Whole-Body Movement

The focus of tonight’s class is whole-body dance movement with the intent to experience passion, play, creativity, ease and joy.

I love that, in Nia, we move not only our bones, muscles and joints, but that we also move our spine, head, eyes, fingers, toes and our internal energy! I love that I can feel the energy rise from within and that my heart, mind, and soul are moved. From my experience, whole-body movement with Nia is not just the movement of the physical body but also of the emotional, energetic, psychological and spirit-body.

I read recently on a Nia colleagues website (http://www.nia-joyinmotion.com) the following:

“Nia is a living, holistic system that works with the body’s natural wisdom and intelligence. The goal is to move from rigidity to liberation; creating from the inside out. This allows your own emotions, feelings, and how you may experience the depth of music, to connect with your body as well as your spirit. Nia offers you the freedom to embrace your unique creativity, responses, self-inquiry, and free expression.”

Join me tonight for whole-body joyful movement that will not only work all of your extrinsic and intrinsic muscles but will also enliven your body, heart, mind and spirit.

Class from 6:30pm - 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

Our Bodies are our Temples

Body Wisdom for the Day

"Our bodies are our temples. The essential function of a temple is to provide communion, feed the soul and awaken the spirit. A temple is also, in and of itself, a work of art with a long history of development." – Deane Juhan

Do one thing today to acknowledge and honor your body temple.

April News: Class Change, Playshop, Come to Hawaii, and more!

Hello everyone,

I hope you’ve had a lovely few weeks ushering in Spring! I have plenty of news to share with you. Sit back, grab a cup of tea, coffee or your favorite ice cream and read carefully :)


Class changes: NEW CLASS time and location for Saturdays! 
My Saturday class has changed. Starting on Saturday, April 2nd I will be teaching at Open Flight Studio in the University District from 10:30am – 11:30am. The rest of my schedule remains the same for April. View my updated schedule.

Future Class Changes - starting in May:

Sunday, May 1, 10:30am - 11:30am at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont

and
Friday, May 6, 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District

*Stay tuned for more in the future about my Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages class. I am still exploring options for teaching this restorative and healing class. My last class will likely at the Civetta Dance Space will likely be on Sunday April 17th. 

Email Poll:

Please let me know if you would be interested in an ongoing Nia 5 Stages class Saturdays mornings from 9:30am - 10:30am at Open Flight Studio in the University District. Email me at jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com.

Discount Class Rates for Students:
If you are a college, university, high school student, I now offer special student rates.
Drop-in to a class for $8 or buy a 5-class card for $35.

FREE class:
It is my desire for as many people to experience Nia as possible. Over the past 8 years, Nia has been a life-changing fitness and lifestyle practice. I invite you to help share the joy you experience in a Nia class. Invite your friends to try a class with me. Their first class will be FREE!

Events: Playshop and Hawaii!

Nia 5 Stages Playshop: Core of the Body 
Saturday, April 16, 2011 – 1:30pm – 3:30pm 
Location: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood, 124 N 103rd St, Seattle, WA 98133
Cost: $17
More info, click here.

The Nia 5 Stages of self-healing is an integrative practice based on the five stages of human development: embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing and walking. This workshop is dedicated to self-healing and to the using these five movements as stimulation to feel better in your body.

When the body moves through the Nia 5 Stages, the body, mind, emotions, and spirit naturally realign, unify and integrate, leaving a greater sense of wholeness, health and well-being. Developed as a practice, these stages lead to changes that improve one's physical comfort, ability to move efficiently, and improvement in whole body functioning and posture.

The core of the body includes the pelvis, chest, head and spine. In this workshop, we will explore how the core of the body is supported and activated in each of the five stages through the sensations of flexibility, agility, mobility, strength and stability.

During this 120-minute playshop you will be guided through the 5 Stages practice followed by an hour-long Nia class that focuses on the movements from the core of the body.

To register, please email me at jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com

Come to Hawaii with me! February 4-9, 2012 
Yes, that's right, I said Hawaii! Delilah Flynn, owner of Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont, has asked me to partner with her on a Belly Dancing and Nia retreat in Hawaii at Kalani Oceanside Retreat Village. Of course, I said YES! Imagine me with a giant smile - ear to ear. I think I may have even shimmied. In fact, I am certain I did.

