At
this past Sunday mornings class I read an excerpt on the Voice of the Feet from
one of my Nia teaching training modules. Written by Debbie Rosas, I love using
the voices of the body as a class focus, mainly because they are like reading the
poetry of the body. I am convinced that every health professional-in-training should read these voices. They provide a glimpse into the body that goes beyond physical form and function. It confirms that our bodies inform not only physical but also our emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. These voices have allowed me to have a more loving relationship with my body.
I
promised my Sunday class I’d share the excerpt but instead I have decided to
share the full and complete voice of the feet.
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| Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/igunther/5650678877/ |
The Voice of Feet
by Debbie Rosas, co-creator
of the Nia Technique
I am
I am the voice of your feet. I have
often dreamed of us walking together. Abandon your body weight into me, and
feel yourself come to the earth, into the moment. Look at me. See me, and
notice how you have used me. Observe how your choices may have restricted me,
causing misalignment, atrophy of muscles, arthritis, bunions, pain, or
weakness. I am here to remind you I can heal. I can become powerful. I am
moldable and can be restructured.
Feel me and know from deep within
your heart that I am always here with and for you. I will never abandon you,
even when the support I offer becomes weak, when you have failed to listen and
respond to my voice. When you laugh, your joy resonates through me. Wiggle me
and stretch me into the spaces of life. I ask that you respect my size, shape
and form by comforting me, touching me and surrounding me in natural fiber. My
soft, pliable, resilient design allows me to express myself elegantly and
gracefully.
Love & Learn
Know that if you demand of me what I
cannot give, I will cry out in pain and discomfort. My voice, is not intended
to frighten you, but it is a gift I give to you, alerting you to the need for
an adjustment in how you use me. I do not desire to stop you on your path. I
want to give you freedom and power. My voice can be a reminder that there is a
more graceful, elegant and efficient way of being in your body, in your world through
your feet. Because I am made of flesh and bone, I require patience, time and
compassion for the process of change to occur. Love me and listen to me. I will
teach you about standing your ground from a place of trust and internal power.
I will teach you how to extend your energy roots deep into Mother Earth to stay
grounded and protected. Mother Earth and I have been together for lifetimes. We
have supported people from the beginning of life and time.
Choices & Dreams
I cannot lay idle, bound and
repressed in spaces that are too small for me. The world is bigger. The choices
are plentiful, and I must be there for you to reach your potential and dreams.
Take me on your journey and re-connect to life through me. If you listen to me,
I will be there for you and I can support your every step. I am of a unique
design and structure that allows you to be flexible in life, and strong and
agile in the world. I can be available to you at all times if you relate to me,
talk to me and listen to me. Be soft with me, and I will help you feel and
connect deeply and intimately to the flesh of your body. Be soft with me, so
that I too might feel the world around you. Allow me the pleasure of teaching
you how to walk softly, so you may give to Mother Earth and also receive from
her.
My Design
By design, I am a creative
organization of 26 tiny, imperfectly shaped yet perfect set of bones. I work in
harmony with your ankle, muscles and ligaments. When you are relaxed, I can
help you align. As a structured unit, I understand what it means to work together.
I am the one responsible for balancing all parts of your body. I physically
support you in your job, when you run, pump iron, sing, create art, make love,
dance, and wander through the streets of a new city. My toes, long tentacles,
are meant to be free and unrestricted. They love space in which to reach out and
play. They take you into the future, pointed forward to direct you into the
newness where life is recreated again and again.
I am designed to open and spread, rather
than to close and hold. When I am open, I ground you in the present moment.
Feel me below you, connected to the earth. Plant me firmly into the earth so
you feel safe to explore and be yourself. My heels remind you of the past, an
integral part of who you are and from where you have come. The entire history
of your life is connected and rooted through my heels. They give you support.
Their horseshoe shape dances with my arches and my toes. My arches, like
bridges, suspend you elegantly above the earth. They connect you to space.
The ball of me is designed to help
cushion your steps. It takes the edge off and reduces pressure. Be sensitive to
it. Feel its softness and allow it to guide your step as you walk backward.
Remember that all parts of me are simply hands that touch the earth.
Awaken
Within me reside 7,000 nerve endings,
receptors to keep you sensually connected to life. They speak to your whole body,
giving you information that tells you how you to step. They remind you to slow
down, to connect more, to stand tall and to rest into the moment. They keep you
physically and energetically attentive and responsive to your world. If you
listen to their subtle messages and respond with trust and love, together we
can, when necessary, step lightly, briskly, quickly, powerfully or gently.
Awaken now to my voice, so that you
may begin to live in comfort and ease. Be with me so that you may walk with
your soul in peace, in light and in love.
--
Nia,
as a company, does an incredible job providing teachers with continuing
education materials and they do an equally fantastic job of sharing education
resources for Nia students to evolve into sensation scientists. The following link
invites us to take a class focused on the feet with Debbie and also includes links
to articles and a student handout on the feet:
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