Scapulae - Hands On the Back of Your Body!

"On your back

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you’ll find the scapulae, the two

​ ​

bones floating over your first seven ribs. These

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triangle-shaped bones are your shoulder blades,“bone wings” meant to be free, to slide and

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glide up and down over the back of your ribs.

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Extremely mobile, these “I’ve got your back”

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bones are only connected at the breastbone

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via my clavicles. Meant to move freely, I am designed to drop down and swing out when you

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lift your arms, to move up and down, to come

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together, hug close, and move away from your

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spine."  

​From the Voices of the Shoulder Girdle ​

by

​​

​Debbie Rosas, co-founder of Nia​

Your shoulder blades (scapulae), are flat triangle shaped bones that lie on top of your upper back and float and glide over the first seven ribs.  With the help of our rhomboid muscles, our shoulder blades like to slide and glide along the back of our body as we dance through life using our hands

​ to lift and lower objects, to reach out and to express! One of the best Nia moves we can do for our scapulae is palm directions. Reaching for the sky with our palms open and then lowering as I rotate towards earth...Yummy!!

​ I am currently healing my right shoulder to include the muscles that surround my scapulae that have accumulated stuck stress from an accident several years ago. Utilizing body work, Yoga, Nia, and awareness of my shoulder blades as I am dancing on and off the dance floor is helping my healing process.   And I am learning so much about my body and ME!  Yes there are gifts to be found in injuries!  Like the gift of a hug as I place both hands on my shoulders and draw inward to open my upper back.  And the opening of my heart and smelling the moment as I draw my hands behind me, squeeze my shoulder blades and look up towards the sky.  Moments to be fully present, moments to be fully in the sensation of my scapulae.  Hands on the back of my body, touching and supporting. 

Dance with me this week as we focus on the "Hands On the Back of Your Body".  I have pulled out an "older" routine called Going Home.  It actually was the 2nd Nia routine for me to learn, and I am still learning from this magical routine!!!

My Nia classes this week:

Monday (today) and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 am

all at The Synergy Studio. 

I am also teaching a Hatha Yoga Flow Class with Essential Oils at The Synergy Studio.  It is every Monday morning at 8:00 am.  Great way to start your week!

Love & Light,

Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
MELT Certified Hand & Foot Instructor
Yoga Teacher (certified in the YogaFit Warrior Program)
Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader


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." 

Beauty In The World!!

"When I look around I see blue skies.  I see butterflies for us.  Listen to the sound And lose it in sweet music, And dance with me! 'Cause there is beauty in the world, so much beauty in the world.  Always beauty in the world.  So much beauty in the world!  Shake your booty, boys and girls, for the beauty in the world.  Pick your diamond, pick your pearl.  There is beauty in the world.  All together now!!"  by Macy Gray...Beauty in the World

Yes!  I love this song and it always reminds me to stop, look and be in the beauty of life.  It starts first when I wake up and notice the beauty of the day and continues as I Dance Through Life with the world.  We have a principle in Nia called Awareness and one of the components of Awareness is Life As Art (LAA).  LAA invites us to stop, look and change our perception to bring pleasure into our life.  For example, looking in the mirror I can stop and change my perception of myself and be in gratitude for who I am and my unique beauty I bring to the world.   As I dance, I can be in a beautiful relationship with my body and appreciate her unique size and shape, and act as if I'm a living sculpture that enhances the world with my beauty and grace.  It is a wonderful practice and can be used in so many situations!

Beauty is limitless, holds no bounds and YES is everywhere.  All we need to do is open our eyes and receive, and be in Life As Art.  The world is a museum.  Join me as we express our beauty on the dance floor this week in Nia, creating our unique shapes of beauty. 

Learn more about Nia and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is February 2015. Sign up and receive pre-training gifts!

http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings

Enjoy this song from Macy Gray:  http://slack-time.com/music-video-9023-macy-gray-beauty-in-the-world

My Nia classes this week:

Monday and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 am

and Sunday at 4:00 pm all at The Synergy Studio. 