Each day will include belly dancing, Nia, other movement exercises and live music. It is going to be divine.

If you register with a $500 deposit between March 18- May 31st 2011, we can easily get you on an easy payment plan. This helps you and helps us block out enough rooms for our group far in advance so we can have a really fun retreat. For thinking ahead we will also give you a FREE extra night room and board for your personal rest and relaxation or adventurous spirit. Sign up before May 31st!

More information on Delilah's website: http://www.delilahs-belly-dance-retreat.com/January2012-B/aboutretreat2012B.html 

Announcements:
On Sunday, April 10, 2011, I will be covering the lovely Gretchen Musgrove’s 11:30am – 12:30pm Nia class at the Civetta Dance Spance while she is at the Nia Blue Belt training. Please join me for a delightful and energetic Sunday mid-morning class! For a double dose of Nia, come back for my 5pm Gentle Nia/Nia 5 Stages class.

Save the Date: 
Nia Seattle Spring Jam - Sunday May 22, 2-4pm at the Mount Baker Community Club.

That’s all for now. I look forward to dancing with you again throughout the month of April and appreciate your continued support. Many of you know how much I love to teach (and learn!) and I am so grateful that you have chosen me to be one of your Nia teachers.

Thank you with all my heart,
Jennifer

Dancing Between Heaven and Earth

The focus of tonight’s class is the energy of dancing between heaven and earth.

We dance between heaven and earth by holding our center while dancing our upper extremities and base of the body. A way to emphasize this energy is by using our hands and palm directions. Palms pointed down into the earth are grounding. Palms pointed up to heaven raise our energy.

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

Sensation of Flexibility

The focus of tonight’s combined Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages class is the sensation of flexibility.

We played with this sensation in class on Friday evening in a classic Nia class but tonight we will add another layer by incorporating the five movements of the Nia 5 Stages: embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing and walking.

Flexibility is sensed as energy moving out along the bones. We will receive the sensation of flexibility through the architecture, shape, size, speed and the relationship we have to gravity. The movements will vary so they can be small to target the intrinsic muscles or larger to activate extrinsic muscles. Finally, we will explore how speed influences flexibility.

We will begin with a gentle Nia class and end with Nia 5 Stages. Join me for an exploration of flexibility tonight from 5pm – 6pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood.

Opening the Chest

The focus of this morning’s class is opening the chest with the intent of feeling expansion in the body.

Join me for this last Saturday class at this studio.

Starting next week, Saturday, April 2nd I will be teaching at Open Flight Studio in the University District from 10:30am -11:30am.

Class from 11am – 12pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

The Voice of Flexibility

The focus of tonight’s class is to experience the sensation of flexibility with the intent to notice and experience expansion in the body.

Flexibility is sensed as energy moving out. For example, opening your fingers and sensing rays of light coming out from the wrist all the way out from the tips of your fingers.

Flexibility provides you the freedom to expand, radiate outward, and extend in all directions. It also creates spaciousness within and connects you to the world around you.

When you sense flexibility, you can sustain whole-body movement while your body says, “I feel more space; I am getting more flexible."

The Voice of Flexibility

I am the voice of Flexibility. I give you the freedom to expand in your life. You sense me as energy radiating outward like the sun radiates heat, like a rubber band expanding and extending in all directions. You know me through the first stretch of waking. I am the yawn of your body. Feline, I love to extend, to know my own fullness down to my toes and out my tail - into my claws and the spaces between. My pliability creates space within you and connects your edges to the world beyond. To your emotional body, I am the product of yearning and desire; contentment and satiation; security and curiosity. Connect to me through desire and in your longing, open up to expose your deepest self. Through me, find trust, expansion; discover your full potential. I am your potential. Let me in by letting yourself out.

*Excerpt from Nia handout on the Five Sensations.

Join me tonight for an expansive journey into exploring your unique sensation of flexibility. Class from 6pm – 7pm at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Sensation of Conditioning

The focus of tonight’s class is the sensation of conditioning. The intent is to experience fitness via joy in the body in a sustainable and pleasurable way.

One of my favorite Nia quotes is:

“It is through love and pleasure that you find the most sustainable fitness, growth, health and transformation.”

