Sensing 3 Part Harmony!!

 "Wherever there are 3, as in 3 knights, 3 musketeers, 3 wise men or 3 wishes there is 'throughness', rebirth, transformation and success."  Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe by Michael S. Schneider. 

I love the harmony that 3 represents. In our body, we have 3 body weights, pelvis, chest and head, that can move individually, and when integrated together, create a harmonic dance of power, expression and relaxation.   Nia invites me to explore my body weights separately through pelvic circles, hip bumps, chest isolations, shimmy and head and eye movements, and then to sense the harmonic dance of the 3 through spine undulations and spinal rolls.   This dance conditions my body joyfully, transcending to my breathing and body alignment, and provides a foundation for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  3 dimensional movement, 3 part harmony that supports my body as a whole. 

Join me this week in dance as we sense 3 part harmony, playing with our pelvis, chest and head.  I will be dancing to the new routine Feeling, that is a wonderful creation by 4 fellow Nia trainers:  Casey Bernstein from Albany New York, Kelle Rae Oien from Sante Fe New Mexico,  Megan MacArthur from Hawaii, Winalee Zeeb from Lansing Michigan.  Some of you met Winalee in November when she was here for the Nia Blue belt intensive.  You will love the music!!!  In Sacred Geometry, 3 is the triad, an inherent tripartite wholeness of the universe.  In Nia we use the triad as a map to place attention on 3 elements that when combined creates wisdom...creates "throughness" rebirth, transformation and success!!!

 See you on the dance floor!

My classes this week:

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

Wednesday Somatic Awakening at 6:45 am
Saturday at 9:30 am

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

Interested in the Nia White Belt Intensive? 

Our next training in San Antonio is a split weekend that starts at 3:00 pm on Thursday, June 5 and goes through Sunday June 8. The next weekend is June 13, 14 and 15 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). This is a PERFECT opportunity to take the Nia White Belt w/out having to take a full week from work. 

7 days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  You go deep into each one of the 13 principles of the Nia White Belt where you create a loving relationship with yourself and your body.  In this intensive you learn tools for managing stress, enhancing your relationships,  and creating a work/life balance. I invite you to explore techniques using your body, voice, intent, mind, emotions and unique spirit to master getting into and living in your body.  Empower yourself, open up to your potential and step into your greatness! Check out all my trainings at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

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


Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach and 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 Dance of 2 - Polarity Into Manifestation!

"For anything to manifest, however, there must be polarity."
Eileen McKusick, researcher, writer, educator and sound practitioner

How do you visualize Polarity?  Polarity though it means two opposing qualities, really suggests a mirroring of qualities that are interconnected.  What would day be without the dark of night, fast without slow, up without down, hot without cold, Yin without Yang, big without small?  These opposing qualities allow me to be fully present in each of their unique sensations and gifts.  In Nia we play with Polarity every time we dance.  We move slow with the essence of Tai Chi, and then the next moment we are moving fast and explosive with the energy of Tae Kwon Do.  We dance our 206 bones with the sensations of light and heavy, we move big and small, in straight lines and in circles, we use our left and right sides of our brains through patterns and being spontaneous, and the music we dance with is a rich blend and contrast of silence and sound.  The dance of 2, Polarity invites all of us to manifest our dance to its full potential.

I remember when I first started teaching and practicing Nia, I was all big, all fast and all Yang energy!!  I thought I needed to use these qualities in order to get a good workout.  Soon I discovered the gifts of the 'other' and welcomed the change that manifested not only to my movement and body, but also my life.  My teaching improved and so did my relationships - HA!!! 

Lately I have been in the dance of 2 with doing and non-doing.  After 30 years in the corporate world of "doing" with schedules, deadlines and managing others alongside my Nia business and personal practice, I now have more time to spend in "non-doing", and have found peaceful manifestation.  Nia has given me these life skills...Nia has taught me many things.

Join me this week in the Dance of 2 - Polarity into Manifestation as we enJOY moment to moment, movement to movement the beauty that emerges from our dance.  In Sacred Geometry, 2 is the Dyad - the marriage of two circles giving birth to the line - a line that simultaneously divides and binds.  The Dyad has an overlapping space between the two circles known as the vesica piscis.  The principle of the Dyad is Polarity.  See you on the dance floor!!

