Dancing Through Life X-Raying and Sensing Our Alignment!!

Hello My Dancing Friends!

Today Adelle and I had the honor of graduating 4 new Nia White Belts, Cassendra Keys and Maria Palma from San Antonio, Bianca Rodriguez from Laredo, and Ronda Bartley from Oklahoma.  YEAH!!!  They are now starting their Nia journey and stepping into this world to share their gifts.  I love the work of Nia, and each Nia White Belt intensive is a amazing learning and growing experience for me.  I have so much to be grateful for, including the wonderful community of dancers and healers we have here in San Antonio.  Thank you for your dance, for your smile, for your light.  

2012 has been the Year of Becoming a Sacred Athlete...a year of Purpose, Potential and Possibility.  A Sacred Athlete is a teacher and healer to all people.  Becoming a Sacred Athlete is a choice and is a journey of discovering your purpose, exploring your limitless potential and opening up to the endless possibilities available to you when you choose pleasure and love as your path for transformation and to self mastery.  We are all teachers.  We teach others with our actions, our thoughts and words.  We teach others through our choices.  Choosing to keep your body healthy through movement and dance shows others how you have chosen to love your body.  As we prepare to close 2012 and open up to the unlimited possibilities of 2013, I invite you to say with me "I am a Sacred Athlete!".  

Our Nia focus this week is Principle #10 of the White Belt, X-Ray Anatomy - Dynamic Postural Alignment.  X-Ray Anatomy is a practice of observing and sensing our alignment via our bones, ligaments and muscles.  It is a wonderful way for you to create a relationship with your body, and through sensation, imagination, intuition and your internal eyes, "seeing inside" and lovingly making changes to bring your body into hemostasis.  In X-Ray Anatomy we also play with the concept of 200/700, which refers to the 200+ bones and 700+ muscles in your body. Exploring your body with the awareness of 200/700 reveals an endless world of movement possibilities!!!

So let's open up to all possibilities our body and our life has for us as we dance this week...it is ENDLESS; open to our potential...it is LIMITLESS!!!  See you on the dance floor.   

My classes this week:
Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Friday at 6:45 pm JourneyDance™ Class..see description below

Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
and Sunday Nia at 4:00 pmall at  http://www.thesynergystudio.com/. 

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/joanie.  There is currently a special from Nia HQ where you get $100 of any white belt in 2013.  This special runs through Dec. 31, 2012.  Use the registration code of wb123112 at checkout.

 

Join me for JourneyDance™on December 21, 2012 at 6:45 pm at The Synergy Studio.   This a special day in many ways.  It is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, and marks the beginning of the Sun's accent into the sky.  In Latin, solstice means "sun set still", and Winter Solstice is the great stillness.   December 21, 2012 is also the date recorded in stone by the Ancient Maya over 1300 years ago indicating the completion of a World Age Cycle.  It is a day we are invited to synchronize with all life in the Universe to begin a new World consciousness fired by love, compassion, gratitude and peace.  Awakening to our Self-Generation, we are called to unify with all hearts and minds for Universal healing.   Join me on this day in harmony with others across the planet, as we JourneyDance™ and open to new possibilities beyond all past precedents! What are you creating, what do you want to create, what needs healing or forgiveness?  What can you let go of now (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) to fulfill your desires, hopes and dreams?  It is time to embrace who YOU are, to celebrate where YOU have been and where we are going, and to shine Your light. 

Go to my link & get 40% off of Nia clothing, music & much more!!  Look for the 40% off purple button:  http://nianow.com/joanie
Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,  Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coachhttp://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!

Dancing Through Life with Your Fingers, Hands and Arms...Expressing the Real You!

Expressing ourselves with our upper extremities 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. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are always communicating our thoughts, feelings and emotions through the movement of our upper extremities. Tuning into your upper extremities—your arms, hands and fingers—allows you to tap into your full range movement and expression, naturally healing and conditioning your body by simply interacting with the world. This is the Body’s Way, and That is why 18 of Nia's 52 moves are dedicated to our these lovely body parts.  They add so much to our dance!!!  All of a sudden a bow stance is your dance in flight as you imagine your arms as beautiful white wings of light; 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!  Right NOW give yourself a hug and receive the healing touch of your hands on your skin.  I then invite you to give that hug to someone and allow them to sense your healing touch.  It just might be the best gift they have ever received!!!

