Goals & History
Goal: We introduce the Sensory Body. Children learn to feel their bodies so they can understand what is going in more of them than just the head.
Children learn from bundles of sensations in their bodies. Becoming aware of these bundles is foundational to who they are and how they learn. In every emotion, thought, or need there are hidden sensations. WTM helps them find a key to open up a new sense. This sense, the Sensory Body, is the balance of their outer worlds and their inner authenticity. Learning who they are changes the trajectory of their lives.
Look for the messages hidden in your child’s movements, and new doors will open. Patience will open in you and insights for them. Wonder. Movements are the synthesis between their inner and outer worlds, mentally, emotionally, and intellectually. The spirit of how they are trying to learn comes through in movement.
When you teach children how to find themselves, they learn how to help themselves.
We have been active on educating the public of this program for 18 years.
Wellness Through Movement (WTM) began in January of 2007 when the elementary school, Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA), became interested in the Feldenkrais® Method and physical education (P.E.) classes. Ms. Catherine Rosasco-Mitchell, a Feldenkrais® Practitioner, joined physical education (P.E.) teacher, Susie Jones, to create the WTM program.
During the same period at the start of WTM, Rosasco-Mitchell was asked to take care of emergency-newborns of drug addicts. Her first baby brought her into the extreme need for children and learning difficulties. She decided to design a program for elementary schools, regardless of children’s condition.
For 13 years, Rosasco-Mitchell refined and tested the techniques and games. Eight years of testing was done at our pilot school, Kohala Elementary (2008 -2016). (Other testing grounds include Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) lower school, Parker School, and Waldorf School of Hawi, Hawaii.)
After three years of testing children a serendipitous discovery happened. According to teachers and parents at the Kohala Elementary School, well-being and cognitive disorders improved. In 2018 Rosasco-Mitchell presented her hypothesis that reeducating the sensory body improves well-being and cognitive disorders. Scientist concurred, movement patterns and behavior could be interdependent.
As of August 2022, Rosasco-Mitchell works with professional educators and researchers to compile a comprehensive educational website of WTM.
Who is involved?
Founder and Co-Creator 2004 – 2026
Catherine Mitchell
Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner
For forty years, Mitchell tested tens of thousands of people with chronic conditions and found the unity of motion between mind, body, and soul key to healing. At the age of 21, Catherine Mitchell’s research began through self-inquiry and the trenches of a crippling illness, rheumatoid arthritis. The medical system said there was no cure. It was then she had to travel to unfamiliar territories of healing. On the road to recovery she discovery modalities lost in western culture.
She studied with Moshe Feldenkrais and his training from 1983-1987. Mitchell earned her degree in Social Science, with a multi-disciplinary program combining psychology, communications, and economic. Independently, she continued her study in the sciences of nutrition, body ownership, brain elasticity, developmental psychology, and ancient spiritual practices. She is certified in Brain Gym®, Yoga Ed®, and Schools Attune®.
After twenty-seven years of working with chronic conditions in adults she became devoted to children. With twenty-one years, the “Wellness Through Movement (WTM)” program achieves standards for physical education (see program Part II). She is the author and producer of the school-wide animation video program “Get Sensational Attention.” She also authored the book, “A New SENSORY Self Awareness.”
Her passion is to synthesize the sciences of developmental psychology, physics, anthropology, philosophy, and theology. Dance and nature are the joys of her life.
The Kohala Community
Co-Creator 2004 – 2006
Susie Jones
M.A. Hawaii Preparatory Academy
Forty-year educator, Susie Jones was the physical education teacher for Hawaii Preparatory Academy. Susie initiated bringing Feldenkrais® work into her physical education curriculum. She served as the “fun advisor.” She took time during her Christmas break to help with the curriculum for the Wellness Through Movement P.E. program. We want to send a special thanks to Physical Education teacher Susie Jones, and the Hawaii Preparatory.
We miss you Susie! May you rest in peace.
Editors and Teacher Advisors
2020- 2022
Cherry Sanford, Teacher and Parent
For thirty years, Cherry had a wide range of teaching experiences in both public and private schools spanning Grades K-12. Teaching mostly at the elementary level, she has had high school and middle school experience as well. In addition to full time teaching positions, she has been a teacher’s assistant and substitute (both daily and long-term) in numerous classrooms in Hawaii, California, and Utah. For several years, she home-schooled her own elementary-aged children. Cherry was key in making the content understandable for parents and other teachers on this website. Mahalo Cherry for all those Tuesdays with Joyce O’connor editing content.
“I especially love working with young children. I am inspired by their enthusiasm, their inherent honesty, and their incessant desire to make activities playful and fun. As an elementary teacher for many years, I was interested in finding ways to optimize the qualities already natural to children and help them thrive in learning and in life. When I found WTM The Bridge, I discovered that by helping children become aware of sensations in their bodies, they could unlock doors to greater understanding in themselves and the world around them. I believe this is a huge step forward for educators across the nation and the globe. As it turns out, children already possess all they need for successful learning and growth. We, as trained educators in the process, merely need to show them how to find the keys.”
Cherry Sanford
Joyce O’Connor, Teacher and Parent
Science and Research Support
Mahalos to all people we know (and don’t know) working towards this kind of awareness and research in the fields of body-mind functioning. A special thanks to Art Souza, school superintendent and co-creator of the SRCD presentation, Carolyn Palmer. And to our lone donor Duncan Dempster helping support the SRCD trip. A special mahalo to our IT person, Andriy Yankovskyy, of Ukraine (God Bless you and your country) for the graphics in the poster and book. We also want to thank the North Hawaii Community Resource Center again for stepping forward as our fiscal agent.
Who are the Original Advisors?
Original Board of Advisors (2005-2013)
Catherine Rosasco Mitchell B.S: Teacher of Kinesthesia, 20 years
Susie Jones M.A: Physical Education Instructor/Administrator HPA
Esther Hughes M. Ed.: CSSS RT Comprehensive Student Support System Resource Teacher
Jody Lubrecht Ph.D.: Consulting Clinical Psychologist
Doug Connors: Laupahoehoe Train Museum, Grant Writer
And many, many teachers, administrators, and parents, we thank you.
Who Made the Book Possible?
Goals & History
Hundreds of Children!
Mahalo (thank you) to the hundreds of children from the elementary schools of Kohala, Parker, Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Waldorf, and Montessori.
William Prothero, Professor, UC Santa Barbara (2006-2018)
Bill Prothero has had forty years of experience doing both Earth Science and educational research. His research activities have been in ocean floor seismology, studies of earth structure beneath volcanoes, and the creation and evaluation of learning environments supported by internet technology. Bill is dedicated to making a difference in the consciousness of humanity with the environment and each other. His personal time is spent developing new educational software, playing jazz, and riding his bike.
Pat Linton, Former CEO of North Kohala Community Hospital (2007-2013)
Bill Prothero has had forty years of experience doing both Earth Science and educational research. His research activities have been in ocean floor seismology, studies of earth structure beneath volcanoes, and the creation and evaluation of learning environments supported by internet technology. Bill is dedicated to making a difference in the consciousness of humanity with the environment and each other. His personal time is spent developing new educational software, playing jazz, and riding his bike.