My classes this week:

Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 am

Sunday at 4:00 pm all at The Synergy Studio

Interested in the Nia White Belt Intensive? 

We had an awesome Nia White belt here in San Antonio last week - 5 new Nia White belts walking this earth!

  Our next training in San Antonio is a split weekend that starts at 3:00 pm on Thursday, June 5 and goes through Sunday June 8. The next weekend is June 13, 14 and 15 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). This is a PERFECT opportunity to take the Nia White Belt w/out having to take a full week from work. 

7 days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  You go deep into each one of the 13 principles of the Nia White Belt where you create a loving relationship with yourself and your body.  In this intensive you learn tools for managing stress, enhancing your relationships,  and creating a work/life balance. I invite you to explore techniques using your body, voice, intent, mind, emotions and unique spirit to master getting into and living in your body.  Empower yourself, open up to your potential and step into your greatness! Check out all my trainings at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

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


Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach and 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!

Dancing Your Heart!

Hello Dancing Friends!

Take a deep breath with me and then release with the sound "AHHH", and let this sound vibrate and expand your heart.  Have you ever noticed how we use this sound when something deeply touches us, or when settling into the arms of a loved one?  Now, place your hand on your heart, in the center of your chest, and sense the beating, the unique rhythm of your heart.  Did you know that every day your heart beats about 100,000 times, sending 2,000 gallons of blood surging through your body? Although it’s no bigger than your fist, your heart keeps blood flowing through 60,000 miles of blood vessels that feed your organs and tissues...your entire being!  Our incredible heart! 

Let's celebrate and dance our heart during this month of our heart and love!  In Nia we shimmy, use chest isolation's, and spinal undulations; we smell the moment, sing, laugh, cry, growl, say Yes and No, all to move and condition our heart.  We also connect within and with each other as we dance, making our heart strong and resilient.  Join me in class this week...your heart will thank you!!

My classes this week:
Monday, and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Wednesday Somatic Awakening at 6:45 am
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
all at The Synergy Studio

Interested in the Nia White Belt Intensive?  It is almost here...our next Nia White Belt in San Antonio!!!  There is still time to sign up.  February 21-27...7 days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  You go deep into each one of the 13 principles of the Nia White Belt where you create a loving relationship with yourself and your body.  In this intensive you learn tools for managing stress, enhancing your relationships,  and creating a work/life balance. I invite you to explore techniques using your body, voice, intent, mind, emotions and unique spirit to master getting into and living in your body.  Empower yourself, open up to your potential and step into your greatness! Check out all my trainings at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

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


Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach and 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!

Reaching For to the Moon and Stars!!

Good morning my dancing Friends!

This morning at 5:30 as I let my dog Rocket outside, I looked up at our amazing sky and gasped!!  What beauty in the heavens, and I found myself reaching with my hands for the bright moon and stars, and drawing them into my heart!  This reach of bright light filled my body, mind and spirit with hope and excitement for the day.  Our fingers, hands, and wrists are receivers and givers. They are voices, messengers of the heart, and through reaching, touching  and connection, they give voice to what we feel and desire to communicate and express. 

Expressing ourselves with our fingers, hands and wrist is a natural part of living in a human body—we do it all the time! Our arms, hands and fingers express joy, pain and pleasure; intimacy, protection and excitement. When we are hurt, our hands reach for our injuries. When we are deeply moved, our hands reach toward our hearts. When we are excited by our achievements, our arms burst up to the sky, toward unlimited possibility.  In Nia when we bring awareness of your fingers, hands and wrists, it allows us to tap into our full range movement and expression, naturally healing and conditioning our body by simply interacting with the world. This is the Body’s Way, that is why 15 of Nia's 52 moves are dedicated to these lovely body parts.  They add so much to our dance!!!  All of a sudden a heal lead is an opportunity to paint the space around you with your fingers, and stepping onto the ball of your foot is a determined reach toward your dreams with your hands!  As you dance through life this week, notice your finger, hands and wrists.  Every once in awhile, use creepy crawlers to move the energy through your fingers, hands and wrists - wake them up!  Touch, hold, and caress, using your fingers, hands and wrists...giving and receiving.  Reach for the moon and the stars!  I am waving hello to you right now, and I'll see you on the dance floor and in life!