So this week as we prepare and step back into the Nia White Belt intensive we will focus on Principle #9 of the Nia White Belt - Creative Arm and Hand Expressions, in my Monday and Thursday clases.  As as you Dance Through Life pay attention pay attention to the movements and sensations
of your upper extremities throughout your day.
- Notice how you use your arms, hands to express your thoughts and feelings in every environment.
- As you walk, allow your arms to swing freely to relaxed shoulder joints.
- As you work at the computer, set reminders throughout the day to notice the sensations in your neck and shoulders. Then, consciously relax the muscles of your neck, shoulders and upper back as you type.  Use Creepy Crawlers to stimulate movement of your joints in your hands.
- When you finish working for the day, practice Palm Directions to release your shoulder joints and stretch the front of your chest.
- To release tension and stretch your hands, integrate Webbed Spaces into various activities in your day, such as when walking from your car to the store, as you wait in line, etc. 

I love this work...see you in class!
My classes this week:
Monday at 5:30 pm
Thursday at 8:00 am
Friday at 5:30 pm team teaching with Adelle, focus on Principle 10, X-Ray Anatomy
Saturday at 9:30 am team teaching with Adelle focus on the 52 Moves...energize the moves to the routine Passion!!!
Sunday at 4:00 pm team teaching with Adelle focus on Celebration while you dance what you senseall at  http://www.thesynergystudio.com/. 

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/joanie.  There is currently a special from Nia HQ where you get $100 of any white belt in 2013.  This special runs through Dec. 31, 2012.  Use the registration code of wb123112 at checkout.

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,  Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer, Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coachhttp://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!

Grateful For Our Voice!!!

Happy Thanksgiving week my dear Friends!

"Spirit is not a mystic concept. The spirit of a person is manifest in her  aliveness, brightness of his eyes,in the resonance of her/his voice and in the ease and gracefulness of her/his movements. These qualities are related to and stem from a high level of energy in the body... Sensing the harmony between the internal pulsation of our body and that in the universe, we feel identified with the universal, with God. We are like tuning forks vibrating at the same pitch (Alexander Lowen,1995, 314-315. )

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.  The way Nia uses the voice is directed at enhancing 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 I release my breath relaxes me and at the same time gives me 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? 

Grateful for our voice, grateful for who we are, grateful for our life.  Sound with me right now:  "Thank you body, thank you life!  I am HERE!".  See you and HEAR you on the dance floor.  Bring your family and friends during this special Thanksgiving week!

My classes this week:

Monday at 5:30 pm

Thursday Nia Thanksgiving class with Adelle at 8:00 am (WOOT!!),

Saturday at 9:30 am

and Sunday at 4:00 pm

all at The Synergy Studio.  

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up in December...a split weekend. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! http://www.nianow.com/joanie

There is currently a special from Nia HQ where you get $100 of any white belt.  This special runs through Dec. 31, 2012.  Use the registration code of wb123112 at checkout.

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!

Sensing and Dancing The Curves of Your Spine!!

Hello My Dancing Friends!

Our spine consist of 26 vertebrae and provides structural support for our entire body.  Did you know your spine has four distinct curves: cervical (neck), thoracic (upper back), lumbar (lower back), and sacral (pelvis level)?   The curves and their specific shapes are very important for supporting the body’s weight, and if one curve is misaligned, the rest of the curves (and body) will be affected.  At birth, our spine was C-shaped. As we developed, learning to creep, crawl, stand and then walk, our spine shaped and adapted, becoming flexible, mobile and strong.  When we were about 10 years old our lumbar curve fully assumed to its adult shape, which has natural curves that form an S-Shape.  Close your eyes and visualize this S along you back and sense the curves!  This magical structure gives you the ability to lean sideways, twist, vibrate, undulate, rotate, flex, stretch and move effortlessly through 3 planes of movement.  The curves of your spine also support the weight of your body, work like coiled springs to absorb shock, and helps you maintain balance.  It is amazing!    

