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.

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.

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.