don’t forget to register in advance.

Sewing Society

SmartSenior Office

Wednesdays 3:15-4:45 p.m.

Do you like to sew? Our group work on various projects throughout the month at their own pace. Bring your own machine and materials!

Painting with Shawn

SmartSenior Office

Wednesdays & Fridays 9:45-11:45 a.m.

Enjoy a one-on-one personalized painting experience with local artist Shawn Bland as she helps you create your next masterpiece. Five classes for $100. To learn more, or to register, contact Shawn directly at 912.777.2504 or shawnphd@hotmail.com.

NEW! Choral Group

SmartSenior Office

Fridays 11 a.m.

Do you like to sing? Our newest weekly program, the SmartSenior choral group, meets every Friday morning. If you have specific music you would like to sing to, please bring it in.

Movie Day

SmartSenior Office

Fridays 1 p.m.

Fridays are for the movies! Let us pop the popcorn, and come and enjoy a different movie with us every other week.

Exercise Class 9:15 a.m.

Mahjong Monday 1 p.m.

Fourth of July Office Closed

Office Closed

Come see us at the Chatham County Health & Wellness Fair

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m.

Choral Group 11 a.m.

Movie Day ft.

Hidden Figures 1 p.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m. Choral Group 11 a.m.

Line Dance 11 a.m.

Self Defense Class 2 p.m.

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m.

Choral Group 11 a.m.

Movie Day ft. Being the Ricardos 1 p.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m. Choral Group 11 a.m.

Exercise Class 9:15 a.m.

Book Club ft.

Surviving Savannah 11 a.m.

Mahjong Monday 1 p.m.

Exercise Class 9:15 a.m. Office Closed 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Discover Local 11:30 a.m.

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m.

Tuesday Tea 2 p.m. Chess Club 1 p.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m.

Yoga 2 p.m. Sewing Society 3:15 p.m.

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m.

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m.

New! SmartSenior Event: Active in the Arts

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m. Self Defense Class 2 p.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m.

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m. Self Defense Class 2 p.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m. Choral Group 11 a.m.

Painting Class 9:45 a.m.

Yoga 2 p.m. Sewing Society 3:15 p.m.

Advance Line Dance 10 a.m.

Beginner Line Dance 11 a.m.

Please make reservations for all of the following events. Call the SmartSenior office at 912.352.4405 to register.

MOVIE DAY

A Man Called Otto

Friday, August 4 | 1 p.m.

SmartSenior Office

Rated PG-13 | Starring Tom Hanks. Otto is a grump who’s given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.

ACTIVE IN THE ARTS

Friday, August 11 | 2-4 p.m.

Hellenic Community Center | 14 W. Anderson St.

$5 for members and member guests

Dive into the arts at our newest SmartSenior special event, Active in the Arts. This enriching program will provide you with new and exciting ways to express yourself and learn from local talent. Experience art demonstrations, live music, theater, dance, vendors, and more. Light refreshments.

Movie Day

Blue Hawaii

Friday, August 18 | 1 p.m.

SmartSenior Office

Rated PG | After being discharged from the U.S. Army, cool guy Chadwick Gates (Elvis Presley) returns home to Hawaii. Following several years of strict military life, Gates wants nothing more than to hang loose and surf all day.

Discover Local

Genealogy & Local History

Monday, August 21 | 11:30 a.m.

Bull Street Library | 2002 Bull Street

$5 per person

In our next Discover Local, we will step back into local Savannah history at the Kaye Kole Genealogy & Local History Room in the Bull Street Library. This collection includes non-circulating material on genealogy and history in Georgia and Savannah like census materials, family histories, county histories and other genealogy materials. Enjoy a picnic lunch with us before an exclusive tour of the genealogy room and library.

SELF DEFENSE CLASSES

Thursday, August 17 and Thursday, August 24 | 2 p.m.

SmartSenior Office

Learn awareness tips and basic self-defense skills from martial arts specialist Larry McDaniels

BOOK CLUB

The Indigo Girl

Monday, August 28 | 11 a.m.

SmartSenior Office

Dive into our next Book Club pick, The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd. In this incredible story of ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice, an extraordinary sixteen-year-old girl in Colonial South Carolina defies all expectations to achieve her dream.

HEALTH SCREENINGS AT SMARTSENIOR!

The basic screenings available at the SmartSenior Office are:

• Height/Weight/BMI (body mass index)

• Waist-Hip Ratio

• Blood Pressure

• Resting Heart Rate Walk-ins welcome. Appointments preferred.