In Nia, we experience whole body conditioning not by the philosophy of “no pain, no gain” but rather from the sensation of pleasure. There is no need to feel sore and be dripping in sweat to feel the sensation of conditioning in the body. We invite our body to move in a way that feels harmonious and monitor our body sensations and tweak to increase pleasure and decrease pain or discomfort.

This wonderful short video by Nia co-founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas explains 7 ways you can learn how to track the sensation of conditioning in your body:



Join me for an exploration of the sensation of whole body conditioning tonight from 6:30pm – 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

Natural Movement

The focus of tonight’s class is natural movement with the intent of enjoying being in our bodies.

In every Nia class and as we move through life, we are encouraged to move our unique body’s way. This aspect of Nia will be especially emphasized during class tonight.

I invite you to move in a way that feels natural, pleasurable and invigorating and to your body. I invite you to move like a child with a spirit of playfulness and exploration.

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

Hello Spring

The focus of tonight’s class is celebrating the arrival of Spring.

The Vernal Equinox signifies the passage of Winter into Spring. I love the idea of our dancing through this passage and of making this journey uniquely our own.

Spring represents rebirth, renewal, growth and new life. Spring can be a time to clean out the old (spring cleaning), plant seeds for the future and recommit or commit to goals old and new. Most of all, it’s a time of renewed, fresh and vibrant energy.

I read the following today on Joan Borysenko’s Facebook feed:
“The Vernal Equinox has arrived. Today hours of dark and light are in perfect balance. Stop for a time and be still, experiencing the ancient "heartrest" of full moon and equinox coinciding...nothing either waxing or waning...a portal to the heart of the Universe. May the rest we experience within be a tuning fork that brings the world around us into balance.”

Come join me in dancing through this portal with a restful and full heart and with open arms and hands ready to receive renewed energy. Class from 5pm – 6pm at the Civetta Dance in Greenwood.

Full Moon Dancing

The focus of this morning’s class is celebrating the full moon and the last day of winter.

In astrology, the full moon is considered to be a time of completion. It’s time when, as if a gardener tending to a garden, you can step back and assess your efforts and honor the work you’ve done.

Astrologer Jan Spiller says that there is an opportunity for insight and progress inherent in the phase of the Full Moon. It can be a time to heighten your awareness of how you would like things to be in your life and experience the empowerment to make changes.

With gratitude for our accomplishments during the winter months and with a spirit of Full-ness, let us joyously dance into spring and to another season of moving closer to our dreams.

Class from 11am-12pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

Voice of the Physical Body

The focus of tonight’s class is the celebration of our physical body with the intent of deepening the love you feel for this beautiful body you inhabit.

Class from 6pm – 7pm at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

The excerpt below was written by Nia co-founder Debbie Rosas. I keep a copy of this passage in my journal and read it often. It reminds me that my Spirit thrives in this amazing, intelligent, wise, beautiful and sacred body. I fall in love with her more deeply every single day. She’s magical and I thank her for gracing me with such a safe and nurturing home to live in by allowing her to express herself through my dance. How do you thank your body?

Voice of the Physical Body

I am sacred. I connect you to the physical realm and offer you a language of symbols called gesture and expression. I am kept alive by a flow of energy through my matter called life-force. I am oneness—the flow, the flower, the observer and the observed. I am physical, chemical, ethereal and organic. My health and wellbeing are maintained through love and through becoming; I am in constant movement, reproducing myself in better and better ways; in ways that support my continual transformation. My transmissions—communication you receive as sensation—are energy that touches and connects you to yourself and to the world. My physical energy is a body language that flows through you. When you dance, you awaken my intelligence: your thinking body.

As an energy and life-force, I live within every cell. The energy in and behind every word you speak, every image you create, and every experience you have, is my way of speaking to you. If you listen, sensing me, I will send you specific information you can recognize as body consciousness, a state of wisdom and body awareness, the awake and alert state of being connected to your inner self, the inner one who speaks to you with a voice. You can listen to me and I can listen to you, and together we can use our information to help you get strong, to help you heal, to add meaning to your life.

I have many parts that make up your whole - and I am always changing, moving and becoming new. I am present for you, helping you discover the mystery and magic found in touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing and love. Feel me breathe within you. Let me awaken you to the natural, organic intelligence and wisdom that is triggered as I move. Every part of me is a doorway you can open to receive energy and intelligence, for I am a vast resource waiting to be discovered. Fall into me, in love with me, and I will guide you to become all you desire.