 

So lets dance and sense our curves this week in class.  Your spine loves joyful movement and when your spine is healthy and happy, your torso is healthy, flooding your arms and legs with rejuvenating energy!  I like to visualize my spine as an elegant string of pearls that curve through my body, giving me strength and resistance; and 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!!  See you in class as we dance to an older Carlos Nia routine called Girls Night Out!  This is such a fun and spirited routine that is charged with the jazzy sounds of Candy Dolpher.  Snap, crackle, pop, sassy and alive!! Bring your CURVES!!!

My classes this week:

Monday, and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm

Friday JourneyDance class at 6:45 pm

and Saturday  Nia at 9:30 am

all at The Synergy Studio.  

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up in December...a split weekend. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! 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 Coachhttp://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!

The Rhythm of Life...Do you Feel it?

Hello friends!

“To live is to be musical, starting with the blood dancing in your veins. Everything living has a rhythm. Do you feel your music?”
                                                                        Michael Jackson

Everything in life flows with its unique rhythm...the sun comes and goes down each day as part of the rhythm of the Universe (not our mechanical clocks), the seasons fflower and change, and the moon flows from full to new.  In your body, you can feel your unique rhythm though your heartbeat, your breath, the blinking of your eyes, the beat of your internal organs, the flow of you blood and water...everything flows.  Even your laughter has a unique rhythm.  Go ahead and laugh right NOW and notice how each HA (the beat of your laugh) is exactly spaced.  It's amazing!!   Rhythm is the driving force that holds our lives together!

In Nia we honor the rhythm of every Body through a principle called Natural Time.  Natural Time (NT) is fluid, non-linear, and centered in the NOW; and it reconnects us to the rhythms of nature and he rhythms of all life forms. NT invites us to move in our own time, at our own pace and discover our own unique way of moving so we can make choices intuitively as we sense our body.  NT is a way for us to be in touch with the Universe, and have a deep and rich relationship with our body.  NT invites us to dance to our unique beat.  Our bodies love to move, and when we move in NT, our body becomes fluid with the rhythm  of life. 

So even though today the mechanic time has changed, stay connected to your rhythm, your natural beat.  Honor and trust your flow..it is uniquely you and it is perfect!  Do you feel it...Rhythm!!  See you in class!! 
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. 

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up in December...a split weekend. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! 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!

Dancing Your Pelvis!!

Hello My Friends!
This week we will focus on sensing our pelvis in all our movements - Dancing Our Pelvis.  Movement of the pelvis strengthens the abdominal muscles, releases tension in your lower back and increases spinal flexibility.  When the pelvis is free, the spine is free.  As you step and dance through space, move your pelvis as though you had a long tail. When you involve your pelvis in every movement and move it freely in all directions, you will become strong, toned and healthy.   The word "pelvis" means basin and we like to call our pelvis the container.  Think about it...your pelvis CONTAINS your reproductive organs, digestive organs, and your bladder, so YES it is a container!  Every time you move your pelvis you are massaging these organs.  So swing, sway, circle and do hip bumps with your pelvis and sense how much better you will feel!!  As you dance through life, take opportunities to dance your pelvis...while you are cooking, circle your pelvis.  As you walk, act as if you are wearing a skirt (yes even if you are a man), and sense how relaxed your lower back feels.  Jump up from your desk and move your hips side to side to get the energy flowing in your spine!!!  

So let’s dance from the inside out and seek ways of moving that keep your pelvis loose and agile, strong and stable.  Our dancing this week will be powered with the music of Sacred Earth Drums.  We will move our bodies to the sounds of drums, flutes, guitars, birds, and water.  Grounding with earth and unleashing our creativity.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention your pelvis is the container of Chakras One and Two.   HEE HEE...Let the magic begin!  See you in class.
Start your dance with this treat to one of the Sacred Earth Drums songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzDvtqws49s&feature=relmfu

My classes this week:
Monday, Thursday and Friday (subbing for Adelle) at 5:30 pm
Saturday at 9:30 am,
and Sunday at 4:00 pm
all at The Synergy Studio. 