I am also teaching a Hatha Yoga Flow Class with Essential Oils at The Synergy Studio.  It is every Monday morning at 8:00 am.  Great way to start your week!

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
MELT Certified Hand & Foot Instructor
Yoga Teacher (certified in the YogaFit Warrior Program)
Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader



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."

Base - Our Foundation...YES!

Hello my Dancing Friends! "To the physical part of you, I offer a foundation upon which to evolve, a unique soul moving about in flesh and bone, in the vessel of a divine body. I am your connection to earth. Rise up through me, through the soles of your feet, out of the tops of my pelvic girdle, floating high into your dreams and desires. Stable, I am where you come for stillness. Mobile, I energize you to move about freely as an upright human being. Rest into me. Feel me give you power from underneath and behind." From "Voices of our Base" by Debbie Rosas, co-founder of Nia.  As we step into the holiday season, let's connect to the sensation of our base - our foundation. In Nia, our base includes everything from our hips, thighbones, knees, shinbones, ankle joints and feet.  Our base is where we begin and ground, and where we connect to the sensation of balance, strength and security.   When a new student steps into a Nia class, they are encouraged to first connect with their base.  In the Nia White belt training, our anatomy studies start with the base; for it is when we embody our base, the rest of our body can function as it is designed, and we can fully live in our body and express who we are.  Our base gives us freedom, our base gives us the gift of standing, walking, running, jumping, skipping, dancing...Oh so much!!!  Emotionally our base provides a foundation of trust that supports us in all we do, and allows us to feel life through our feet, the hands that touch the earth.  Step into class and life with me!!  My Nia classes this week: Monday and Thursday at 5:30 pm Saturday at 9:30 am ​All at The Synergy Studio​ Starting December 1st, I am excited to teacha Hatha Yoga Flow Class with Essential Oils at The Synergy Studio.  It will be every Monday morning at 8:00 am.  Here is the description of the class - I hope you can start your week with me in this new class:  "In this Hatha Flow class we will use movement and breath together, along with affirmations, mudras, sounding and meditation to enhance our mood and our overall state of well-being. In each class we will learn how to maintain a healthy nervous system, use techniques to release stress and anxiety, promote a stronger sense of self-awareness, and focus the mind. This class is appropriate for all levels of yoga students. Inspirational music and essential oils will be used to enhance your experience. Start your week feeling energized and inspired!" Love & Light, Joanie Brooks, http://www.joaniebrooks.com Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt MELT Certified Hand & Foot Instructor Yoga Teacher (certified in the YogaFit Warrior Program) Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator Mindful Change Coach Laughter Yoga Leader 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!

Thank You Body!

Hello My Dancing Friends!

We have a wonderful practice in Nia called "Body Gratitude".  "Body Gratitude" is a practice were we sense our body, notice sensations of pleasure and of self-healing that has occurred in the moment.  We then give gratitude to our body by speaking out loud what we sense.  For example after my Nia 5 stages practice or after a Nia class, I say out loud "Thank you Body, my lower back is relaxed.".  Or "Thank you body, my breath is deeper and fuller.".  My body hears this gratitude and creates a loving relationship that leads to optimal health and well being.  Plus it feels good to talk to my body this way!

As we step into Thanksgiving week and we reflect on all we are thankful for, I'm inviting us to give gratitude to our body - say it our loud!   Nia's philosophy is "Through Movement We Find Health" and our body loves to move, dance and play, and there isn't a better way to make our body happy and show our appreciation.  Join me in a dance of gratitude all week.    Such a wonderful way to stay youthful and no better way to thank your body!  See you in class!

And my Friends, Thank You for all of your love and support, and your passion for Nia.  You fill my heart with love and joy every time I dance with you.  I am very grateful!! 

My classes this week:

Monday at 5:30 pm

Thursday - Thanksgiving Day - 8:00 am Nia, team teaching with Adelle.  Our annual Gratitude Thanksgiving class!!!

