Tag Archive for: music
Art & Health
Many older Australians are reaping the benefits from being engaged in various forms of art. They are taking part in artistic activities and engaging with art to be active in both mind and body.
Keeping our mind active as we age has become so important as we age has become so important as it keeps us from being bored and withdrawing from the world around us. By participating in art based activities, we can feel better about ourselves.
Engaging in some form of art like painting, sculpture, writing or reciting poetry, drama or learning a musical instrument will get you in a better frame of mind to tackle your daily activities.
Your involvement in art can reduce the incidence of depression and loneliness, and will even help with your manual dexterity. You may notice that your mood has improved and that you look forward to getting out your paints, or meeting other like minded artists at a local workshop. You might find that you are more relaxed and happier in your day to day routine and that you are in control. The act of creating something for yourself or for another can increase your sense of self worth with the added bonus of always having gifts that you have created on hand. but the best part of all is, these sort of activities can stop you from being bored.
So if you have always thought of yourself as not being the ‘arty’ type, you have nothing to lose. Have a go at taking up an art form that you have thought you might like to try, give it a go and if it doesn’t suit you, then try something else. Look in the library for ideas or call your local council for advice about groups to contact.
A variety of weekly art classes are offered at Little Bay Coast Centre, click here for further information.
Article extracted from ‘ONECOTA’ Winter edition magazine.
Tango Is Good For Your Brain
Research suggests that dancing the Tango greatly improves mental health.
Tango has shown a greater increase in mindfulness, as one has to be fully engaged in the present moment to execute complicated dance moves.
You can’t have a chat and dance tango.
This passionate dance needs effective communication between partners and to be able to really connect and feel what your partner is “telling”, you need to be 100% present every moment.
In this way, Tango can also act as a form of meditation. Especially if you close eyes, you will feel and connect with the music as well as move and flow with your dance partner.
It was also found to be the only physical activity associated with a lower risk of dementia. Tango is all about improvisation, as there are no fixed dance moves to follow. The dance requires split-second, rapid-fire decision making, which makes us use several brain functions at once — kinaesthetic, rational, musical and emotional — further increasing your neural connectivity.
When we take decisions by doing new physical or mental activities, our brain creates new neurological pathways. Because so many decisions are involved in dancing, it will ultimately help strengthen our muscle memory and the communication between multiple different neural systems.
You can join our Tango classes at the Coast Centre, commencing March 7, 2018 – learn more here
Appearing at the Coast Centre
The Clan Macleod Pipe Band of Sydney will be opening the Fete and Grandparents Day on Sunday October 29, 2017 at 10am!
They will be opening with a march through the Centre playing various songs including Advance Australia Fair.
A little history about the band:
In about 1942, the Mosman Scottish Association was formed and the Chief of Association Charles Christopherson dreamed of having a pipe band in the Mosman area to go hand in hand with Scottish tradition.
It wasn’t until after 1948 that the Association formed the Mosman Pipe Band and bought Lawrie pipes, imitation ivory mounted pipes, and rope tension drums with pig skin heads. This lead to their first official formal appearance on ANZAC Sunday 1949 in Mosman, gaining much needed experience in the years following.
In 1954, Bruce MacLeod formed the Clan MacLeod Society of Australia (NSW) in preparation for the first visit of the Chief, Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod.
Following the demise of the Mosman Scottish Association in 1963, the Clan Society was then renamed to the Clan MacLeod Pipe Band. They wear the Ancient MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan Tartan and even to this day, some of the original pipes, sporrans, buckles and brooches are still used.
The band continues to regularly participate in many major Sydney Community events and Parades, and has even appeared on television.
