Dance into 2011 with Jennifer and Jena!

New Years Eve Morning Nia with Jennifer and Jena

Jena and Jennifer at the Fall Nia Jam 2010

Join me and Jena Hennessey on New Years Eve morning to dance into the New Year with Nia! We'll be delivering a fabulous dream-walking class and can hardly wait to dance with you! All ages are welcome! 

Friday, December 31, 2010 
9:30am - 10:30am

Fee: $13.00 drop-in

Class will be held at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood,124 N. 103rd Street, Seattle 98133.

Dance Your Sassy Self

The focus of tonight’s class is dancing our sassy self. There are several ways to define sassy but my favorite is: to be lively, bold, and full of spirit. That’s just what we’ll do tonight!

I’ve put together a fun and engaging routine that combines songs from the Nia routines: SeXi, Canta and Dreamwalker. I’ve also included one song to honor the late Teena Marie.

Come dance your most soulful and sexy self, sing your heart out (if you feel called to it) and dare to engage your imagination.

Class is from 5:30pm – 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

A Nia-full Holiday!

Happy Holidays and Winter Solstice! Here are some updates on what I am up to for the next couple of weeks. It’s going to be a Nia-full holiday!

Jena Hennessey and I at Fall Nia Jam

Friday, December 24, 2010
Time: 9:30am – 10:30am
Where: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood
I am co-teaching a class with Jena Hennessey on Christmas Eve morning. Details here.

Saturday, December 25, 2010
There are 2 Nia classes on Christmas Day at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood. While I am not teaching either, I plan on attending at least one :).

Susan Tate: 10am – 11am
Gretchen Musgrove: 11:30am - 12:30pm

Sunday, December 26, 2010
Gretchen Musgrove is teaching from 11:30am – 12:30pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood. It is her birthday and I plan on being there to dance and celebrate with her!

and

My 5pm Sunday evening Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages class on December 26th is canceled due to a holiday family gathering. I will be spending the evening playing with my nephews and niece and eating as much chocolate as possible.

Monday, December 27, 2010
Time: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Where: Open Flight Studio in the University District
Class is ON! Come dance with me.

Friday, December 31, 2010
Time: 9:30am – 10:30am
Where: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood
I am co-teaching another class with Jena Hennessey on New Years Eve morning. Details here.

Saturday, January 1, 2011
Susan and Gretchen are both teaching at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood.

Susan Tate: 10am - 11am
Gretchen Musgrove: 11:30am – 12:30pm

I’ll be there to joyously and perhaps a bit sleepily dance into 2011 with one or both of them.

Sunday, January 2, 2011
Class is on! I am teaching my regular combined Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages class from 5pm – 6pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood. This will be a special class in honor of the New Year. The focus: Creating Self.

After that, my regular and expanded schedule resumes. Here is the schedule!

I am looking forward to seeing you soon and dancing with you in 2011.

With that I leave you with this little video of what has become one of my favorite holiday season songs for the past couple of years. Just a note that I didn't create the slideshow but found this complete video on YouTube:



With warmth and tremendous gratitude for you all,
Jennifer

Celebrating the Winter Solstice and Returning to the Light

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

- Albert Camus




Tonight is a special evening as this year the winter solstice coincides with a lunar eclipse for the first time in 456 years.

A lunar eclipse is a time of new beginnings. It’s a time of uniting, coming into presence, engaging with the world and gaining new perspective. The winter solstice has traditionally been a time of rebirth, prayer and celebration around the world since ancient times. It also marks the coming of winter and is both the darkest and longest evening and thus, the shortest day. Combined, they simply give us an opportunity to embrace change, come together in community and celebrate the changing of the season and the return of the light.

In the spirit of this event, tonight’s class focus is on celebrating endings and beginnings in community and honoring the darkness and light to come. As a bonus, included in tonight’s routine are a couple of holiday songs.

Let’s celebrate!

Class tonight 5:30pm – 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

Read more about the Winter Solstice and Lunar Eclipse.

Movement Meditation

The focus of tonight’s combined Nia 5 Stages and Gentle Nia class is movement meditation through the Voice of the 5 Stages.

The Nia 5 Stages are based on the five stages of human development: Embryonic, Creeping, Crawling, Standing and Walking. Practiced with awareness, these stages have the power to facilitate optimal alignment, improved function and comfort in the body. Whether practiced at length or for as little as five minutes a day, this system provides a tool for reclaiming and sustaining mobility, flexibility, strength, agility and stability.

Tonight, for the first half of class, we will experience the gentle and nurturing movement meditation of embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing and walking. I will guide you through each of the movements with my voice. For the second half of class we will experience a gentle routine to music while maintaining the focus of movement meditation.

Class tonight is from 5pm – 6pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood.

**Class is canceled next Sunday, December 26, 2010.

For my complete schedule: http://everybodyloveyourbody.blogspot.com/p/class-schedule.html

She Rewards Me With Magic

The focus of tonight’s class is creative movement through sensation. The intent is to celebrate your body’s way.

Yesterday I read and was inspired by a testimonial from a Nia teacher on the Nianow.com website.