Saturday at 9:30 am

and Sunday

at 4:00 all at The Synergy Studio

Starting December 1st, I am excited to start a Hatha Yoga Flow Class with Essential Oils at The Synergy Studio.  It will be every Monday morning at 8:00 am.  Here is the description of the class - I hope you can start your week with me in this new class: 

"In this Hatha Flow class we will use movement and breath together, along with affirmations, mudras, sounding and meditation to enhance our mood and our overall state of well-being. In each class we will learn how to maintain a healthy nervous system, use techniques to release stress and anxiety, promote a stronger sense of self-awareness, and focus the mind. This class is appropriate for all levels of yoga students. Inspirational music and essential oils will be used to enhance your experience. Start your week feeling energized and inspired!"

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
MELT Certified Hand & Foot Instructor
Yoga Teacher (certified in the YogaFit Warrior Program)
Journey Dance Facilitator
Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader

All We Need Is Music, Sweet Music!

"All we need is music, sweet music.  There will be music everywhere!  They'll be swinging, swaying, records playing.  Dancing in the street!"  Written by William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter and Marvin Gaye.

​Yes sweet music!  ​

​Hello my dancing friends!

One of the many things I love and is unique about Nia is music, and how we as ia teachers use music to help you create magic!  This magic happens in your body, mind, spirit and emotions when you connect to the music and dance!  Music is the wind that lifts our sails!!!  Music is so magical and has such an impact in our lives that we study music in the Nia White Belt.  We explore rhythm, melody and harmony.  We "become seduced by the music" as we move, explore and create our own dance.  And we enhance our "art of listening" to the silence and the sounds of music.  It is fascinating, healing and so much fun!!!  

Sweet music - it is in the air!  Come be seduced by the music this week in Nia classes and discover your magic.  Move, explore and create your dance of silence and sounds.  See you on the dance floor!

My classes this week:

Wednesday (subbing for Jenn) and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 am
Sunday Adelle and I are having GREAT FreeDance Playshop - I hope you can join us from 2-5:30... it will be a rocking time. Sign up HERE!.

On Saturday I'm also holding a MELT Foot and Hand Into workshop.  Cost is $25 if your pre-register HERE, $30 at the door.  Email me if you have any questions!

​

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
MELT Certified Hand & Foot Instructor
Yoga Teacher (certified in the YogaFit Warrior Program)
Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader



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!

Energy Personalities of Nia!!

Good morning Friends!

"It is our tunnel vision and singular sense of identity that often limits our sense of our own possibilities - and yet it is the genius of humans to imagine being something we are not, and thus to extend what we indeed are."  Jean Houston, The Possible Human

Last week our focus was on Natural Time, which is the first triad or concept of Nia's principle 2 of the White Belt.  We expand our dance this week as we focus on the 2nd triad - 9 Movement Forms.  The 9 movement forms of Nia taken are from Martial Arts, Dance Arts and Healing Arts,  inspires you to create movement variety in a whole new way!!    When we move in a variety of ways we keep our nervous system attuned and healthy, and develop a sensuous relationship between our body and life by tapping into unique sensations.   
An easy way to tap into the energy of the 9 Movement Forms is by using the catch phrases associated with each one of the movement.  Maybe you want to write these down on a note card so you can carry them with you and build a relationship.  So here we go:

- Tai Chi…The slow dance; 
- Tae Kwo…The dance of precision; 
- Aikido…The dance of harmonious spherical motion;  - Jazz… The dance of fun, showmanship and expression;
- Modern Dance…The dance of shapes in space; - Duncan Dance…The dance of free-spirited honest movement;
- Work of Moshe Feldenkrais… The dance of conscious awareness of sensation;
- Alexander Technique…The dance of movement from the top - Yoga…The dance of conscience alignment of bones and joints.

Notice how each movement form's catch phrase starts with "The Dance".  This principle is about tapping into the sensation of the energy and chemistry of the movement form, and creating and expressing your dance.  Each Movement Form helps to make our body healthy and strong, and bring change into our body and life!  Endless possibilities and potential!