My feet are yours to stand in, to feel and connect to the earth with. My hands are yours to hold, to create with, touching, nourishing and healing yourself and others. My legs are instruments of movement that elegantly give you the freedom to travel, dance, jump and play—with me. My arms are like wings, which make the sacred gift of reaching out to give and drawing in to receive a dance of human grace. My eyes are yours to use, to see the beauty within yourself and others. My ears are yours to listen with, to hear the song of the universe. My heart is yours to open and explore, to feel the depth of emotion that helps humanity transform, evolve and heal. My nose is yours with which to smell the fragrance of love, always choosing it as your guide. My mouth is yours with which to taste the nectar of life, to nourish me with out of love and respect, honor and trust. I am yours to fall in love with, to become wise through, and to become one with in spiritual divinity. I show you the way out, where the physical transcends form and turns into pure light and energy. Feel me, for I feel you.

Flying Angels

The focus of tonight’s class is connecting with the front and back of the body with the intent of strengthening the core of the body.

An example we will experience is the sensation of closing the front of the body when bending forward while sensing how this same movement actually opens the back of the body.

Prepare for beautiful fluid movement, chest openers, spinals rolls, kicks, figure eights and flying angels!

Class tonight at 6:30pm (previous class tends to run over so we'll likely begin at 6:35pm) at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

Movement Originating from the Spine

The focus of tonight's class is the spine. The spine has 26 vertebrae, natural curves and the ability to bend, lean and twist. Visualize the spine as an elegant string of fluid pearls.

"By design, arms and hands are designed to reach out and draw in, moving energy into and away from the center of the body: the spine. The spine is the first structure formed in the mother's womb—and from the spine, all other limbs are birthed. Why is this important to think about? When movement originates from the spine, our limbs have the support they need to move in their full range with power, ease and efficiency. Ultimately, this means we move better and experience more overall comfort and pleasure. Best of all, we have more energy to enjoy our lives, as our bodies are not struggling to compensate for imbalance and improper use." - Debbie Rosas, Nia Co-founder

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."

Join me tonight as we play and dance with lines, circles, and spirals to some awesome global beats.

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

Hands that Touch the Earth

The focus for tonight's Gentle Nia and Nia 5 Stages class is our feet. In Nia, the feet are referred to as "the hands that touch the Earth". Our feet are our direction connection to the Earth and where both balance and movement in our whole body begins. Each foot has 26 bones, 3 arches, 11 muscles, and 7,000 nerve endings that communicate to us through sensation. That's a whole lot of exploration.

Join me tonight for a fanciful foot journeying class from 5pm - 6pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood.

Base of the Body

The focus of this morning’s class and afternoon playshop is the base of the body.

The base of the body includes our feet, ankles, shinbones, knees, thighbones and hip joints.

All movement begins in the base of the body. Balance and the flow of energy initiate in your foot and ankle, which rely on the cooperation of the moving muscles and balancing mate muscles. Because most leg, knee, ankle, foot and hip problems are mechanical, you can often reclaim stability and proper functioning simply by consciously guiding your movements. Understanding how your feet and legs are designed to support you and using them in accord with this design – in accord with The Body’s Way – allows you to self-heal and return to comfort and ease. When all your base structures function appropriately, the result is balance, power, coordination and grace in your whole body

In Nia, we achieve proper functioning in the base through focused and continued practice of all the base moves, with the intent to establish a firm, sturdy and flexible foundation that supports the whole body in moving up and down from the ground, and maintaining a dynamic upright posture in both motion and in stillness. The base moves include (among others) the heel lead, cross behind, cross front, traveling in directions, lateral traveling, cha-cha-cha, kicks, stances and turns.

Here is an educational handout on working with the feet as the foundation of the body:
The Feet - Your Foundation (PDF)

Join me today in exploring the base and the body. Nia class at 11am at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford and Nia 5 Stages 120-minute Playshop at 1:30pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood.

