Take a moment before you read any further and place your hands on the sides of your ribcage, close your eyes, take a nice full breath and sense the expansion of your chest as new life force energy - breath - enters into your body. Ahhh! I love this. and this simple touch and awareness has the power to relax and calm me anytime throughout my day. Awareness of our chest...Expand - Exchange - Express. Our chest/ribcage is designed to Expand and contract; to move energy in and out. When you inhale and take a breath into your body, your diaphragm drops and your lungs Expand and fill your ribcage. Your chest is also designed to Exchange energy. While you are inhaling and exhaling you are Exchanging old air for new air. Your heart is constantly Exchanging blood...old to new. And then your chest is designed toExpress. One of the most important functions of your ribcage is to protect your heart, and it is here at your heart center, where you Express love, sorrow, anger, compassion, joy...the list goes on! Anatomically your shoulder blades, clavicles, and sternum are attached to your rib cage, and when you move, dance and Express with your arms, you are moving and Expressing with your ribcage. It is all connected!
So as we dance in class this week, let's bring a heightened sense of awareness to our chest! In class we will play with the 4 Moves of the Chest...Chest Isolations, Shimmy, Undulations and Spinal Rolls. These moves support & condition the chest to Expand - Exchange - Express! As you dance through life this week, see if you can bring awareness to your chest and use the 4 moves of the Chest.
- When sitting at your desk take a break and isolate and move your chest...front, back, and to the sides. Sense the mobility and the openness of your ribcage. This will also relax you and release any tension in your upper back and neck.
- Stand up from desk and SHIMMY!!! This is great to do in the middle of the afternoon when you may be getting a bit tired. Works better than coffee and alot more fun!!
- As you are standing in line at the grocery store or at the coffee shop, undulate your spine. It will help relax any tension in your upper and lower back, and the time just might go by faster.
- As you are reaching down to pick up something off the floor take the opportunity to do a spinal roll. This will increase the flexibility and strength of your spine. Makes the task a bit easier and boy it feels good!
Have fun...see you in class. My classes this week are:
Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
and Sunday Nia at 4:00 pm
and Sunday Nia at 4:00 pm
all at http://www.
Are you signed up for the month Nia Headquarters newsletter. Learn more about the chest this month and sign up by going to this link: http://www.nianow.com/
See what co-founder Debbie Rosas and 3 of my fellow Nia Trainers have to say about our chest. It is wonderful!!!
Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive. Sign up at http://www.nianow.com/
Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks, Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer,
Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, 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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