Scapulae - Hands On the Back of Your Body!

"On your back

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you’ll find the scapulae, the two

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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

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​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!