Read more about the sensation of your Pelvis in this month's Nia Headquarter's newsletter.  See what Debbie Rosas and 3 fellow Nia Trainers suggest to keep your pelvis healthy and bring more pleasure in your life!   http://www.nianow.com/story/2012/10/awareness-of-the-pelvis-sensing-grace-and-power!  You can also download a student handout here:  http://www.nianow.com/public/student-handout-awareness-of-pelvis-october-2012

 Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up in December...a split weekend. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! 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!

Pelvis with the Distanceby Georgia O'Keeffe

Our Dancing Eyes..Awareness of Sight!

Hello My Friends! One of our most incredible gifts we have is the gift of sight. Of all of your body’s five senses, the sense of sight is considered to be the most complex. They are designed to receive and process light, rays and beams of light, and bounce off objects, giving you information about color, shape and texture. Have you ever stopped during your day and acknowledge the sights that are being taken in by your eyes?  From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, our eyes are busy taking pictures and sending them to our brain for analysis. Our brain is in business with our eyes!  Take a moment now and look around.  What do you see and what are you perceiving you see?  Nia asks us to be aware every moment, and as we look out into the world, to change our perception of what we see to make it pleasing - Life As Art.  Pleasure. 

Our eyes are about the size of a table-tennis ball and they work just like a camera.  The numerous muscles in our eyes work together to allow our eyes to move in all directions:  up, down, around... taking pictures of our world!  Did you know that out of all the muscles in your body, the muscles that control your eyes are the most active?  You blink about 12 times every minute, and every blink lasts about 1/10th of a second!  BUSY! 

In a Nia class we use the Head and Eye movement (one of Nia's 52 moves) to condition our eyes by looking around.  When we follow our hand with our eyes or act as if we are following a butterfly, we engage the whole body.  As I've said before, Nia is a WHOLE body workout, including our eyes!! 

I have listed below 7 things you can do throughout your day as you Dance Through Life, to keep your eyes healthy.  Happy SEEING...and SEE you in class this week.  Note there is a JourneyDance class on Friday...WOOT!

My classes this week:
Monday, Thursday and Friday (subbing for Adelle) at 5:30 pm
Friday at 6:45 a JourneyDance class,
Saturday at 9:30 am,
and Sunday at 4:00 pm
all at  http://www.thesynergystudio.com/. 

1.  Breathe deeply. Your eyes are situated far from your lungs and heart, and shallow breathing will deprive your eyes of the essential nutrients they need to stay healthy, fit and well. Every hour, consciously take 30 seconds to “smell the moment,” drawing a deep breath in and letting out a full sigh, lengthening the time of your exhale.
2. Relax. Stress reduces the flow of blood and oxygen, starving your eyes of the fuel and nutrients they need to stay healthy. Make a conscious effort to relax your body and face, softening your eyes and jaw.
3. Check your posture. Avoid thrusting your head forward by releasing your lower jaw, allowing your head to gently float up.
4. Take a time out. When you sense your sight becoming blurry, distorted or strained, stop and take a time out. Relax and release by vocally sounding sustained vowel sounds of, “A-E-I-O-U”.
5. Thank your eyes. Each day, in the morning, noon and night, thank your eyes by saying, “Thank you for sharing the world with me”.
6. Exercise your eye muscles. Look left and right, up and down, around to the left and around to the right, and diagonally, sensing the muscles of your eyes stretching.
7. Avoid staring and blink. For every five minutes you have to look in one direction or at one point for extended lengths of time, stop and look out into the distance and take in everything. Move away from your computer screen after 20 minutes and look around. 

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up in December...a split weekend. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! 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!

Nia... A Gift That Lasts A Lifetime!!!

Good morning my Friends!

