Wanna make a difference in somebody’s life?
I created the Academy of Mindful Movement to support teachers and coaches around the world who want to lead movement in a way that’s intelligent, safe, and deeply human. Do we share that desire? Our Academy training focuses not just on your technique, but on helping movement instructors like you to tune into the real people in front of us: our students, our clients.
Let me tell you a story of the difference one of our Academy graduates made in somebody’s life. You could make that kind of difference, too.
Mālia of Honolulu, Hawi’i, is both Academy trained in Mindful Movement plus traditionally trained for decades in the dance of hula. Students revere Mālia. When she teaches hula, she lives and breathes our Academy’s ethos: slowing down, connecting, and creating space for people to move in a way that feels safe and right for them.
You’d love one of Mālia’s students at my in-person studio here in Hawai’i. Waipunanani is just the cutest little lady! She first showed up in Malia’s class. With a saucy little attitude that raised everyone’s eyebrows, Waipunanani announced to Malia on her first day: “I am here to check you out. See what you got.”
Well, evidently the teaching she got from Mālia was good! In fact, it’s GREAT! Waipunanani stayed and keeps coming back!
Why was she so hesitant to start classes with us? She recently confided her prior experience to me:
I got hurt when I was participating in a step aerobic class. The moves were fast and tricky. I feel these instructors did not explain the routine and show a safe way to step on the steps. I thought I could do the move, but my right leg and my knee started to hurt. I stopped exercising… for a long time.
If you’ve ever had a student or client get injured on your watch, you know how bad it makes you feel. It’s not that Waipunanani’s instructors at the gym didn’t care – most likely, they just hadn’t been trained HOW to prioritize safety and body awareness. Waipunani continues:
What I did wrong was my body and mind was not on the same page. My mind was like ahead of my body… So in any exercise I do now I make sure my mind is ok and my body ok. There is a move I do not do and that is the “huli” (the twirl). Mālia emphasizes if you don't feel safe do not do the move.
Mālia has cultivated this mindful instruction with her Academy training. As a trainee, you, too will gain practical mindfulness tools, such as Body Discovery Coaching, weaving a Thread of Continuity, and Finding Your Safe Edge. In the training itself, you immediately practice teaching with clarity, connecting meaningfully with students, and leading with safety and confidence.
As for Waipunanani – today, she’s one of our most cherished dancers, a kupuna (respected elder) who dances with grace and self-awareness. Her teacher Mālia often places Waipunanani front and center in performances. While other dancers spin and turn on both sides of her, Waipunanani chooses to stay grounded, facing forward, smiling warmly at the audience – in tune with what feels right in her body.
That’s the kind of difference a teacher trained in Mindful Movement can make in their student’s life. And you as a coach or instructor can add that Mindfulness to YOUR practice – whether you teach yoga, dance, sports, or fitness!
Our online upcoming Academy’s Mindful Movement Instructor Level 1 training will give you the tools to grow in a way that feels aligned—for both you and your students. Early Bird registration ends today July 1, 2025!
Moving mindfully with you,
Renée Tillotson