Give Your Joints Some Love

Last night I had an interesting conversation with a fitness instructor, specifically a Zumba teacher. We were talking about the joys of teaching and she mentioned that she had to reduce the number of classes she teaches due to joint and body pain. I realized in that moment that in the 8 years I’ve been doing Nia and the 7 months I have been teaching I have not experience any joint pain at all. I attribute this to the emphasis of Nia on moving with pleasure, joy and body awareness.

I feel very fortunate to have a loving relationship with my body. I dance for pleasure, I know when and how to tweak my movements and listen deeply to the voice of my body. I stop or ease up when needed and I do not need my body to scream at me. I hear her whispers and have learned to anticipate her needs.

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. We will explore moving our 13 joints so that we each find a pace, depth and way of moving that is most pleasurable for us individually. We explore the sensation of pleasure in every joint as we become familiar with every joint’s range of motion and discover our unique style and expressive self, the choreography of our own dance.

Here is a free student handout on a 13 joint exercise from Nianow.com: 13 Joints Exercise PDF Download

The focus of tonight’s class is dancing the 13 main joints of the body. The intent is to find your own internal rhythm. Move at a pace and depth that feels right to you and take the opportunity to make each movement yours completely.

Join me from 6pm - 7pm at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Dancing Like Trees

The focus of tonight’s class is the sensation of grounding with the intent of experiencing stability in movement.

In Nia, we call our feet our “hands that touch the Earth.”

Tonight we will visualize our feet like the roots of a tree sending its energetic strands deep down into the Earth to ground and nourish us. And we will dance our arms as if they are far-reaching branches rising up towards the Sun.

Join me tonight for an earthy movement journey from 6:30pm – 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

March Announcements - Nia 5 Stages Playshop on Saturday and more

A few brief announcements:

There is still space available in my Nia 5 Stages Playshop coming up this Saturday, March 12th from 1:30pm – 3:30pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood. This is the first of three playshops I have scheduled over the next three months. Please note that I am still teaching my regular 11am Saturday morning class at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

For those of you that have not experienced it, the Nia 5 Stages of self-healing is an integrative practice based on the five stages of human development: embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing and walking. This workshop is dedicated to self-healing and to the using these five movements as stimulation to feel better in your body.

When the body moves through the Nia 5 Stages, the body, mind, emotions, and spirit naturally realign, unify and integrate, leaving a greater sense of wholeness, health and well-being. Developed as a practice, these stages lead to changes that improve one's physical comfort, ability to move efficiently, and improvement in whole body functioning and posture.

I have been practicing the Nia 5 Stages every single day since May 22, 2011 when I learned the practice at my white belt training. I have found no other movement practice that has helped me to move with more self-awareness, self-love, and grace and that has dramatically improved my flexibility, mobility, agility, strength, and stability. It brings me great joy to share this practice with you.

In each 120-minute playshop, you will be guided through the 5 Stages practice followed by an hour-long Nia class.

Details are below for this Saturday’s workshop and two other announcements:

March 12, 2011 – 1:30pm – 3:30pm: The Base of the Body 
Location: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood: 124 N 103rd St (between N 1st Ave & N Greenwood Ave), Seattle, WA 98133
Workshop Fee: $17 or $45 for all 3 playshops (see my events page for more information)
The base of the body includes the feet, ankles, shinbones, knees, thighbones and hips. In this workshop, we will explore how the base of the body is supported and activated in each of the five stages through the sensations of flexibility, agility, mobility, strength and stability. We will then experience an hour-long Nia routine that focuses on the movements from the base of the body.

Sunday, March 13, 2011 – Double dose of Nia 9:30am and 5pm 
Location: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood
I am subbing for the lovely Jena Hennessey on Sunday morning, March 13th from 9:30am – 10:30am at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood. It will be a Nia double dose Sunday for me – teaching at 9:30am and then again at 5pm. Come join me for one or both classes!

Sunday, March 20, 2011 – Dance into Spring
Location: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood
The Spring equinox is on Sunday, March 20th. Please join me for my 5pm class that day in celebrating our entry into the season of rebirth, renewal, growth and new life.

Always grateful for your continued support and looking forward to dancing with you,
Jennifer

Dance of Grace

The focus of tonight’s class is grace. The intent is to infuse our movements with kindness and compassion. Grace has many definitions but the one that resonates with me most is “elegance and beauty of movement or expression.” Tonight we will be working with circles, spirals and freeform movement.