"If you remember anything about Nia, remember this: the soul of Nia is  the Joy of Movement."  Debbie Rosas and Carlos AyaRosas, co-founders of Nia.  

What a fantastic cool morning.  I've been outside appreciating the coolness of the morning against my skin and gazing at the beautiful moon.  Its Magical!  I'm excited this week as Adelle and I prepare for a Nia White Belt that starts this Friday.  We have a wonderful group from our dancing community and from Mexico.  I love delivering this work!  The Nia White Belt focuses on the foundation of Nia through 13 principles that guide you to place your attention on yourself, on your body, and on physical sensation.  The intent of these principles are to assist and inspire you to celebrate your body and your human potential.   The Nia White Belt is designed for people of all shapes and sizes, and teach you about sensory-based movement as a pleasurable way to achieve lasting health, wellness and fitness.  It is truly a gift that last a lifetime, and goes beyond the class into life!! If you have been contemplating this gift, there is still time and room to sign up!  Go to http://www.nianow.com/nia-training/24/nia-white-belt-training.  And make sure you come to the Nia classes during the white belt as we dance and focus on the principles of the white belt!  

As a "kick-off" to the upcoming White Belt I will be focusing on principle 1 of the Nia White Belt, The Joy of Movement.

The Joy of Movement teaches us to connect to Joy by choosing sensation through all movement.  As you sense your body, you invite Joy in.  No matter what your circumstances are, you have the capacity to live and move in Joy, which is more than an emotion; it is a way of being in the world.  This principles invites us to use Joy and Your Body's Way to fall in love with your body and your life.  It is also a tool you can use to shift your dance, your attitude and your life. It's the first step of becoming a Sacred Athlete.  Right now you can consciously choose this energy.  What a gift!!!  See you in class this week!

My Nia classes this week:

• Monday and Thursday at 5:30 pm
• Friday at 5:30 pm with Adelle 
• Saturday at 9:30 am with Adelle (shifting focus to Principle 2, Natural Time and the 9 Movement Forms of Nia)
• and Sunday at 4:00 pm with Adelle (shifting focus to Principle 5, The Base of the Body) all at http://www.thesynergystudio.com.

Go to my link & get 40% off of Nia clothing, music & much more!!  Look for the 40% off purple button:  http://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 Coachhttp://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!

5 Fitness Sensations of Your Body!!

I'm back from a fabulous weekend in OK city with my fellow Nia Trainers Adelle and Shannon Mairs (from Dallas) where we taught weekend classes, introducing Nia to a new community.  Expanding JOY, expanding community, expanding Nia!!  Our focus was on the 5 Fitness Sensations of Nia:  Flexibility, Agility, Mobility, Strength and Stability (FAMSS).  Yummy!!  So let's continue the focus this week. There are many benefits in developing body awareness of the 5 sensations of flexibility, agility, mobility, strength, and stability in your workout and in your life.  Each unique sensation is necessary for keeping your body physically fit and energetically balanced.  Integrating all 5 sensations in your dance keeps muscles relaxed, highly charged and ready for action over longer periods of time.  Your muscles can work with greater efficiency when they are allowed to move and rest as they go from one sensation to another.  When one sensation is overused, grace and power are always diminished, resulting in muscle and energy imbalance and unnecessary chronic tension that can lead to the inefficient muscle and poor alignment. 
FLEXIBILITY is sensed as energy moving out.  It is a feeling of releasing power. Flexibility feels like a warm lengthening along the bone that stretches the belly of the muscle. Flexibility relaxes and never tenses the body.  Sense this…Stretch your arms out and reach for the stars.   The sensation that you feel is the sensation of flexibility!

AGILITY is sensed as energy starting and stopping.  It is a feeling of pulling and pushing. Agility feels like a playful tug-of-war action, changing; stop-now GO.  Sense this...Act as if you are reaching out and catching a fire fly, then another and another.  The sensation you feel is the sensation of agility!