Anne Francis, Nia teacher in the UK wrote:

“I teach and practice Nia to explore a side of my life that I had previously largely ignored. I dashed through life to appease the invisible parents, the ruthless society, the crazy world – without realising that my body, the wonderfully magical machine that encompasses my thoughts, dreams and soul yearnings, had such delights to offer me. We're more in step now; I listen more. My body has responded with increased energy levels, deep restorative sleep, muscles appearing from beneath layers of fat, improved scrabble scores, twinge-free meditations and the ability to wear my killer heels without guilt or pain.”
Full testimonial: http://nianow.com/testimonial/nia-testimonial-anne-francis-nia-teacher 


Anne's testimonial resonated with me. I was dashing through life, not to appease anyone, but because I had (and have) so much energy that I craved being in a constant state of "doing." Much of my doing was disconnected from sensation, or body listening, which is why I usually ended up depleted. The practice of Nia has taught me to cultivate conscious and meaningful doing that is based on listening to my body. I follow her prompts and she rewards me with magic. I love how I feel when I move and I find myself dancing a new dance almost every day. It's truly a celebration.


Tonight, I invite you to join me in listening to, responding to and celebrating our wonderfully magical bodies. Let’s dance! 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.


*This is my last Friday evening class at Open Flight Studio. I am co-teaching the next two Fridays, Decembers 24th and 31st from 9:30am – 10:30am with Jena Hennessey at the Dance Space in Greenwood. 


**On January 7, 2011 I begin teaching my Friday evening class from 6pm-7pm at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Christmas Eve and New Years Eve Morning Nia with Jennifer and Jena

Jena and Jennifer at the Fall Nia Jam 2010

Join me and Jena Hennessey on Christmas eve and/or New Years Eve morning to celebrate the season and dance into the New Year with Nia! All ages are welcome to both classes. What a great way to get your holiday moving!

Friday, December 24, 2010 
9:30am - 10:30am

Friday, December 31, 2010 
9:30am - 10:30am

Fee: $13.00 drop-in for each.

Both classes held at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood,124 N. 103rd Street, Seattle 98133.

Questions? Contact me or Jena.  

The Power of Play

The focus of tonight’s class is pure, natural, and uninhibited Play.

Play refers to a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities that are normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment. *Wikipedia

According to David Elkind, author of "The Power of Play," play is motivated by pleasure. Joy and pleasure are at the heart of Nia. It's a natural marriage. Here is an excellent article by the author titled "Can We Play?"

Join me for a playful and joyful class! 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio.

Relaxing the Elbow

The focus of tonight’s combined Nia 5 Stages and Gentle Nia class is the elbow and forearm bones with the intent to reduce tension and produce relaxation in the elbow joint and forearms.

The elbow joint is formed by the upper arm bone and two forearm bones. The surfaces of these bones are smooth. The forearm bones are the only two bones in your body that spiral over each other. Your elbow constantly receives energy from this spiraling or corkscrew action of the forearms.

The elbow is like a mouth that opens and closes. Its function is to transfer energy from the hands and forearms to the upper arm bones, keeping them relaxed. When the elbow is locked, tension results in the joints below (wrists and hands) and above (shoulders, neck, and jaw), constricting the flow of energy and causing fatigue.

Join me for a relaxing class tonight 5pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood. It’s the perfect way to end a rainy weekend.

Body Pearl for the Day: "Unite your states of body."

I read this today on a Facebook feed for Psych Central and decided it should be my "Body Pearl of the Day." Enjoy!

United States of Body

By Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D.

There are days when
I am completely in my mind.
Those days are many.
And then there days when I am totally outdoors, totally out of my mind*

Like now:

*Mindfulness doesn’t mean more mind, it means less mind, more body.  There is this here-and-now smell, this present-moment touch, this dynamic of the moment, i.e. this life as it is unfolding in this moment, and then mind cuts in, with its distracting interpretation, with its intellectualizing narrative.  Never mind your mind – and unite your states of body.

This post was copied directly from the Psych Central Blog: 360 degrees of Mindful Living.

Cultivating Infinite Movement with 200/700

The focus of tonight’s routine is 200/700. That's 200 bones and just about 700 muscles. The intent is to cultivate infinite movement variety. We are going to play with every bone and muscle. The invitation of this routine is to notice your movement habits and break them by “tweaking” each movement until you feel new sensations. Get ready to get creative!

Join me tonight at Open Flight Studio in the University District at 5:30pm.


As a teaser, this is my absolute favorite song from the routine I am working with tonight, Canta. I can resist getting up to dance when I hear it. We won’t be spinning but wouldn’t it be fun if we did?

Nia is to Exercise What Holistic Medicine is to Healthcare

I discovered this article today. It captures Nia beautifully, especially for those who haven't experienced it yet. My favorite quote from the article is: "Nia is to exercise what holistic medicine is to healthcare. Through movement we find health." Well put!

This article was originally posted on this website: http://sassyhongkong.com/sassy-guest-blogger-tracey-fenner-tell-us-about-nia/ 

Sassy Guest Blogger: Tracey Fenner tell us about Nia

July 8, 2010

Today, our guest blogger, Tracey Fenner (founder of Nia Hong Kong) tells us about Nia, which is an expressive body-mind movement and lifestyle practice. Nia is now available in Hong Kong thanks to Tracey who is a Certified Nia Blue Belt Instructor and we can’t wait to check out one of her classes. Check out Tracey in action (she is in the red pants and white tank) on You Tube – so neat! 

