The Five Sensations and the Art of Sensing

The focus of tonight's class is the Five Sensations and the Art of Sensing. The intent is to use sensation to learn about your body as it moves and become your own somatic teacher.

The Five Sensations, also knows as FAMSS, are:

Flexibility is the sensation of energy moving outward. It is free, open, elastic and expansive. It is the physical feeling of releasing power and is nurtured by opening your joints.

Agility is the sensation of starting and stopping the movement of energy. It is playful, stimulating and quick. It is cultivated and maintained by quickly starting and stopping a variety of movements.

Mobility is the sensation of energy in constant motion. It is fluid, constant, continuous, alive and free. Mobility is sensed as energy flowing in all directions using a variety of ranges of motion. It is cultivated and nurtured by opening and closing joints in a variety of ways without stopping.

Strength is the sensation of energy moving inward. It is concentrated, powerful, intense, internal and gripping. It is the sensation of containing and sustaining power.
Strength is sensed as a squeezing in or the packing of energy towards the bones.

Stability is the sensation of energy moving from center out all directions simultaneously. It is grounded, solid, calm, rooted, and connected to the earth. It is sensed as readiness for action - a relaxed and dynamic tension of harmony. Stability is nurtured by resting into stillness while seeking balance. It relies on relaxation, postural integration, and optimal alignment of the body.

Tonight we will activate each of the Five Sensations and attuning to the unique sensation of each we will learn to tweak our movements to heighten and sustain the sensations of pleasure and Joy.

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

Upper Extremities and FAMMS

The focus of this morning’s class is consciously integrating the five sensations into the dance of our upper extremities. The five sensations are flexibility, agility, mobility, strength and stability or FAMSS. The intent is to experience the benefits of balanced movement in your body, which can be sensed as harmony.

Flexibility is the sensation of energy moving outward. It is free, open, elastic and expansive. It is the physical feeling of releasing power and is nurtured by opening your joints.

Agility is the sensation of starting and stopping the movement of energy. It is playful, stimulating and quick. It is cultivated and maintained by quickly starting and stopping a variety of movements.

Mobility is the sensation of energy in constant motion. It is fluid, constant, continuous, alive and free. Mobility is sensed as energy flowing in all directions using a variety of ranges of motion. It is cultivated and nurtured by opening and closing joints in a variety of ways without stopping.

Strength is the sensation of energy moving inward. It is concentrated, powerful, intense, internal and gripping. It is the sensation of containing and sustaining power.
Strength is sensed as a squeezing in or the packing of energy towards the bones.

Stability is the sensation of energy moving from center out all directions simultaneously. It is grounded, solid, calm, rooted, and connected to the earth. It is sensed as readiness for action - a relaxed and dynamic tension of harmony. Stability is nurtured by resting into stillness while seeking balance. It relies on relaxation, postural integration, and optimal alignment of the body.

Join me this morning for my last Saturday morning class at Open Flight Studio. Class from 10:30am – 11:30am. Come early to navigate around the University District Street Fair traffic!

*Next week, I begin my new classes at Community Fitness Roosevelt Studio - Saturday May 28th at 1pm.

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.