“I see you…I see your Greatness!!"

“I see you…I see your Greatness.”  I have just returned from Portland where 48 Nia trainers from around the world gathered to collobrate and co-create the new face of Nia.  Nia, just like our body and our life is constantly changing, growing and expanding, and I am so honored and grateful to be part of this amazing group of men and women.  Many times during our full days of dancing and sharing of wisdom Debbie Rosas, co-founder and CEO of Nia, thanked us and told us “I see you.  I see each of you and I see your Greatness.”   She constantly reminded us to see Greatness in ourselves.  Seeing our Greatness is not about being great.  It is opening our hearts and our eyes to the possibilities before us and our unique potential.  It is being a Sacred Athlete.  

The saying goes the eyes are the entry into our soul.  There is so much that is revealed through our eyes.  I can look at someone and by looking at their eyes be able to tell how they are feeling at the moment.  Our eyes are communicators and communicate all our emotions:  love, excitement, anger, sorrow, compassion, apprehension, curiosity.  Our eyes reveal what is happening inside.  Have you ever looked at a loved ones eyes and known they were not feeling well?

In Nia we learn to use our eyes in new and exciting ways.  In principle 5 Awareness and Dancing Through Life, we are invited to look out and change our perception, be inspired and see art in all of life.  In principle 8, The Core of the Body, we learn through Head and Eye movements, the most organic way to move our head and neck, and integrate the rest of our body is to use our eyes.  Look and let your eyes move you naturally with grace, ease and efficiency.  In principle number 10, X-Ray Anatomy we are invited to see without seeing and sense what is underneath our skin and make alignment changes that bring our body into homostatis..into peace.  We also learn to look at our body and the body of others through non-judgemental eyes for information so choices can be made to move our bodies toward pleasure and wellness.  

Nia always invites us to see ourselves with love.  Not until I can see myself with love, as love, and see my Greatness, will I be able to see others as love and see their Greatness.  Nia has opened my eyes to potential and possibilities and connected me to the visual magic around me so I can see and receive life with curiosity and wonderment.  As I step back into my life here in San Antonio I want to express my gratitude and love for each of you. I see in you the wonderful human being that you are, and the difference you make in this world and in my life.  I see you and I see your Greatness!  Below is a poem I offer to you.  It expresses how I feel about you.  See you in class.  

Through My Eyes

You are beautiful
Although, you may not see
the person that I see
when I look at you
And if the mirror you look into
could show your reflection through my eyes
you would see a smile so bright
it could light up the world
throughout the day and into the night
You are courageous
Although, you may not feel
all that brave
But I see, how strong you can be
And if you could take a minute
to look back at all your ups and downs
you would smile with pride
because you made it through
And then you would be believe
what I already know to be true
You are incredible, intelligent
fearless and strong.
Life is beautiful, wonderful and fun
and all your dreams can come true
if you start by believing in you.  (Author Unknown)

My upcoming Nia classes:

Saturday (Today!) at 9:30 am

Sunday at 4:00 pm

Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm 

all at  http://www.thesynergystudio.com/. 

On Friday, Feb. 8th Adelle and I start a Nia White Belt!!!  Join us in classes and a special debut of the new Nia routine Touch on Feb. 10th!

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.  

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


 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!

Traveling in Directions!!

Hello My Dancing Friends!

Practicing Traveling in Directions keeps your body agile for moving through space in all directions, giving you the ability to change directions with ease.  From the Nia Technique Book.

“Sometimes the slightest things change the directions of our lives, the merest breath of a circumstance, a random moment that connects like a meteorite striking the earth. Lives have swiveled and changed direction on the strength of a chance remark.” 
― Bryce Courtenay

This focus came to me as I was dancing at home in my studio and thinking about my upcoming trip to Nia Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.  I will be traveling this Friday with other Nia trainers across the world (including Adelle and Charlotte) for a Nia Trainer Wisdom Quest and graduation.  I am so excited!  The Nia move Traveling in Directions is very powerful and conditions not only our body, but also conditions our brain, creating new neural pathways and heightening the brain-body connection.   This move invites us to think about the direction you want to go, and then by using your eyes first, move in the direction you intend to go.  As we move, we are invited to express with our upper extremities, play with forward, backward, and lateral directions, and create circles and spirals.  Anything goes movement wise!  We are also invited to use precision, speed, play with patterns, and to use our imagination.  A simple and fun move that challenges us and builds strength and agility in our body, mind and emotions.  Using the sound "CHANGE" with determination as you make your change in direction can also build confidence!  1, 2, 3 CHANGE!!!