And as with all of the teaching of Nia, we can take the movement forms off the dance floor into life.  Nia is a lifestyle practice.   Imagine this.....
- Using the slow dance of Tai Chi as you wake up in the morning and start your day.
- Using the energy of Taei Kwon Do to access your personal power to ask for a raise or to get what you need from your family. - Using the energy of Aikido to bring harmony to your relationship with your family, friends and co-workers.
- Using the energy of Jazz as you walk into a meeting or party.
- Using the energy of Modern Dance to own your emotions and let it be OK to be in sorrow or anger. - Using the energy of  Duncan Dance as you skip down the aisle of the grocery store.
- Using the energy of Feldenkrais to sense pleasure when you are sitting at your desk.
- Using the energy of Alexander Technique to just use your eyes first to move your head as you gaze out at life. - Using the energy of Yoga as you lay down to sleep at night and align yourself so you can heal through the night.
WOW - you just created a fantastic day!  This week as we dance, we will play with the 9 Movement Forms of Nia and sense what this feels like in our body.  Then as we step out the real thing starts - our Dance of Life - imagine the life choreography you can create!!! 

This is the tip of the iceberg!!!  In the Nia White Belt intensive we go deep into 13 principles of the Nia White Belt.  It is 7 magical days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  Whether you want to teach Nia or take Nia for personal growth, it is an amazing experience!!!   The October training is a split weekend.  The training starts at 3:00 pm on Friday, October 17 and will go through Saturday and Sunday.  The 2nd weekend is Thursday, October 23 - Sunday, October 26.  It is a great opportunity to take the Nia White Belt and only take a couple of days off from work.

Check out other dates at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

My classes this week:

Monday (today) and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30

Sunday at 4:00 pm at The Synergy Studio.  (note: Angie will teach my Saturday and Sunday classes - I'm taking a Yoga training!)

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black BeltJourney Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader



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!

Business of Your Body and Life - Sensation of Sacred!

”Your body is boundless. It is channeling the energy, creativity and intelligence of the entire universe. At this moment, the universe is listening through your ears, seeing through your eyes, experiencing through your brain. Your purpose for being here is to allow the universe to evolve.” — Deepak Chopra, Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul

Sacred:  "Dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose or person." - The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Nia White Belt principle number 11 is called Creating a Sacred Livelihood, Business of My Body and Life.  This principle invites us to move, explore and connect to the sensation of sacred, and make choices that support our body and life. It invites us to sense joy and fulfillment by following our purpose.  I love this principle!  It used to be called Marketing and Business, and was not body centered at all!  Now this principle teaches how each of us are sacred, how our body is sacred and dedicated to us, and the sensation of sacred respects your body's way. Meaning, you make the choices that bring pleasure and joy to your dance and to your life. 

What is the sensation of sacred?  Do this with me:  Inhale and smell the moment and become aware of your breath.  Now tap into the sensation of pleasure you get from breathing. Your breath is sacred, dedicated to you and to fill you with life force energy.  Dedicated to you to cleanse, renew and heal your body.  Now stand and sense your feet.  What do you notice?  Your feet are sacred, dedicated to creating a foundation, allowing you to rise and sink, to dance through life, run, skip...many things!  The Nia 52 moves are sacred as well. Each of the moves are dedicated to you - to your conditioning and safety.    A closed stance is dedicated to give you the sensation of stability.  An outward punch is dedicated to give you the sensation of power and maybe to punch through any fears.  So the answer to "What is the sensation of sacred?" is BIG and unique to each one of us.

In class this week we will play with this sensation and seek the sensation of sacred in all our moves, with the intent to recognize the healing and conditioning benefits that are available when our dance becomes a sacred expression ourselves.  Potential and possibilities.   It may invite us to move slower so we don't miss the energy sensations our sacred movement!!!

My classes this week:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 am

and Sunday at 4:00 pm

all at The Synergy Studio

Also, on Sunday I will be facilitating another JourneyDance Prayer Circle from 10-11:30. YAY!!! Cost is $15 or a punch on your studio card.  Read about it HERE! 