MOBILITY is sensed as energy in constant movement, a continuous energy flow in a wide range of motion – a constant and varying excitation of the nerves around the joints, engaging the muscles, bones and joints.
Sense this… Move all 10 fingers simultaneously and act as if you are tickling someone.  The sensation you feel is the sensation of mobility!

STRENGTH is sensed as energy moving inward, like squeezing or packing energy against the bone.  It feels like a warm power moving along and into the bones.  Sense this… Clench your fist softly and draw power into your body through your fists and arms.   The sensation you feel is the sensation of strength!

STABILITY is sensed as energy moving from the center out in all directions.  It is the feeling of harmony and peace, combined with readiness for action.  Sense this… Balance on one leg, and in slow motion, move your free leg and both arms. Stability is what keeps you from falling, even as you move.

So let's train our body's to activate all 5 sensations and see what happens!  See you on the dance floor!
My Nia classes this week:
Monday and Thursday at 5:30 pm
and Saturday at 9:30 am all at http://www.thesynergystudio.com.

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up on October 5th. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! http://www.nianow.com/joanie


Go to my link & get 40% off of Nia clothing, music & much more!!  Look for the 40% off purple button:  http://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/

Awareness of Our Beautiful Knees!!!

Hello Friends!
How are your knees today?  Do you ever ask your body that question?  As a Sensation Scientist, a person living in constant awareness of sensation, it is a good practice to do. One of the ways I say hello and check in with my knees is by activating my 13 joints every morning after I wake up.  This simple exercise let's me know how my knees are doing as well as circulating energy throughout my whole body.  Good morning knees!! 

Your knee joint is the largest joint in your body and is uniquely designed to carry most of your weight.  Practically everything we do throughout our day engages our knees.:  walking, sitting, running, dancing...the list goes on.  It's important we bring awareness to our knees so we can keep them strong and healthy in order to move efficiently and comfortably - no matter what our age is. 

Before Nia I ran, as well as participated in many aerobic activities.  I did not pay attention to my knees and the impact I was putting on them, which resulted in crunching noise and pain in my knees.  Through Nia and awareness, I have healed my knees and I move in ways that continue to support my dance of life.  Here are a couple of things you can do to care for your knees:
- If you sit or stand for extended period of times throughout the day, rub your knees, shake them, bend and extend them so you can bring circulation into your knees as well as your ankles.
- Avoid locking your knees by keeping them spring-loaded.  This sensation is like you are on the edge of a diving board getting ready to jump in.  They are loose and relaxed which allows synovial fluid to flow and keep your knees lubricated. 
- Using a foam roller made a big difference for me!  I rolled the sides of my thigh which relaxed the connective tissue and muscles that were pulling on my knees.  
- Notice how you are walking.  Are you engaging your hips and ankles?  Remember, everything is connected so if we engage the joints above and below the knees, our knees will be more relaxed and function the way they are designed.  When sitting, release your hip joints and really sit back into your chair so you knees can "exhale". 
- As I mentioned above, activate your 13 joints, which includes your knees, every morning.  I also practice the Nia 5 Stages of Healing every morning which is excellent for your knees and your whole body.  Talk to me more on this if you are interested.

Ahh...our beautiful knees.  Let's dance this week with awareness and love for our knees and see what happens.  You can read more about the knees from last month's Nia newsletter that includes tips from my fellow Nia trainers to include our lovely Adelle!  Go to:  http://www.nianow.com/story/2012/08/awareness-of-knees-sensing-opening-and-closing

My classes this week:
Monday (today) and Thursday at 5:30 pm
and Saturday at 9:30 am all at The Synergy Studio
 
Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up on October 5th. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! 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/

EveryBody Dance Now!!!

Good morning my Nia Friends!!  I'm in Austin with my best friend from high school and the person who introduced me to Nia 18 years ago, and I'm preparing for a day of teaching and dancing at Lake Austin Spa and Resort.  This week has been declared "Dance Week" at the resort, and today I'm teaching Nia and introducing JourneyDance!   EveryBody Dance now!!