Below is an excerpt on living a day in grace from the website the DailyOm:

“Grace is always with us. It flows like a river through our lives, artfully reminding us that there is magic and power beyond what our eyes can see."

"Imagine how it would feel to live an entire day in grace, to fully appreciate that your day is unfolding in absolute perfection. Whereas usually you might miss the magic in ordinary events and interactions, on this day you would recognize them all as little miracles. Perhaps you could begin with your first deep breaths in the morning, becoming aware that there is an abundant supply of air for you to breathe. Your lungs know just how to carry oxygen to your blood, and your blood knows where to carry it from there. This is grace at work. You might appreciate the brilliant sunshine, the warm summertime rain, or the possibilities for learning that greet you at every turn. You might notice the ease with which you do your job or laugh with a close friend. These things are also grace. Even laying your head down at the end of this day and resting in the stillness of night is grace." 

"With each opportunity you give yourself to enjoy this current of benevolence, you may discover a deeper peace. Your faith may strengthen and your heart may open. You might begin to wonder if struggle is really all that necessary after all. By living this one day in grace, you might open the door to many more."

Read the complete entry on grace from the DailyOM here.

Join me tonight for an elegant and beautiful movement journey. Class is from 5:30pm – 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

Embryonic, the Beginning

The focus of tonight’s Gentle Nia class is Embryonic.

Embryonic is the first movement stage of the Nia 5 Stages of self-healing. The intent of being in a state of embryonic is about beginnings, of sensing in to where all movement emerges. It’s about experiencing circular and geometric shapes in space, moving without thinking, having no edges or boundaries and moving as if you are liquid.

We will play with all of these sensations tonight both on the floor and on our feet from 5pm-6pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood.

Strengthening Your Core

"All we actually have is our body and its muscles that allow us to be under our own power."

- Allegra Kent

The focus of this morning’s class is working with the core muscles of our body. The intent is to develop strength in our core.

In Nia, the core of the body is referred to as the pelvis, chest and head, also called the three body weights. We will not be focusing on these body weights. Instead, we will just focus on our midsection; the area of the body that includes the torso, belly, abdominal muscles, the mid back and lower back.

Strength in the core provides support and alignment for the spine and bones, affects our posture, and assists us in infusing movement with dynamic energy and power. It also helps us to resist force as it comes at us but we won’t have to deal with that dynamic in our Nia class!

Join me this morning in developing this powerful part of the body. A strong core strengthens not only our entire body but also our will!

Class is from 11am-12pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

A Kickin' Class

The focus of tonight’s class is Nia Kicks: front, side, back and knee sweep kicks. The intent is to strengthen the whole body while having fun.

Kicks build strength by toning the legs, buttocks and abdominal muscles.

Kicks teach you to develop a connection to your base, your feet (connection to the Earth) and to center, prepare and deliver powerful bursts of energy using your entire body.

Tonight we’ll learn to plant and root our feet before delivering a kick. We’ll learn how to use our whole body to support the kick rather than just our leg or back. And we will learn how to protect our joints and spine by using our breath, imagery and proper form.

Join me for a kickin’ class from 6pm-7pm at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Spring into Movement

“It's time to wake up and spring back into action. The world around us is coming to life again and now is the time to renew, recharge and freshen up the world around us.” - Unknown

One of my new Nia students had a great idea last week. Somehow we ended up talking about possibilities for class foci for the month of March and she exclaimed, “Spring into Motion!” In that spirit (thank you Jill!), I have decided that the focus for the month of March will be “Spring into Movement.”

Spring represents rebirth, renewal, growth and new life. Spring can be a time to clean out the old (spring cleaning), plant seeds for the future and recommit or commit to goals old and new. Most of all, it’s a time of renewed, fresh and vibrant energy.

The season of spring, the equinox, officially begins on Sunday, March 20th. For the next few weeks, we will prepare our bodies, mind and spirits by conjuring up the spirit of spring through the movement of our bodies. If you’ve been in a slump, have felt stuck or unmotivated, I invite you to recommit to moving and loving your body through the joy of movement.

Class tonight from 6:30pm – 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford. I’ve prepared a fun and lively routine that is filled with steps, stances, kicks and some balancing acts!