What to do deeper into Principle 11 and the other Nia principles?  Take the Nia White belt intensive in October!  Whether you want to teach Nia or take Nia for personal growth, it is an amazing experience!!!   The October training is a split weekend.  The training starts at 3:00 pm on Friday, October 17 and will go through Saturday and Sunday.  The 2nd weekend is Thursday, October 23 - Sunday, October 26.  It is a great opportunity to take the Nia White Belt and only take a couple of days off from work.

Check out other dates at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black BeltJourney Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader


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!

Sensing Stability In Our Dance of Life!!

"I am the voice of Stability.  In me you will find constancy, integrity, peace. I am strength combined with quiet resting. I am able to hold myself in place while not ever losing my balance or leaving my center. In me, you know where you stand. I am solid even when instability is around me. I am grounded, contained, intrinsic. Access me to know calm..."  Debbie Rosas, co-founder of Nia.

​Hello Dancing Friends!

We all want it, don't we?  Stability.  Mental stability,  emotional stability, financial stability, stability in our relationships...What does stability really mean?  ​

​ From Webster we learn stability means the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change.  Hmmm... 

Nia invites us to sense and be in relationship with stability in a different way, The Body's Way.  This sensation is a foundation on where there is motion and change, and a support that allows for freedom.  In the body, stability is sensed as calmness in our muscles, combined with readiness for action. Stability is sensed as harmony between our muscles and joints.  Stability is present when we are resting and when we are moving, and energetically it is sensed as a force moving out from and in towards our center.  This sensation helps to vertically and horizontally align us with heaven and earth. Stability is dynamic, peaceful, supportive, grounded, rooted, and a heightened sense of awareness.   Stability is powerful peace!  I like The Body's Way definition, and I believe it can be applied in all areas.  In my relationships, emotions, thoughts and yes my financials, I love the image and sensation of powerful peace, calmness and feeling supported, and knowing it can be present even when there is instability around me.  AHHH!!  Let's play this week in class and in life with Stability!!

My classes this week:

Monday (today) at 5:30 pm

Thursday - 2 classes at 12:00 pm and 5:30 pm and

Saturday at 9:30 am

all at The Synergy Studio

What to do deeper?  Take the Nia White belt intensive in October!  Whether you want to teach Nia or take Nia for personal growth, it is an amazing experience!!!   The October training is a split weekend.  The training starts at 3:00 pm on Friday, October 17 and will go through Saturday and Sunday.  The 2nd weekend is Thursday, October 23 - Sunday, October 26.  It is a great opportunity to take the Nia White Belt and only take a couple of days off from work.

Check out other dates at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black BeltNia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Journey Dance Facilitator Mindful Change Coach

​Yoga Teacher
​

Laughter Yoga Leader


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!

Sensation of Health!

Hello my Dancing Friends!

Nia defines Health as "...a sensation of making right choices and decisions for your body and life. It comes from knowledge, practice, and the right kind of daily movement."  I love this definition and over the past 20 years of practicing and teaching Nia, I have discovered the power of movement and choices to heal my body, and also my emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. Health or being healthy is not something I achieve, it is a constant activity, where my movements and choices are powered by the question:  "Does this make me feel better?".  If the answer is Yes, I know I have made the right choice for this moment.  The movements and the choices can change; the motivation and outcome of living in pleasure is always the same.  This is my medicine. 

In each Nia class, and in daily life, we are invited to find the healing aspect of what we are doing by paying attention to our body sensations, our thoughts, and our actions.  This is Awareness and the path of the Sacred Athlete!  As we dance this week in class, I invite all of us to find the healing in all our movement.  What is the sensation of health when I do a cross front, cha cha cha, when I FreeDance, in my closed stance, in my breathing, when laughing?  Whether it is a smile, a laugh or a reach to the sky, we all have the ability to self heal and sense health.  Choices and decisions right for me - personal and unique!