Nia is an expressive body-mind movement and lifestyle practice, integrating fitness and health and it creatively blends movements, concepts and philosophies from both Eastern and Western traditions. Founded on the concept that there is a dancer, martial artist, and highly aware person within each, this neuromuscular integrative action melds various concepts together.

Combining classic movement forms, it encompasses three arts, martial, healing, and dance to create a synergy unmatched by any isolated technique. Revolutionizing the world of fitness and well being, it replaces punishment with pleasure and advocates doing things the easy way. Nia builds internal and external strength including strengthening bones, joints, muscles & breathing, cardiovascular conditioning, improved muscle tone, flexibility, weight management, relaxation and stress reduction. Nia is to exercise what holistic medicine is to healthcare. Through movement we find health.

Nia is normally practiced in hour-long classes but the true depth of the work lies in a rich body of education, which for many develops into a powerful life practice. With a philosophy rooted in “The Joy of Movement,” Nia teaches people of all lifestyles to use the sensation of Pleasure as a map toward physical, mental and emotional health. If it feels good, keep doing it, if it hurts stop! Nia is danced in bare feet and provides three levels of intensity in every movement, a variety in range of motion, and endless user-friendly choreographic movement choices.

Nia blends nine movement forms taking the energy essence of each. The nine forms are: Martial Arts (Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido); Dance Arts (Jazz, Duncan, Modern) and Healing Arts (Yoga, Feldenkrais, the Alexander Technique). Playing with these forms helps to unblock impediments of energy flow in the body. In Systemic Movement, Nia opens up to moving as a unit and increases your sensitivity to moving as a whole. Creating awareness within how you connect parts, energetically connecting limbs to the core, spine and breath.

Nia and has been established for over 26 years with 100,000 of students being taught by more than 2,500 Licensed Teachers in 42 countries worldwide. Nia is safe and bursts boundaries of age, gender and fitness levels, delivering a fun, effective and life changing practice for all walks of life. Discover Nia for yourself today. For more details on classes, workshops, retreats currently being staged in Hong Kong and around Asia please visit www.niahongkong.com.

December 2010 Newsletter and New Years News

News Class Updates and New Classes Quick Links My Website My Blog Facebook

Everybody, Love Your Body December 2010 Greetings! First, I want to thank you all for your support this year as I transitioned from being a devoted Nia student to a passionate Nia teacher. I love to teach and doubly love to dance with and learn from each of you. Your support, encouragement and feedback continue to enrich my learning and practice. I feel so lucky to be your friend, teacher, and student. I have some exciting changes to announce. I am adding two new classes to my schedule starting in January 2011 and my Friday evening class will be moved to 6pm in Fremont. With my new schedule, I will be teaching five days per week. I am most excited about teaching at two new studios that are run by wonderful women that are passionate about movement. My Friday evening classes at Open Flight Studio end on Friday, December 17th. One of the studio partners has requested the space on an ongoing basis which resulted in the cancellation of my class. I will be teaching on both Friday Decembers 24 and 31 from 9:30am - 10:30am at the Dance Space in Greenwood. Come celebrate Christmas Eve and New Years Eve with me. I will continue to teach at Open Flight Studio on Monday evenings at 5:30pm. My Nia colleague, Jeanna Wheeler, will continue to teach at the studio on Saturday mornings at 10:15am. She will continue to honor a class card you have with me at her Saturday class. I am also excited to announce that Jeanna is adding additional classes to her schedule in January at Skin Deep Studio: Mondays and Wednesdays at 9am. Her full schedule is here. Starting in January, I will be teaching on Friday evenings at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio (Visionary Dance Productions) in Fremont. The studio is truly stunning and they offer a variety of belly dance classes. I am looking forward to trying the "Shimmy Madness" class! Delilah has created a space that I can only describe as sacred. And she is a remarkable woman devoted to dance, community and the empowerment of women. On January 13th I begin teaching at a brand new studio opening in Wallingford. The studio, Fresh Fitness and Dance, promises to be a health and wellness oasis with a community-based feel. They will offer a variety of  both traditional and non-traditional classes and programs. The open house is tentatively schedule for January 9, 2011. I will send an update as soon as the details are available. As I reflect on 2010, the one phrase that came to mind was the focus of the very first routine I taught. The focus of Sanjana was Dynamic Ease. I've learned to find the blissful resting place in my dance and am learning to move more efficiently and with a sense of relaxation. This comes in handy as I learn new routines and delve more deeply into choreography. But the one principle of Nia that has resonated most for me this year is the Joy of Movement. I've never been happier. Thank you for allow me to share my Joy with you! May you dance into the new year with Joy and Dynamic Ease. With warmth, Jennifer Lucero-Earle Everybody, Love Your Body: Nia with Jennifer Below is my class schedule for the rest of the year and the coming year. You can find more information about these classes on my blog. I now have gift certificates available. If you want to give the gift of Nia, let me know. I can customize a gift certificate for you. January Special: I am offering a 10-class card for $80 with a 3-month expiration. December Class Schedule Mondays: 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio *No changes to schedule. Teaching straight through the month. Fridays: 12/10 and 12/17 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio Fridays: 12/24 and 12/31 9:30am - 10:30am at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood Sundays: Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages Combined Class 5:00pm - 6:00pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood *No changes to schedule. Class is on for 12/26 and 1/2! January Class Schedule Mondays: 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio 4205 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105 Thursdays: (NEW starting 1/13) 6:30pm - 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford NEW studio: 4430 Corliss Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103 *Right off of N 45th Street between N 45th and N 44th St. Fridays: (NEW Time and Location starting 1/7) 6:00pm - 7:00pm at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio (Visionary Belly Dance Productions) in Fremont 4128 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103 Saturdays: (NEW starting 1/15) 11:00am - 12:00pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford NEW studio: 4430 Corliss Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103 *Right off of N 45th Street between N 45th and N 44th St. Sundays: Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages Combined Class 5:00pm - 6:00pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood I leave you with this photo of my new Friday evening Nia home. Classes start January 7th. See you there! Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont

The Simple Act of Breathing

"...the simple act of breathing requires no special effort, and similarly no effort is required to become connected with spirit. The body is already an inspired organism, and every moment, from your first breath to your last, is an opportunity to breathe in life's joy and fullness. Inspiration not only includes both breath and spirit, then, but is actually the meeting point at which the two merge; and the unification that takes place in you takes place automatically, unconsciously, effortlessly and inevitably."

- Joseph Heller, founder of Hakomi Therapy

I love this quote on the power of the breath and the body as an "inspired organism." When I teach, I always remind my students to stay connected to their breath. I read somewhere in one of my Nia materials that "Our breath is the elixir of life, a healing tool.  It can give us a sensation of a more relaxed space within our body." For me, breathing not only helps me tap into a space of relaxation, it paves the way for deeper, more playful and creative movement. In consciously breathing through a movement, I spend less time in my head and more time sensing deep into my body and overall somatic experience. The more connected I am to my body, the more I engage in movement and experience greater pleasure and joy.

Try this, raise your elbow as if offering something to the space. First, do this movement without consciously focusing on your breath. Second, do it with your breath. Raise you elbow on the inhale and extend the elbow out on the exhale. Which one produced greater pleasure? Were you inspired to make the movement more creative? 

In line with the above, there was a great story on NPR yesterday, December 6th, about the power of the breath on our health and well-being.

Here is one quote from the article:

"As it turns out, deep breathing is not only relaxing, it's been scientifically proven to affect the heart, the brain, digestion, the immune system — and maybe even the expression of genes."

To read more, go to the NPR article: Just Breathe: Body Has A Built-In Stress Reliever

Sense, Witness and Adapt with X-Ray Anatomy

The focus of tonight’s class is X-Ray anatomy with the intent to tap into movement variety to create new neuromuscular pathways.

X-Ray anatomy is 10th of the 13 Principles of the Nia White Belt. The goal of this principle is to teach us to see, observe and sense our body alignment using structural anatomy and sensory awareness. To make this happen, we use our eyes, imagination, and intuition to see and perceive the activity occurring beneath our skin. We sense into what is going on with our bones, ligament, and muscles and tweak our movements to create new and different movements that may produce improvements in alignment as well as increased pleasure.

To bring X-Ray Anatomy into your body and life:

Sense
The moment you wake up, become consciously aware of sensation. Go about your day and track the sensations of pain and pleasure. Choose pleasure by consciously placing your bones in alignments that feel good. Listen to the voice of pleasure, which tells you, "This is good. This is a healthy choice - keep doing what you're doing."

Witness
Throughout the day, notice what you are doing with your posture when you feel comfort and pleasurable sensations—notice the alignment of your bones and joints. Pay attention to any level of slight, moderate and acute sensations that feel bad or uncomfortable, and then proactively say "no" to pain. The moment you sense pain and discomfort, shift your bone and/or joint alignment until the sensation of pleasure returns.

Adapt
Play with altering what you normally do throughout the day, while focusing on the desire to feel better. Move your bones and joints in ways that tighten or release your muscles, until you feel more comfort and pleasure in your movement. Remember: Comfort and pleasure are the voices that tell you when your actions are right for you.

Sense, Witness and Adapt: Keep these three things in mind each day, and I promise you will notice wonderful changes in your body and life!

Learn more about Cultivating Comfort with X-Ray Anatomy
By: Debbie Rosas, Nia co-founder

Join me for class tonight at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District as we practice self-awareness during movement and listen to the voice of our body to consciously create new ways of moving.

Voice of the Connective Tissue

The focus of tonight’s Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages combined class is on the connective tissue and transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is the conversion of one substance into another. In Nia, we identify it as the space and what occurs between things. When you substantiate two movements, there is seamlessness. The movement is continuous.

Connective tissue, the largest tissue of the body, shows us that everything in the body is meant to be connected, not isolated components. It provides not only support, but also the transportation of signals, nutrients, gases and wastes throughout the body. Connective tissue is the stuff in between that transmits information. The type of connective tissue we will primarily focus on tonight is the fascia – a web-like sweater that provides support by encasing bones, muscles, organs, ligaments, and tendons. We will play with seamlessly connecting one movement to the next.

Voice of the Connective Tissue*
My job is to connect and support in adaptive ways. I am a fibrous fabric sheet that assists you in moving elegantly. Elastic in nature, I control the multi-directional wave of energy flowing along your bones and through your muscles. I transmit movement through your whole body. I support your entire skeleton and make it possible for your bones to float and rest. I vary in design based on the number and density of my fibers. I can be hard, soft, elastic or rigid. In bone, I am hard.