My classes this week:
Monday, and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
all at The Synergy Studio

Interested in the Nia White Belt Intensive?  It is almost here...our next Nia White Belt in San Antonio!!!  There is still time to sign up.  February 21-27...7 days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  You go deep into each one of the 13 principles of the Nia White Belt where you create a loving relationship with yourself and your body.  In this intensive you learn tools for managing stress, enhancing your relationships,  and creating a work/life balance. I invite you to explore techniques using your body, voice, intent, mind, emotions and unique spirit to master getting into and living in your body.  Empower yourself, open up to your potential and step into your greatness! Check out all my trainings at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

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


Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach and 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!

Continuing the Dance of Our Core...Sensing Our Magical Spine!

Hello Dancing Friends!

"I am the voice of your Spine. My function is to bear weight, provide movement, create a home for your spinal cord, and provide passageways for your nerve endings and accompanying vessels. By design, I am your skeleton’s center that supports three body weights: your head, chest, and pelvis. I am an elegant string of fluid pearls, 26 separate parts that can change
shape...Because of my design, you can bend, extend, flex, turn, and rotate me. My four curves, cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral help keep you moving freely...I love to maintain length, to help you fall up into the heavens and root down into the earth. I love it when you breathe and lengthen, keeping my disc spaces fluidly open and my length long. Movement keeps me healthy."  Debbie Rosas

Isn't that beautiful!  Take a moment right now and let your spine move freely, as if it is a tree branch blowing in the wind.  Notice how your spine integrates its dance with your pelvis, chest and head. AHHH...  Your spine, which is made up of 26 vertebrate that allows for multidimensional movement, loves to bend, vibrate, undulate, rotate, flex, stretch, to stabilize and most importantly, your spine loves joyful movement!!  When your spine is healthy, your torso is healthy, helping to keep your arms and legs flooded with energy.  No matter what type of movement I do, what shape I create, it will magically go back to its inherent shape and be even stronger!! As you dance through life, imagine your spine as a soft blue ribbon of light spiraling from the base of your spine through the crown of your head.  Join me in class as we dance our magical spine.  Have a wonderful week!!!

New Weekly Class - Somatic Awakening:  This class is amazing and I hope you join me this Wednesday!!  Moving and dancing on the Earth is one of the best ways to start your day.  I do it everyday!  Combining elements of  Nia FloorPlay, Nia 5 Stages, Nia FreeDance, JourneyDance, Yoga, Breath, Guided Imagery, Laughter and Play, Somatic Awakening will energize your day while conditioning your body, mind & spirit. Adelle and I will be sharing this weekly class and it is guaranteed to make you feel youthful and awaken your inner child.  This class is every Wednesday at 6:45 - 7:30 am at The Synergy Studio! 

My classes this week:
Monday, Thursday and Friday Nia at 5:30 pm
Wednesday Somatic Awakening at 6:45 am
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
Sunday Nia at 4:00 pm
all at The Synergy Studio

Interested in the Nia White Belt Intensive?  It is almost here...our next Nia White Belt in San Antonio!!!  There is still time to sign up.  February 21-27...7 days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  You go deep into each one of the 13 principles of the Nia White Belt where you create a loving relationship with yourself and your body.  In this intensive you learn tools for managing stress, enhancing your relationships,  and creating a work/life balance. I invite you to explore techniques using your body, voice, intent, mind, emotions and unique spirit to master getting into and living in your body.  Empower yourself, open up to your potential and step into your greatness! Check out all my trainings at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

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


Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach and 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

Dancing the Core of Your Body!

Good morning Dancing Friends!

"The body is a sacred garment." ~Martha Graham

I love this quote by Martha Graham and it consistently reminds me of the deep gratitude I have for my body, and why I move and dance everyday.  Last week we focused on the base of our body and over the next couple of weeks, we are moving up and will focus and dance the core of our body.  In Nia the core of our body is our Pelvis, Chest and Head (also referred to our 3 body weights), that provides a foundation for physical,mental and emotional health. When all three body weights are active participants in our life and movement—from our walk to our dance—we will naturally feel vibrant, alive and energetically present.  Take a moment and lightly vibrate your pelvic, chest and head. Can you sense in this simple movement energy pulsing from the base of you body through the crown of your head?  Our core houses our digestive tract, our heart, our lungs, our reproductive system, to name a few, and is our emotional and energetic center. When we move the core of our body with awareness, gratitude and love, energy pulses throughout our body, promoting a happy and healthy body.  Dancing and healing the core of our body...Expressive, dynamic and powerful!  See you in class. 