My classes this week:

Thursday at 5:30 pm
Saturday at 9:30 am
Sunday at 4:00 pm.
And on Monday, Labor Day please note:  I will be teaching the 8:00 am Nia class and there will be NO 5:30 pm Nia. 

All at The Synergy Studio

What to do deeper?  Take the Nia White belt intensive in October!  Whether you want to teach Nia or take Nia for personal growth, it is an amazing experience!!!   The October training is a split weekend.  The training starts at 3:00 pm on Friday, October 17 and will go through Saturday and Sunday.  The 2nd weekend is Thursday, October 23 - Sunday, October 26.  It is a great opportunity to take the Nia White Belt and only take a couple of days off from work.

Check out other dates at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader

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!

Art of Play

Good morning Dancing Friends!

"Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities".  Stuart Brown, MD 
"We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." George Bernard Shaw

 

Are you ready to play?  Playing is so good for our brain, our nervous system, our emotions and our general well-being. Play refreshes your body, sharpens your mind, and restores your energy. Play is a creative act that inspires imagination and gives you a means to reach beyond your usual limits. Play can show you a world that is filled with possibilities and allows you to examine your life within that limitless context. Play gives you a chance to ask "What if," and explore your options. 
You may not realize it, yet each time you step into a Nia class you are playing! We play with music, emotions, creating shapes with our body.  We pretend, "act as if", sing, laugh, roll on the floor, and interact with each other. 
Play invites us to be in the NOW, be spontaneous, discover new things about ourselves and be open to new challenges. 
According to Marianne St. Clair, Life Coach, and author of the Art of Play, the top ten benefits of play:  
1.      Play can inspire you to think differently
2.      Playing can bring greater joy into your life
3.      Play is known to reduce stress
4.      Playing on a regular basis can increase longevity
5.      Play can reduce struggle, conflict, and worry
6.      Play can increase your sense of lightness
7.      Play can stimulate the imagination, curiosity, and creativity
8.      Playing softens the heart...as the heart becomes malleable, the risk of hypertension and depression decrease
9.      Play can greatly enhance your energy levels
10.     Play can provide you with an opportunity to take risks
So let's play this week and choose to embrace a playful mood today and everyday.  You just might find that life becomes much brighter!!!  Oh and have a good laugh...laughing releases endorphins, strengthens your immune system and is great for strengthening your core!!!

​ Many opportunities to PLAY this week.  And as I continue my Nia 20th anniversary celebration...we will PLAY with different Nia routines!  HMMM...tonight we will Play and Dance to Fantasia.  Fantasia was created by Carlos Rosas, co-founder of Nia, in 1997.  It's fun!  See you on the dance floor!

Classes this week:

Monday (today!), Thursday and Friday at 5:30 pm

Wednesday morning at 9:15 am (subbing for Adelle)

Saturday morning at 9:30 am

and Sunday at 4:00 pm all at The Synergy Studio

On Sunday, August 24, I will also be teaching a special JourneyDance class at 10:00 - 11:30 am. 

Open to the energy of abundance that is a constant in our Universe.  Abundance is there – we just need to recognize it surrounds us and open our body, mind and soul to its presence.   It all starts with love and gratitude.  Together we will dance and take a deep, personal journey and open to the joy of our life – open to Abundance.   Cost is $15 or a punch on your Synergy Studio card. Please bring a journal.

​

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader

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!
 

Pelvis - Chest - Head...3 Body Weights...Energy Centers!

Good Morning Dancing Friends & Family!

“Sense breath, sense consciousness expanding, forgive self, acknowledge the light of yourself. Be aware of spirals of energy moving through your spine. Let the heart open. Let the breath flow, the diaphragm be full and free in its movement.”  

Dhyani Ywahoo

Isn't this quote beautiful!! 

