Gravity - "What goes up must come down." We can't see Gravity, touch or smell Gravity yet all of us can identify with its most common sensation...its pull of our body towards earth. But what about the gravitational pull from above? Do you ever connect to the sensation of an upward gravitational pull? It is there - the heavenly pull of gravity from the moon, the sun and the stars - the Universe Think about it. If the upward pull was not present we would be pulled into the center of the Earth. We also know it is there by observing nature. A plant has roots and its stems rise up to heaven. Gravity is a universal force that acts on everything - it pulls us toward the earth and pulls us toward the heavens.
What I notice is most people surrender into the downward pull of gravity. I see it in meetings with people hunched over their laptops, with their spine and head collapsed; or slumped in chairs with shoulders drawn in. People driving down the freeways of life hoovering over their steering wheels with chins leaning out and the back of their neck compressed. And then there are the 100s of people walking through their day with their heads down! No wonder we have a society in pain - we are allowing gravity to pull on our faces, necks, spine, shoulders, chest, back, organs, hips, legs and feet!! Did you know you are actually taller in the morning than at night due to temporary, daily compression of your body? And that most people shrink between a quarter of an inch and five inches every decade after 40 due to compression!!
In Nia class this week we will connect and play with this dual gravitational pull from earth and heaven, with the intent to experience a sensation of balance, lightness and decompress our body. If we let our body move upward, like a flame, we can actually release our joints and connective tissue, allow our organs to float, our spine to extend and create more space in our body. I have been playing with this sensation over that last few days and it is amazing! This dual sensation has the power to make me feel taller and release tension in my body. Surrounded by chaos of the day, connection to the upward sensation of gravity also calms me and connects me back to the joy of life. AHH!!. BLISS.. where I am connected and nurtured from heaven and earth. Ascending and descending. Flying and grounding. Right now, take a moment and close your eyes and allow your feet to be on the earth. Smell the moment and connect with the sensation of a flame inside. While feeling supported below, allow your body to connect with lightness and the heavenly pull from above. Breathe...Relax. When you are ready, open your eyes and walk around the room and sense your body. What do you sense?
This play of dual gravitational pull is weaved throughout Nia to help us live gracefully and fully in our body. The Alexander Technique, movement from the top, invites us to direct our torso up, out, and away from our hips. The Alexander Technique reminds us that heaven has a gravitational force, calling to us, supporting us, and encouraging us to lengthen and reach out and up while dancing and in life. The 3 planes of movement, part of Principle 7, invites us to shift our weight instead of dropping our body into earth, and then connect to the energy above so we can effortlessly sink and rise, ebb and flow, while conditioning our body. X-Ray anatomy, Principle 10, reminds us our posture is dynamic and through sensation and awareness of energy up, down, and all around us, we can rearrange our bones vertically, horizontally and rotationally to bring healing and pleasure into our body.
So let's connect with Bliss this week, that sensation of support from Heaven and Earth. You might just grow a few inches!! See you on the dance floor!
My classes this week:
Thursday at 5:30 pm
Saturday at 9:30 am
and Sunday at 4:00 pm all at http://www.thesynergystudio.
Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive. Check out my trainings with Adelle Brewer at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie
Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks, Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Facilitator, Mindful Change Coach
http://www.joaniebrooks.me/
Nia - Somatic Education for EveryBody. Nia is an expressive movement form & lifestyle practice that uses The Body's Way to achieve physical, mental, emotional & spiritual fitness & well-being."
75 trillion cells in your body…Play with them all with Nia!
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