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.

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

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!