New Weekly Class - Somatic Awakening:  This class is amazing and I hope you join me this Wednesday!!  Moving and dancing on the Earth is one of the best ways to start your day.  I do it everyday!  Combining elements of  Nia FloorPlay, Nia 5 Stages, Nia FreeDance, JourneyDance, Yoga, Breath, Guided Imagery, Laughter and Play, Somatic Awakening will energize your day while conditioning your body, mind & spirit. Adelle and I will be sharing this weekly class and it is guaranteed to make you feel youthful and awaken your inner child.  This class is every Wednesday at 6:45 - 7:30 am at The Synergy Studio! 

My classes this week:
Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Wednesday Somatic Awakening at 6:45 am
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
Sunday Nia at 4:00 pm
all at The Synergy Studio

Interested in the Nia White Belt Intensive?  It is almost here...our next Nia White Belt in San Antonio!!!  February 21-27...7 days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  You go deep into each one of the 13 principles of the Nia White Belt where you create a loving relationship with yourself and your body.  In this intensive you learn tools for managing stress, enhancing your relationships,  and creating a work/life balance. I invite you to explore techniques using your body, voice, intent, mind, emotions and unique spirit to master getting into and living in your body.  Empower yourself, open up to your potential and step into your greatness! Check out all my trainings at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.

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


Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach and 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."  

Grateful for My Feet - Hands that Touch the Earth!

Hello Dancing Friends!

Ahh...Thank You feet for supporting me as I dance through life and go about my day.  Thank You feet for bringing balance to my entire body, for grounding me and allowing me to move gracefully, efficiently and powerfully on the earth.  Thank You feet for giving me the gifts of running, jumping, skipping, hopping and dancing.  Thank You feet for providing me confidence, for when I sense your support from behind and underneath, you give me strength to stand tall and show myself to the world!   Thank You feet for your unique design of 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments,19 muscles and tendons, that provide me with a dynamic, mobile and stable foundation.  Thank You feet for your thousands of nerve endings, where I receive valuable information about my world. Thank You FEET!

And Thank You Nia for the beautiful barefoot workout that honors my feet, and provides unique steps, stances, kicks and feet techniques that nurture and heal my feet, while providing whole body conditioning.  Our focus in class this week...our beautiful feet.  Have you ever noticed when your feet are happy you are generally a happy person?  I know when my feet are cold, my whole body is cold.  When warm, I'm warm.  When tired, I'm tired.  Yes my feet create and tell my story.  One of the best things we can do for our feet is to listen to the messages they send and to respond in loving ways.  And a foot massage is a wonderful way to say Thank You!  Every night I massage my feet with lavender essential oil and I get the best night's sleep.  My feet are relaxed and happy, and so am I.

So join me in gratitude and dance of our feet this week in Nia.  Let's Step In...My 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. 

There is still time to sign up for the JourneyDance^TM of New Beginnings on Jan. 11th:  Dream~Vision~Manifest:  Join Jan Braun and me in a dance of New Beginnings where we will unleash the boldness of your DREAMS in 2014 through movement and VISION boarding, opening the path for MANIFESTATION.  This is going to be a great dance and vision setting, and we hope you can join us.  The cost is $35 and includes your vision board and supplies.  This event is Saturday, Jan. 11th, from 2-4:30 pm at Total Harmony Yoga Studio.  Register by contacting at brooks.joanie@gmail.com. 

Interested in the Nia White Belt Intensive?  It is 7 days dedicated to you, your body and your life.  You go deep into each one of the 13 principles of the Nia White Belt where you create a loving relationship with yourself and your body.  In this intensive you learn tools for managing stress, enhancing your relationships,  and creating a work/life balance. I invite you to explore techniques using your body, voice, intent, mind, emotions and unique spirit to master getting into and living in your body.  Empower yourself, open up to your potential and step into your greatness! Check out my trainings at: http://www.nianow.com/joanie#trainings.  Next one is in February 21st at The Synergy Studio!
 
Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,
http://www.joaniebrooks.me/
Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer


Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach and 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!