When I first started practicing Nia (20 years ago!!), I thought the core of my body was limited to my abdominal area. AND I did not have a good relationship with that area of my body!  Nia awaken and expanded my perception of the core of my body, and gave me new ways to move and heal.  Now there is nothing more healing to me then dancing my pelvis, chest and head.  This is the gift Principle 8 of the Nia White Belt gives...connecting me to the sensation of 3 body weights:  pelvis, chest and head and to my energy centers:  7 main chakras.  Principle 8 trains me to isolate my 3 body weights and integrate them via my spine.  This principle also invites me to use sound, breath, emotions and my chakras to energetically move and express, and tap into my intuitive self.  And the sensation is very YUMMY.  Nia has only 7 moves for the core of the body, and for me, they are the most healing and DELICIOUS sensations of all the 52 moves.  As you dance through life today, experiment with these sensations:

• Use your eyes to explore your environment  (Head and Eye movement).  Notice how this brings you to the NOW and can bring the sensation of gratitude.
  
• Undulate your spine while setting at your desk (Undulation).  Notice how your breath expands.
  
• When you reach towards earth to pick something up, go down in a wider stance and then rise through the base of your spine, stacking your pelvis first, then chest, then your head (Spinal Roll).
• Take an afternoon pick me up break by shaking and shimming your chest.  Smile or even add a little sound when you do this!  (Shimmy).  How do you feel?
  
• When you are paused in traffic, bring mobility to your chest to release any tension (Chest Isolations).  Notice  how your breath expands and relaxes you.
• While standing making a meal, circle your pelvis in both directions and sense the release in your lower back (Pelvis Circles).  Add little bumps with your hips and notice how this makes your feel a bit sassy!!!  (Hip Bumps)

Many ways to self heal our body, mind, emotions and spirit!!! 
It is going to be a fun weekend healing and exploring our Pelvis - Chest - Head. See you on the dance floor!

My Nia Classes this week:
Thursday (Today!!) 5:30 pm
Starting Friday, Adelle and I will be team teaching a new Nia routine called FEELING - it is a magical routine!!  Join us in these classes: 
Friday 5:30 pm 
Saturday 9:30 am 
Sunday 4:00 pm all at The Synergy Studio

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.com
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt

Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader

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!

200/700 - Potential/Possiblities

Hello dancing friends!

This week I am dedicating my classes and dance to my nephew, Conrad, who turns 12 this Thursday.  Many of you have danced with him over the years, and have witnessed his growth and progress.  He makes my heart sing, and reminds me to live in the moment, and to be open to possibilities and potential.  This is the path of the Sacred Athlete!  In honor of Conrad, we will focus on a concept in principle number 10 of the Nia white belt, called "200/700".  “200/700” refers to the 200+bones and 700+ muscles in our body, and the potential our body has to move in an endless world of movement possibilities.  When I get out of my head and into my body, my body guides me to move in new and exciting ways to condition and heal...more ways than my mind could ever create!!! 

So let's open up to all the possibilities our body and our life have for us as we dance this week...it is ENDLESS; let's open to our potential...it is LIMITLESS!!!   If you have not met Conrad, I invite you to read his story at http://www.conradsmiles.com/.  Also, on Thursday you can dance with him at 5:30 pm, as we celebrate his actual birthday!  It has become an annual event (I'm thinking this is about the 5th!), and his Nia teacher friends will also be teaching with me.  We have a wonderful playlist!!!  See you on the dance floor.  

My classes this week:

Monday and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 pm

and Sunday at 4:00 pm

at The Synergy Studio

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.me/
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
\Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader

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!

Sensing Wings!

"The shoulder blades, for me, are the "hands of the Goddess". They’re always there, always touching me. When I’m reaching up, it’s like the support of every goddess, every angel on the planet, is right there for me. And this gives me an opportunity to remember that if I’m in relationship with my body parts, I’m receiving what my body has to give me."  Debbie Rosas, co-founder of Nia

​Hello my dancing Friends,

I love to be in sensation of my shoulder blades.  Many of you know, our clavicles are my favorite bones; however, 2nd place I would have to say is our Scapulae, and I love the visualization of my shoulder blades as elegant wings expanding out the side of my body.  This visualization stimulates full arm movement and reminds me that in Nia, our upper extremities are more than just my arms, hands and fingers.  My arms actually start in the back of my body - my shoulder blades.  When I use my shoulder blades to reach, extend, hug and move, I condition not only my arms, but also all the muscles in my upper back.  Wonderful!!! 