Dancing is such a part of my life that I cannot imagine a day without dance.  If I'm happy, I dance.  If I'm feeling low, I dance.  I could not survive without dance.  Dancing is for everyBody, and anybody can dance and enjoy the benefits of self discovery, emotional expression, spontaneous movement and pure FUN!!  The benefits of dance are endless and the potential for healing and conditioning our body, mind, spirit and emotions is endless!!!  Dancing heals the soul.   Have you ever noticed your fellow dancers while he/she is dancing?  What do you see?  I see radiant smiles that are pure, natural and beautiful.   I see honest movement and expression.  I see grace! 

Right now put in "benefits of dancing" in your Google search.  You will find hundreds of articles on this subject and I invite you to explore these possibilities for yourself!  Dance came to Nia when Carlos Aya Rosas co-founder of Nia, asked the question:  "Where is the fun?".  Adding dance to Nia was revolutionary and a bit scary; however, by asking this question and listening to their bodies, Debbie Rosas and Carlos brought dance to Nia, creating the Dance Arts of Nia, which has helped many bodies reclaim fun, passion, freedom, electricity, expression and healing.

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul” - Martha Graham

EveryBody dance NOW!!   Nia and JourneyDance offer us the opportunity to be the dancer that is alive in our hearts and our 75 trillion cells.  So let dance!!!  Enjoy this video & dance with me:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12VUjgYMm1U
 

My classes this week:
Monday Nia at 5:30 (Adelle is subbing for me..thank you!)
Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm,
Friday, JourneyDance at 6:45 pm
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
Sunday Nia at 4:00 pm all at http://www.thesynergystudio.com.

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up on October 5th. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! 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/

Purpose, Potential, Possibility - The Path of the Sacred Athlete!

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as you mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.” Mary Kay Ash

Our BIG focus as we stepped into 2012 has been becoming a Sacred Athlete.  The path to becoming and being a Sacred Athlete is a choice; it is a mindset.  It is a clear path of living into our greatness and opening to our limitless potential and endless possibilities available to us when we choose pleasure and love as our path.  Have you ever looked up the definition of Athlete?  It is defined by Webster as a "person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina".  The definition applies to the game of Life, and requires the same skills.  The game of Life becomes Sacred and we become Sacred Athletes when we bring awareness to all we do; where every move is meaningful, fulfilling and rewarding to the honoring of our body, mind, emotions and spirit. 

A Sacred Athlete is a teacher and healer to all people.   We are all teachers.  We teach others with our actions, our thoughts and words.  We teach others through our choices.  Choosing to keep your body healthy through movement and dance shows others how you have chosen to love your body. 

Whether you are starting this journey, continuing your journey, or have stepped off the path and are now ready to step back in, honor your process and then open your heart to your potential...it limitless.  Open to all the possibilities life has for you...it is endless.  Your body's potential is limitless...200/700 (bones and muscles) unique ways to move and heal.  The possibilities of your body are endless...9 movement forms to connect to; 3 planes of movement and intensity levels to explore; Move/Explore/Create your FreeDance...ENDLESS ways to create.  In class and in life..Purpose, Potential, Possibility.  The journey is worth it!!! 

This week I will be combing 2 Nia routines:  Beyond and Birth.  Both routines are masterful creations designed for us to discover the potential and possibilities...to condition us for the game of Life.  And they both pack in so much fun!!!  Dance with me!

"Life is discovering
The love that we create
Life is a mystery
We need to embrace

In every way
You need to let go
You'll see all your dreams will follow
In every way
You need to let go...Rise by Samantha
EnJOY the music and we will dance it together in class:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9gFGfAF9O4

 
My classes this week:
Monday(today) and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm,
and Saturday Nia at 9:30 am all at http://www.thesynergystudio.com.

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.   Our next intensive is coming up on October 5th. Sign up and receive pre-training materials! 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!

There is beauty in the world. So much beauty in the world!!

All we have to do is look for beauty, and she is there all around us at any given moment.  Madisyn Taylor. 