On the surface of muscle, I am heavy. When I embrace and enfold muscle tissue, you know me as your myofascia. You can find me anywhere in the body. I’m even under your skin. Your structure could not function without me.

I lose my flexibility when you become sedentary or when your alignment causes one part of your body to continuously do more than it is designed to do. Keep me healthy by moving in dynamic, functional ways that improve whole body integration.

A reflection of my health can be seen in your body as your shape and contour changes. Constant tension in your body causes me to stiffen, limiting your ability to lengthen and move freely. If you don’t move me, I become thick and bind parts of your body. This limits your whole body’s interaction and mobility. Moving connective tissue with Dynamic Ease and Systemic Sensation keeps my support elastic. I change in response to movement.

Visualize me as an organized, but irregular spider web, the score upon which the musical notes of your movements are written to create a symphony of bone, muscle, and organ system sounds whose tones resonate fluidity, balance and harmony.

Class begins at 5:00pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood.  Come experience seamless systemic movement.

*From www.Nianow.com

Canta Debut!

I will be teaching a brand new routine tonight called "Canta."

Tonight we will be playing with the energy of Aikido. In Aikido, we use spirals, circular movements, our breath, the hara (moving from our center), and we extend our energy into space with ease instead of force.

Aikido means; "Ai" to meet, "Ki" spirit, and "Do" the way. In other words, Aikido is the way of harmony. It is the way of the peaceful warrior.

According to George Leonard, an Aikido master that the Nia co-founders encountered as they learned this movement modality: Aikido is best understood through the word G-R-A-C-E.

G - ground before you move.
R - relax to efficiently and effectively respond.
A - awareness is the way to perceive everything in order to make a decision and take action.
C - center, touch your center, find it, stay with it and listen to it.
E - energy, use chi energy to direct your attention; energy follows attention.

Join me at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in dancing the dance of the peaceful warrior(ess') with GRACE.

Class tonight at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio.

I will be teaching the Thanksgiving routine for those of you that were unable to dance with us on Thursday.

Come dance your gratitude and blessings with me and in community.

The spine as an elegant string of fluid pearls

Tonight's 5pm class at the Dance Space in Greenwood will focus on the spine as an elegant string of fluid pearls.

Dancing Our Blessings

Thanks to the group of men and women that braved the snow and cold to join us for our special Thanksgiving class. Gretchen Musgrove and I could not have envisioned a better way to spend our Thanksgiving morning than sharing it with all of you.

We danced our blessings with grace and style while raising money for Noel House.

Thanks to Gretchen's husband, Scott, for documenting the class with photos. Some of the photos can be found on Gretchen's blog.

Special Thanksgiving Nia Class

We're on. Please join us!

Gentle Nia and 5 Stages - The Spine

"Like a snake, movement of the spine travels collectively and rhythmically throughout our whole structure." - Andrea Olsen

The focus of tonight's Gentle/Nia 5 stages class is the spine. Just as we did on Friday, we’ll work with its 26 vertebrae, natural curves and ability to bend, lean and twist.

Come move with the snow flurries and me tonight at 5pm at the Dance Space in Greenwood.

The Voice of the Spine

The focus of tonight's class is the spine. We'll be playing and dancing with lines, circles, and spirals to some awesome global beats.

Class begins at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District. It's Friday night play time!

An excerpt provided by nianow.com:

The Voice of the Spine
"To the physical part of you, I am the internal structure that separates and allows movement. Long and flexible, I remind you to move from within like a snake. Larger at the bottom, I remind you that a strong base provides you with freedom and security. Feel my length, my snake-like energy running through you from top to bottom. My edges lie close, next to your organs. My spiny protrusions, like thorns on a rosebush, extend from your back into spaces behind you. My energy centers, along your back, cascades your energy down into the Earth. Your bones at the sides of this central energy cascade reach up and out into space like wings. Dance with me and unleash the potential I offer to you in these 26 soul bones."

Self-Expression through our Upper Extremities

The focus of tonight’s class is our upper extremities. Every gesture with the upper extremities expresses a part of you.

The upper extremities include your fingers, hands, upper arms, forearm bones, shoulder joints and shoulder girdle. These extremities not only allow you to hug and hold yourself, they also energetically and emotionally articulate what you feel inside.

The intent tonight is to discover self-expression and direct energy through the arms, hands and fingers.

Class begins at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

First combined Gentle/Restorative Nia and Nia 5 Stages class

Join me tonight for my first combined Gentle/Restorative Nia and Nia 5 Stages class. Our class focus tonight is body awareness through tracking the sensations of pleasure and pain and tweaking so that we end up with pleasure. We'll learn about and practice the Nia 5 stages and experience a 35-minute Nia routine at level one.

Class begins at 5pm at the Dance Space in Greenwood.

Nia Flash Mob - Portland, OR

Check out the raw footage of the Nia flash mob video from this past weekend. I was there and it was a blast. Word is we're planning one in Seattle!

Beginner's Mind

I just returned from an incredible weekend of learning, exploring and embodying the process of choreography at Nia headquarters in Portland, OR. Once again, I am in awe of the beauty and magic that is Nia. I thought the logical focus for tonight's class should be "beginner's mind."

Come play with me! 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

Remembrance

Tonight is my first Monday evening class at Open Flight Studio in the U-district. The focus of the class will be Remembrance, in honor of All Souls Day. See this wonderful description by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes: All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos.

Join me for class at 5:30pm!

