Soul Motion: Movement Meditation
Soul Motion encourages seeing with the mystic's heart and eyes, a way of penetrating to the invisible core to things; stillness in motion, motion in stillness; the silent song. Using embodied presence and breath awareness to focus attention and hone space, students learn to become increasingly conscious of their whole being, whether in motion or stillness.

Leadership Training Guidelines

The selection process for the Soul Motion Leadership Program will be based on your movement and ministry experience, what you say in your application, and our assessment of your readiness for this training. There is a limited amount of space, so it is possible that not all applicants will be accepted. Each group will go through the entire training program together. We are looking for those who are willing to commit to the entire process.

The guidelines below describe Prerequisites, the Application Process, and the Leadership Training. Those interested in becoming Soul Motion teachers, please also read the section discussing the PRACTICUM, which includes Apprenticeship and Evaluation.

1. Prerequisites

MOVEMENT EXPERIENCE

A minimum of 350 credits and a minimum of two years of movement practice are required to apply to the program.

Up to 50 credits can be any awareness-based movement modality, such as 5Rhythms™, Continuum, Feldenkrais, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Contact Improvisation, Body Tales, etc.

The remaining 300 credits must be Soul Motion practice. A minimum of 150 credits must be with Vinn in a workshop setting and include at least one seven-day program. The remaining hours can be taken in Soul Motion classes, led by any of the Authorized Soul Motion teachers listed in the Resources section below.

MINISTRY

Ministry is being of service to the people in a field of conscious spirit. There are two aspects of Soul Motion ministry: one, the teacher’s own stillness/silence practice; and two, community service.

A stillness or silence practice is an essential qualification for teaching Soul Motion. In order to keep the channel open, a practice of not doing or thinking allows the space of silence to inform the teaching. As you consider entering this process, we emphasize the importance of making this a regular practice.

Another aspect of the Soul Motion ministry is taking it out of the dance space and into the realm of service. A practice of community service is encouraged for every aspiring Soul Motion teacher. This could include two hours monthly delivering meals to the elderly, reading to children, service in a soup kitchen or an animal shelter — anything you do in the realm of selfless service. That means you are not paid and you do it without recognition. By the time you apply you need to have completed a minimum of 20 hours of service and plan to continue ongoing service as a part of your Soul Motion training and practice.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

It will greatly benefit you to have had some previous teaching experience. This is not a requirement, but a recommendation. We encourage you to explore creative ways of setting this up, such an apprenticeship with one of your movement teachers, offering a small class to your friends, or volunteering a movement program at a senior center or women’s shelter. If one wishes to be a good fisherman, he fishes. If one wishes to be an expert archer, she shoots arrows.

2. Application

You may apply for the Leadership Program once you have fulfilled your ministry and movement requirements. Feel free to inquire ahead of time if you are qualified to apply—we have provided a checklist to help you assess your readiness. We will carefully review all the applications we receive.

Please note that we do not expect everyone who applies to be selected to participate.

To receive an Application Form and Checklist, please contact Aletia Alvarez (2010 training), or Edgar Spieker (2011 training.)

3. The Leadership Program

THE TRAINING PROGRAM

Whether you’ve chosen the Personal and Movement Certification or the Teacher Certification, attendance at all sessions in all three modules is required. Please be aware that participation in this program, while a necessary element of training and evaluation required to become Soul Motion certified, does not guarantee certification. Participants must not only complete the requirements, but also satisfactorily demonstrate their grasp of the work.

The dates of the three residential training modules are:

2010 Leadership Training

2011 Leadership Training

PRACTICUM

After completion of the second module of training, if your interest lies in working toward Soul Motion Teacher Certification, you will be invited to enter the Practicum phase. This invitation will go to those who demonstrate a comfortable embodiment in teaching the platforms of Soul Motion and an ease in demonstrating those platforms in their bodies.

The Practicum Phase is comprised of an Apprentice Program. These co-creative courses will include teaching in your own community and an active mentoring program of feedback and exchange with Vinn and one of his Authorized Teachers of Training. Details will be provided to those who enter the Practicum.

EVALUATION

Some core competencies we are looking for in Soul Motion teachers are:

4. Resources

SOUL MOTION AUTHORIZED TEACHERS OF TRAINING

FOR MOVEMENT EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE OF SOULMOTION
We strongly encourage you to pursue other movement forms, and we especially recommend these excellent teachers:

RECOMMENDED READING