Your shoulder blades (scapulae), are flat triangle shaped bones that lie on top of your upper back, and float and glide over the first seven ribs.  With the help of our rhomboid muscles, our shoulder blades like to slide and glide along the back of our body as we dance through life using our hands, and lifting and lowering objects.  One of the best Nia moves we can do for our scapulae is palm directions. Reaching for the sky with my palms open and then lowering as I rotate towards earth...Yummy!!

So let's fly this week in class and sense our wings...our shoulder blades...our scapulae.  And as you pause during you day, take a moment to sense the hands of the goddess on your back and listen for her voice..."I've got your back".  And maybe just lean into those hands and exhale.  See you on the dance floor!

My classes this week:

Monday and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 pm

at The Synergy Studio  

​

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.me/
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt

Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader

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!

The Magic of Sound - The Magic of You!

           

        
“Sound has a profound effect on the senses. It can be both

he​a​

rd and felt. It can even be seen with the mind’s eye. It can almost be tasted and smelled. Sound can evoke responses of the five senses. Sound can paint a picture, produce a mood, trigger the senses to remember another time and place. From infancy we hear sound with our entire bodies. When I hear my own name, I have as much a sense of it entering my body through my back or my hand or my chest as through my ears. Sound speaks to the sensorium; the entire system of nerves that stimulates sensual response.”

― Louis Colaianni, The Joy of Phonetics and Accents

​Good morning dancing friends!

I am home from a wonderful YogaFit Warriors certification in Minneapolis.   It is a wonderful and enlightening training, and I am excited with the potential of all I have learned and hope to share.  I am happy to be home - YAY!! - and look forward to dancing with you.  On to our focus!!

​

Have you ever wondered why we sound in our Nia classes?  Sounding in class is Nia's way to help you relax, become stronger and to condition not only your body, but your mind, emotions and spirit.  In a way sound is magic!!!  Sounding your voice strengthens your physical body, empties and clears your mental body, cleanses your emotional body and enlivens your spirit body.  Nia uses the voice

​as a way to ​

enhanc

​e​

your wellness and your health, and it can be as simple as sounding with your breath.  Right now take a nice full breath, as if you are smelling roses, and then as you exhale, sound a big "AHHHH!".  Using sound as

​we release our breath can stimulate relaxation, and at the same time give a spark of energy!!

Every time you make a sound (in class or in life) you stimulate an immense number of sympathetic vibrations within your body.  When you move energy with words and sound, you connect to a very powerful source - your voice. Trusting your voice, getting to know you own tone and power comes from speaking out, from making sounds and tones.  There is so much power in speaking/sounding your voice!  Affirmations and prayers are more powerful for me when I say them out loud vs. just saying them in my mind.  Hearing my voice gives me the sensation that I am harmonized and connected to life and with the Universe.  Nia recognizes this.  From the circle at the beginning of class where we sound our name and affirm who we are, to the end of class where we sound with our breathe or say YEAH! as we step out into life, we engage our voice.  I love a class full with the beauty of students voices!!  I have had many students tell me their stories of how the simple sounding of YES and NO during class has helped them say YES and NO in their life outside of class. What is your story? 

​Let's sound together this week in class as we sing, laugh, chant and harmonize with the Universe.

My classes this week:

Monday

​(Today!! at 5:30 pm
​

Thursday

​ ​

at 5:30 pm​

​Friday ​

Nia

​4th of July class with Adelle at 9 am (WOOT - sound your FREEDOM!)
Saturday at 9:30 am

and Sunday at 4:00 pm

all at The Synergy Studio.  

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.me/
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt
Journey Dance Facilitator Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator
Mindful Change Coach
Laughter Yoga Leader

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!