Dancing Our Bones

The focus of tonight’s class is dancing our bones. We are approaching Halloween after all. Join us for dangling and dancing our bones in all sorts of fun and fluid ways. If you’d like to read one of my favorite articles about our bones, click here.

A special guest, Daren Wade, will join me for a couple of songs and will lead us through some Halloween favorites, Daren style! Daren is a friend, my boss (for my day job at UW), a colleague and a Nia student. He’s also one of the best dancers and entertainers I know! Together, we promise to deliver a howling fun-filled class. Join us tonight! Hooowwwwwlllllll.

Class is from 5:30pm-6:30pm at Open Flight Studio . Address is 4205 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105 (walk upstairs - look for the door next to the Pho place).

Natural Time and 13/20

Tonight we will work with Natural Time and 13/20. There are 13 joints in the body and we have 20 digits. The 13 joints are the ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints on the right and left sides of the body, and the spine. The 20 digits are our fingers and toes. We will explore moving our 13 joints and 20 digits based on our own internal rhythms so that we each find a pace, depth and way of moving that is most pleasurable for us individually.

When we move in our own natural time we step into the fullness of our individuality. There is no need to mechanically copy and look like anyone else, and no need to fixate on repetitive movement. We explore the sensation of pleasure in every joint as we become familiar with every joint’s range of motion and we discover our unique style and expressive self, the choreography of our own dance.

Come discover the choreography of your own dance tonight!

Class is from 5:30pm-6:30pm at Open Flight Studio . Address is 4205 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105 (walk upstairs - look for the door next to the Pho place).

The Dance of Precision

Tonight we will continue working our inner warriors and warrioress' focusing on the energy of Tae Kwon Do: The Dance of Precision. As we consciously and creatively combine dance with martial precision through blocks, kicks, punches, steps and stances, we affirm "I am strong, confident, self-assured. I am willing to fight for me and you."

Join me for class tonight: 5pm at NW Community Yoga, 701 NW 70th St Seattle, WA 98117.

The Warrior(ess) Dance

Tonight we will be working with the energy of Tae Kwon Do: The Dance of Precision.

The energy of this movement form is very warrior-like: precise, powerful, strong, confident, empowering, and in my opinion, thrilling.

Some of the movements we will explore tonight include blocks, punches, kicks, steps and stances, and sound. You are probably wondering why I listed sound as a movement. Sound is actually used in conjunction with movement for several reasons: to remind us to breathe, to express and release emotional energy, and to infuse power into your movements.

For more on Sounding in Nia: Sounding student download.

Come join the warrior(ess) dance tonight!

Class is from 5:30pm-6:30pm at Open Flight Studio . Address is 4205 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105 (walk upstairs - look for the door next to the Pho place).

Your fingers, like wands, are magical tools

The focus of tonight’s class is our upper extremities. Every gesture with the upper extremities expresses a part of you. The intent tonight is to discover self-expression through the arms, hands and fingers. Nia co-founders call these “the messengers of your heart.” When I think of my upper extremities, the first thing I think of is hugs. Who doesn’t love hugs?

Our arms and hands are not only energy portals that move chi throughout the body, they also have proprioceptors that are highly sensitive to physical sensation and relay information about our internal body conditions. If we listen, they tell us how to move to increase pleasure or decrease pain and/or discomfort. They may say: move more slowly, or gently, use less or more pressure, or move with greater speed.

One of my favorite sentences from the Nia book is this one: “Your fingers, like wands, are magical tools.” The first time I read this I immediately got up and visualized my fingers as magical wands. I found my movements were more dynamic and that my arms tired less easily. I was intentionally directing energy via my fingers and it felt not only fun, but also powerful.

Tonight, we will express ourselves by keeping our upper extremities alive and engaged.

Join me for class tonight: 5pm at NW Community Yoga, 701 NW 70th St Seattle, WA 98117.

Birthday Nia Routine (songs)

You asked for them. Here they are!

1. Song For Olabi by Bliss from the routine Sexi
2. Mulatica Mia (Cuba Remix) by The Tao Of Groove from the routine Aya
3. Palais Mascotte by Patrick Duvoisin from the routine Aya
4. No Quiero Nada Mas by Sancti Spiritus from the routine Aya
5. Go Get It by Sepalot from the routine Halo (Dina Innominato)
6. The Way I Are by Timbaland from the routine Halo (Dina Innominato)
7. Rhythm Is? by Afro-Mystik from the routine Aya
8. Butterfly Heart by Chris Coco from the routine Butterfly
9. Free by Illumine from the routine Velvet
10. Groovin' On a Feeling by Happy Dreamer - movements from Sanjana, song suggested by Nia teacher community
11. Snakeroot by Lis Addison from the routine Alive
12. Chakra 4, 1 Minute by Shannon Day from Chakra Meditation

Celebrating my Birthday with the Joy of Movement

Tonight's class at Open Flight Studio is FREE. Yesterday, I celebrated my 35th birthday and as my gift to my community I have put together some of my favorite Nia songs and moves and will be sharing them in class tonight. The focus of tonight's class is the first of the Nia white belt principles, The Joy of Movement. I have discovered profound joy through movement and am thrilled to share this with you.

