6-Week Series, Mondays May 25th – June 29th from 1:30-3:00 PM at St-Andrew’s United Church located at 117 Bloor St East. 

Join us for an immersive and playful weekly series exploring music, mindfulness, and movement. Each session is crafted to cultivate joy, support relaxation, and promote both self-expression and community connection. This series welcomes participants living with mild to moderate dementia or Mild cognitive impairments along with their care team. Music Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) Michaela Bekenn will highlight the ways music and mindfulness can support wellbeing across the realms of cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health. Each session will feature an engaging and fun group music-making process including singing familiar and new tunes, rhythm-games, and improvised songwriting. Inclusive approaches will be taken to invite participants into mindfulness-based activities such as gentle movement, accessible meditation, and calm breathing. Participants will also experience the benefits of a soothing “Sound bath,” featuring a live soundscape to offer nourishment and ease. Tune in to the song of your heart and let’s celebrate the music of life, together! 

Please note: the content of this session does not intend to substitute for medical advice or formal therapy of any kind. Participants and care-partners assume full liability for their safety and wellbeing throughout each session. 

Michaela Bekenn (she/they) is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and Music Therapist based in Tkaronto (Toronto). Alongside her practice in healthcare, she works as a certified sound therapy practitioner, yoga instructor, meditation guide, and singer songwriter. Michaela is a certified facilitator of Compassion-Based Resilience Training and mindfulness for stress reduction, addiction recovery, and chronic pain. With an interdisciplinary background in theatre, music, dance, and energy-work, Michaela brings a holistic, eclectic, and playful energy to her practice. She supports people across the lifespan within both community and clinical settings including mental health care, oncology, long term care, palliative care, paediatric rehabilitation, and classroom settings where she provides expressive arts programming for neurodiverse youth. Michaela is passionate for approaches to community care anchored within a framework of social justice and collective liberation. Michaela strives to create a welcoming space for folks of all identities to feel seen, supported, and nourished.