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Imagine an entire school – students, teachers, and administrators – taking time each morning to turn inward together, and listen to a brief mindfulness prompt and world-class music.
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Individuals The Well's programs combine best practices in arts and wellness and are designed in partnership with those they serve. How do we create our programs? In partnership with others and especially those we serve.
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We love collaborating with local, national and international community partners and peoples in a variety of arts programming and mindfulness practices.
We are a small yet mighty team, dedicated to making a big difference with what we have. Your support means the world to us.
This upcoming April 2024 marks the 5th anniversary of Mindful Poetry Moments - an incredible milestone for The Well and all the love and thoughtfulness put into by all the collaborators of previous years, especially with the exciting addition of MPM 2024’s curator, Haleh Liza Gafori. As we continue to enjoy all of the poetry created from this past year’s Mindful Poetry Moments edition, we’re also looking forward to what’s going to be generated from all the upcoming gatherings we’re planning on kicking off this October. With that said, we’re incredibly excited to announce the wonderful facilitators and poetry we will be featuring for Mindful Poetry Moments 2024!
Poetry Facilitator: Maureen P. Medina
Maureen P. Medina, author of My Fears Out Loud, is a Pushcart Prize Nominee. She hosts writing workshops with the goal of healing, strengthening the mind-body connection, and normalizing fear. Maureen advocates for all animals, including humans, asserts that all oppression is connected and - in alignment with the idea that none of us are free unless all of us are free (Fannie Lou Hamer) - hopes to inspire the pursuit of collective liberation with her writing. Maureen's work has been published on AlterNet, Harness Magazine, The Independent Media Institute, LA Progressive, Nation of Change, Poets Against Racism & Hatred (PARH), Tesoro's Anniversary Collection, Waxy and Poetic, and The Well World's Mindful Poetry Moments. “These Hands” was published in Grassroots Theatre Company’s Winter Zine and featured as Cafe Writers’ Poem of the Month from February to April 2022; and “I Will Not Eat My Heart Out” - which won the Image Award for "vivid imagery that creates a powerful dissension" - was published in Heartland Society of Women Writers' I Dissent Magazine in 2023. Her podcast, My Fears Out Loud, will be released this November.
Mindfulness Facilitator: Finn Menzies
Finn Menzies, a trans father and family coach, started his career as an early educator. He taught in multiple environments ranging from preschool, to juvenile court school, to community college classrooms. In 2019, he co-founded Q Inclusion LLC with his best friend Wes (@hey_wes_). They collaborated with organizations to create spaces where queer and trans people knew they belonged. Now you can find Finn on Instagram (@finn.menzies) to buy a book of his poetry or book a session with him and learn how to cultivate reciprocity in your family relationships.
Poetry Facilitator: Elena Estella Green
Elena Estella Green is a Poet living in Cincinnati, OH. Originally from New York City, Elena has published her work in various anthologies like Mindful Poetry Moments, Anthropocene, the Art Academy Magazine, Inter-religious Dialogue Journal, For a Better World 2021 etc. A recent graduate of the Conscious Feminine Leadership Academy at Women Writing for a Change. She presented her practicum workshop on Diving into Deep Writing & Reading at The Well, Autumn 2022. Elena is currently working on her first chapbook.
Poetry Facilitator: Ellen Austin-Li
Ellen Austin-Li's work has appeared in Artemis, Thimble Literary, The Maine Review, Salamander, Lily Poetry Review, Rust + Moth, and many other places. Finishing Line Press published her two chapbooks—Firefly (2019) & Lockdown: Scenes From Early in the Pandemic (2021). She’s a Best of the Net nominee. A Martin B. Bernstein Fellowship recipient, she earned an MFA in Poetry at the Solstice Low-Residency Program. Ellen co-founded the monthly reading series, "Poetry Night at Sitwell's," in Cincinnati, where she lives with her husband in a newly empty nest. You can find her at www.ellenaustinli.me.
Poetry Facilitator: Wade Hopkins
Wade Hopkins leads a non-profit in his home town of Portland, Oregon. He leads a coalition of STEAM providers and is focused on cultivating comprehensive access to STEAM opportunities for BIPOC youth in North and Northeast Portland. Wade attended the On Being Gathering and credits that event with igniting his passion for poetics.
If you’re interested in signing up for this month’s upcoming virtual gathering or for the ones to be held in the oncoming months, scroll through our trainings and events pages to register for any or as many gatherings as you wish! Continue to stay tuned for future events, workshops, and updates on Mindful Poetry Moments 2024!
Maureen P. Medina
Finn Menzies
Elena Estella Green
Ellen Austin-Li
Wade Hopkins
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Our programs have been nourishing the community since 2005. In 2019, we became the non-profit, A Mindful Moment.
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We are a small yet mighty team, dedicated to making a big difference with what we have. Your support means the world to us.