In Nia, we experience Joy not as an emotion but as a physical sensation. Experiencing joy as a sensation encourages us to embrace the body as it is and move in ways that produce joy and pleasure, tweaking any movements as necessary to increase or sustain pleasure. What a concept! Tonight we will celebrate our bodies by allowing joy take the lead in our dance!

Class is from 5:30pm-6:30pm at Open Flight Studio . Address is 4205 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105 (walk upstairs - look for the door next to the Pho place).

Hip Joints Moving Freely

The focus of tonight’s class is the hip joint. The intent is to find ease and pleasure with our levels of mobility and stability with this joint.

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The head of the femur forms the “ball” and inserts into the socket of the pelvis. The ball shape allows for mobility in many directions, while the depth of the socket provides stability.

Tonight, we will sense and play with the flexibility, mobility, stability, stiffness, restriction and range of motion determined by this bone and joint relationship.

According to the founders of Nia: Healthy hip joints are vital to fluidity and power in your legs. When your hip joints move freely, your pelvis and thighbones can work together to support you in any range of motion.

Join me for class tonight: 5pm at NW Community Yoga, 701 NW 70th St Seattle, WA 98117.

First Class at Open Flight Studio

I am truly excited to teach my first class at Open Flight Studio in the U-district tonight at 5:30pm. Jeanna Wheeler , blue belt Nia teacher and I will be team teaching the latin-inspired routine, Aya. Jeanna and I will be sharing class cards at Open Flight Studio. Jeanna teaches at Open Flight on Saturday mornings at 10:15am. You can take either one of our classes with the class cards.

Check out the beautiful music from Aya .

The focus of tonight’s routine is Stability. The intent is to find peace and relaxation while dancing to the music. And a little energetic stability can’t hurt plant some roots in this new space for me.

Come boogie with us! 5:30pm-6:30pm, Open Flight Studio at 4205 University Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105 (walk upstairs - look for the door next to the Pho place).

Check out some photos of the space:

Dreamwalker and Sensation

Join me for class tonight: 5pm at NW Community Yoga (701 NW 70th St Seattle, WA 98117) in Ballard/Phinney as we play with the dreamy routine "Dreamwalker." The focus: Sensation!

Hear the music of the Dreamwalker routine.

Hidden Mysteries of Autumn

Tonight is the last night I will be teaching at the Crown Hill School. In honor of my time here, the focus of class will be gratitude with the intention to celebrate! I thank the Crown Hill School for being such a wonderful and playful space for me as I took my first steps as a Nia teacher. I guess it makes sense that I began this journey at what was once an elementary school. Next week, starting October 1st, I begin teaching on Friday evenings at Open Flight Studio in the University District. I hope my time there is fruitful and adventurous.

Please join me tonight at 6:45pm at the Crown Hill School, room 4 (9250 14th NW, Seattle, WA 98117), in the Spirit of gratitude and celebration as I close one chapter and begin another.

For your reading pleasure, I have provided an excerpt on the hidden mysteries of Autumn:

"Fall is the time of harvesting, and also the time to take stock of what you harvest. If your returns this season are not what you hoped, now is the time to reflect, find your balance and look for what within you must change to assure greater success in the coming year.

Now is a time to reflect between your past and your future. See it as standing on a threshold between what was, and what will be. Look back at all you've accomplished, and look forward at the new adventures to come. If nothing WITHIN you CHANGES, then your past will be your future.

Fall Equinox is a traditional time of gratitude and thanksgiving around the world. Join in the flow of the times and add your appreciation for all you've experienced and received this past year - and your Joyful expectations for the coming year. You are setting your own future in motion now with a potent surge of energy during the transition point."

From: Fall Equinox Hidden Mysteries

Playfulness and Fluidity

Last night, as I practiced the routine I am planning on sharing tonight, the two words that kept coming to mind were “playfulness” and “fluidity.” The routine was speaking to me. I was smiling, there was a bounce to each step I took and I felt like I could melt into each movement. Afterwards I felt flexible, relaxed and light-hearted. I had so much fun putting together the songs and moves for this routine. I hope you will join me tonight as we experience the joy of playfulness and fluidity.

This is my second to last class at the Crown Hill School. The last class will be next week, Friday September 24th. Starting on Friday, October 1st I will be teaching at Open Flight Studio in the University District. More fun news to come about my first class at Open Flight Studio…stay tuned!

I look forward to dancing with you tonight: 6:45pm at the Crown Hill School, room 4. Address: 9250 14th NW, Seattle, WA 98117.

Nia 5 Stages Teacher Training

A reminder that there is no class on Friday, September 10th or Sunday, September 12th. My next class is scheduled for Friday, September 17th at the Crown Hill School.

I am in Portland at Nia headquarters participating in the Nia 5 Stages teacher training. I learned the Nia 5 Stages practice at my white belt training. The work immediately resonated with me and I knew I wanted to delve into it both for self-growth and for teaching purposes. For the past four months I have spent 7-10 minutes each day doing this practice and after each session I experience a new sensation of healing in my body. I feel stronger, taller (that's a big one for me!), more stable, aligned, balanced, flexible, agile, mobile, graceful and more keenly aware of my body sensations. I call the 5 stages my "magic" practice and I hope to better explain the science behind it after this training.

What is the Nia 5 Stages?
The Nia 5 Stages is an integrative movement practice based on the five stages of human development: Embryonic, Creeping, Crawling, Standing, and Walking.