Beauty can be found every way...in every color, flavor, scent, texture; outside your window, inside your house, in the person right next too...In the Mirror!  The beauty of life surrounds us everywhere!!!  Just pause for a moment and look around at all the beauty and art in your world.  Life as Art (LAA) is the 3rd element of the Dancing Through Life triad.  LAA reminds us that life - our life - can be as inspiring as viewing a great painting.  When we perceive the whole world as art, inspiration flows through our entire body.  It's a physical sensation that can change your body, mind, emotions and spirit!  And this ability to appreciate beauty around you can have a healing effect on your being as well.

So I LOVE the song by Macy Gray "Beauty in the World".  It has been singing in my mind for many days and brings a smile to my face no matter what is going on in my life.  Sensing LAA makes the ordinary seem inspiring.  I get this rush of energy and love when this happens.  Inhaling beauty...I know it affects my cells and all inside me.  My spirit auto-Magically sours and my emotions are revived when I'm feeling down.   Principle 5 of the Nia White Belt, Awareness, is about paying attention to body sensations and from this information, making choices that bring healing into our lives.  It is also a method of channeling and using this awareness to improve the quality of living in your body and life..Dancing Through Life.  It invites us to go beyond the dance studio and bringing this awareness into every thing we do.  It is big!!  LAA, changing my perception of life to create pleasing things around me is MEDICINE.   

So smell the moment and then go ahead - look in the mirror and take on the beauty of YOU - your sacred shape.  Now that is ART!!  Here is the link to the Macy Gray song...I can see you dancing and it is beautiful!   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qX7ZsxD3Ik

See you in class this week and feel inspired to be artful with your outfit in class!! 
 
My classes this week:
Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am and
Sunday at 4:00 pm all at http://www.thesynergystudio.com


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!

The Power of Our Heart

Good Morning EveryBody!

Our hearts have the power to give and receive love for ourselves, others and the Universe.  Our hearts have the power to transform any situation into peace, harmony, and joy through the giving and receiving of love.  

"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed."
—Jiddu Krishnamurti

Our heart loves to dance and be open, and through this openness...a heart wide open...we are present to give and receive love to ourselves, others and the Universe.  We can open our hearts by simply undulating our spine and moving our ribcage.  Or by allowing our sounds to vibrate and open our heart.  Take a nice deep breath and then on the exhale sound AAAAAAA!!!  Sense the vibration in your heart!!  This vibration is the voice of your heart! 

One of the ways we can sense the giving and receiving of love is through our hands.  Through touch our hands give and receive love and compassion through the simple act of a hug or a soft brush on a shoulder or cheek.  Take your hands and place them on your heart center and breath...close your eyes and smell the moment.  Receive and give love simultaneously, unconditionally.  Now open your eyes and sense the world around you...did it transform?   Our hands are an extension of our heart.  Did you know your left ring finger has a direct vessel to your heart?

I recently finished a 21 day mediation challenge with a focus on love...opening, giving and receiving.  At times the opening of my heart was overwhelming and I felt vulnerable.  When this occurred, I allowed myself to move through these emotions, and through this dance I reaffirmed there is no greater gift than the giving and receiving of love.  In order for me to receive and give, I need to open my heart!  So today and everyday I will do my best to give and receive love in its full power and glory; to connect to the power of my heart.

Join me this week in love and dance as we celebrate the power of our heart.  This afternoon at 4:00 pm, I join 5 other Nia teachers as we come together as a community to give and receive at our Nia Jam benefit, honoring the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation and the Colorado Red Cross.  I will continue this focus the rest of the week in my other classes.  Heart wide open..giving and receiving on the dance floor. 

My other classes this week:  A student request, I will be teaching the Nia routine Sanctuary in my Nia classes. (I love requests!):
Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Friday JourneyDance at 6:45 pm
Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
all at http://www.thesynergystudio.com.
On Monday I celebrate my stepping into Nia 18 years ago.   I stepped in with an open and curious heart, and I have received so many gifts from this practice.  The biggest gift is the receiving of your friendship and love, and to receive your dance.  I am blessed!!

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!