The object of practicing the five simple movements that comprise the Nia 5 Stages is to prepare the body to become more functional, energetic, and comfortable while moving, dancing Nia, running, doing yoga, etc. This practice allows you to sense the natural ability your body has to realign itself and self-heal through movement. Practiced with awareness, these stages have the power to facilitate optimal alignment, improved function and comfort in the body.

A Nia’s 5 Stages class guides you through these 5 movements; first in your body’s own way, then with a particular focus (e.g., shoulder blades, spine, hips, etc.). Let me know if you are interested in experiencing the 5 Stages. I am happy to facilitate a group or private session and will hold a class series within the next couple of months.

Until next week...

Movement and Healing

The focus of tonight’s class is healing. Each of us has an area of our bodies and/or lives that can use healing. Movement can be powerful medicine for the body, mind, heart and soul. Nia is the physical, spiritual and philosophical practice I turn to when I need healing. I invite you to join me tonight in focusing our Nia practice on something in our lives or even in our world that could use collective healing energy.

A reminder that there is no class on Sunday, September 5th or next week Friday, September 10th and Sunday, September 12th. Next weekend I will be at Nia headquarters in Portland, OR doing the Nia 5 Stages training. I will write more about that later this week. I will also share more about the upcoming changes to my teaching schedule that will take effect October 1, 2010.

In the meantime, I leave you with a poem I found earlier today:

We dance in kindness.
We dance and live to revive the wilderness
around us and within us.
We dance to wake.
We dance to remember.
We dance to find that one solid truth within
that we can stand behind
as we make our love offerings
to this glorious and raging world.
We are made for these times.
Let us help each other in staying well,
wildly sane and outrageously creative.

Poem by - Rebecca Strong, M.A., C.H.T.

I look forward to dancing with you tonight: 6:45pm at the Crown Hill School, room 4. Address: 9250 14th NW, Seattle, WA 98117.

Honoring Michael Jackson

The focus of tonight’s class is the celebration of music and movement. I have included two Michael Jackson songs in tonight’s routine in honor of his birthday. While his life was not without controversy, he invited the world to celebrate music and dance. I once heard that the word “celebrate” means to “have an uninhibited good time.” Let’s do that tonight!

Join me for class tonight from 5pm - 6pm at NW Community Yoga: 701 NW 70th St., Seattle, WA 98117

Life as Art

The focus on tonight’s class is cultivating awareness so that we perceive life as art. This practice is about being open and receptive to receiving inspiration, from everyday life. It begins with awareness of physical sensation, which is the starting point of all action and movement. There is nothing mystical about awareness; it is simply the act of knowing what is going on around and within you at any given moment. It takes practice and commitment. We do this by consciously slowing down and experiencing each sensory experience through the lens of wonder and admiration.

One definition of art is “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” Perceiving life as art, through awareness and movement, is about being inspired with all of your senses. The Latin root for the word “inspire” means “to inhale.” When you learn how to inhale the beauty within and around you and perceive your entire body and the world around you as art, you will feel inspiration from the art flow into you. You’ll feel it as a physical sensation through your five senses, bones, muscles, and the 75 trillion cells in your body. You’ll become the art and the artist of your life.

Tonight we will be inspired by our sensory experience and move as if we are art. We are all extraordinary. We are all masterpieces. Let's dance.

Class begins at 6:45pm at the Crown Hill School, room 4. Address: 9250 14th NW, Seattle, WA 98117

Sensation of Stability

The focus for tonight’s class is the sensation of stability. The routine I will be facilitating is filled with fun steps, stances, lateral travel, kicks, blocks, punches, strikes, and other movements that will allow us to recognize the unique physical qualities and sensation of how we each experience stability.

Stability is:

• Sensed as energy moving out in all directions from the center.
• Sensed as a calmness in the muscles, combined with readiness for action.
• Maintained by equalizing muscular contraction and relaxation.
• Sensed as a harmony between the muscles and joints.

We maintain and nurture stability by seeking balance in movement, postural integration and correct alignment of our body, equalizing muscle contractions and relaxation, and finding ways to rest in momentary or sustained periods of movement and non-movement.

Examples of how the sensation of full stability may feel in your body. Your:

• Ankle joint can support you in rising up and down on your toes, without wobbling in or out to the sides.
• Knee joint can support you in moving and stopping without locking or tensing.
• Hip joint can fully support you in balancing, walking, sinking, and rising.
• Wrist can support you in starting and stopping motions and in holding, balancing, and bearing body weight.
• Elbow joint can suddenly stop any hand and arm motion and can also support body weight.
• Shoulder joint can support your hands and arms in starting and stopping motions and in supporting body weight.
• Spine can support you from the inside out to lift, lower, bend, twist, push, and pull.

Through the movements in this routine we will focus on discovering, tweaking and sustaining the sensation of stability with dynamic ease. Dynamic stability, the perfect balanced of opposites, is sensed as powerful peace.

Join me tonight in exploring the sensation of stability and the firm foundation it provides for us to move, reach out in all directions, to find balance and ease into powerful peace. All to a fun soundtrack that includes Thievery Corporation, Tears for Fears and Michael Franti and Spearhead. Get ready to shake it.

Class begins at 6:45pm at the Crown Hill School, room 4. Address: 9250 14th NW, Seattle, WA 98117

Reference: Rosas, Debbie and Carlos, The Nia Technique (New York: Broadway, 2004) 102-107.