We do not always know what directions life will take us.  When we travel in Life's directions with grace, play, self expression, fun and make conscience decisions of CHANGE that are in alignment with our purpose, the change will allow us to step freely into life with ease!!  See you in class.       

A special Thank you to the Nia Teachers subbing for me while I am gone.  My classes this week are:

Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm (I will be teaching)

Saturday Nia at 9:30 am with Jan 

Sunday Nia at 4:00 pm with Sarita

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.    Sign up at 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 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!

The Joy Of Play!

Hello My 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...Contemporary American psychiatrist

PLAY is extremely important for all of us. It is a form of release and connection that can help you tap into creativity and allow you the chance to connect with your inner child and the inner child of others.  PLAY is a state of mind, but it is also a state of body, emotion, and spirit.  PLAY is a natural teacher and a great way to open your world to possibilities giving you the gift of to ask “What if,” and explore options. Allowing yourself the freedom to play in the midst of your obligations, resolutions and tasks may help relax you and be the motivation to help your through the day.  We all need to play.  I can get wrapped up in my day and forget to stop and look at my world through the eyes of a child.  When I do, everything changes and it takes the stress and worry out of what I'm doing.  Just using the word PLAY, shifts the energy.  "I'm going to PLAY" instead of "I'm going to work."  What about PLAYing with your resolutions?  HMMMM....the possibilities!! 

So let's use the word PLAY this week and see what happens.  In class this week we will PLAY with bones, PLAY with our joints and connective tissue, PLAY with our muscles, PLAY with our creative source, PLAY with emotions, PLAY with balance, PLAY with gravity.....it goes on.  Cycle 6 of a Nia class is called FloorPLAY, and uses the power of PLAY to give us conditioning throughout our whole body.  Sounds more fun to me than floor WORK!  

Enjoy reading about the benefits of play form Marianne St. Clair, Life Coach, and author of the Art 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

Come PLAY with me..see you in class.  My classes this week are:

Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm 

Friday JourneyDance at 6:45 pm

and Saturday Nia at 9:30 amall 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.  

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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!
 

Expand - Exchange - Express...Awareness of Our Chest

Hello My Dancing Friends!

                                                         

Take a moment before you read any further and place your hands on the sides of your ribcage, close your eyes, take a nice full breath and sense the expansion of your chest as new life force energy - breath - enters into your body.  Ahhh!  I love this. and this simple touch and awareness has the power to relax and calm me anytime throughout my day.  Awareness of our chest...Expand - Exchange - Express.  Our chest/ribcage is designed to Expand and contract; to move energy in and out.  When you inhale and take a breath into your body, your diaphragm drops and your lungs Expand and fill your ribcage.  Your chest is also designed to Exchange energy.  While you are inhaling and exhaling you are Exchanging old air for new air.  Your heart is constantly Exchanging blood...old to new.  And then your chest is designed toExpress.  One of the most important functions of your ribcage is to protect your heart, and it is here at your heart center, where you Express love, sorrow, anger, compassion, joy...the list goes on!  Anatomically your shoulder blades, clavicles, and sternum are attached to your rib cage, and when you move, dance and Express with your arms, you are moving and Expressing with your ribcage.  It is all connected!    

So as we dance in class this week, let's bring a heightened sense of awareness to our chest!  In class we will play with the 4 Moves of the Chest...Chest Isolations, Shimmy, Undulations and Spinal Rolls.  These moves support & condition the chest to Expand - Exchange - Express!  As you dance through life this week, see if you can bring awareness to your chest and use the 4 moves of the Chest. 

- When sitting at your desk take a break and isolate and move your chest...front, back, and to the sides.  Sense the mobility and the openness of your ribcage.  This will also relax you and release any tension in your upper back and neck.

- Stand up from desk and SHIMMY!!!  This is great to do in the middle of the afternoon when you may be getting a bit tired.  Works better than coffee and alot more fun!!

- As you are standing in line at the grocery store or at the coffee shop, undulate your spine.  It will help relax any tension in your upper and lower back, and the time just might go by faster.

-   As you are reaching down to pick up something off the floor take the opportunity to do a spinal roll.  This will increase the flexibility and strength of your spine.  Makes the task a bit easier and boy it feels good!  

Have fun...see you in class.  My classes this week are:

Monday and Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm 

Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
and Sunday Nia at 4:00 pm 

all at  http://www.thesynergystudio.com/. 

Are you signed up for the month Nia Headquarters newsletter.  Learn more about the chest this month and sign up by going to this link: http://www.nianow.com/node/453390

See what co-founder Debbie Rosas and 3 of my fellow Nia Trainers have to say about our chest.  It is wonderful!!!

Learn more and go deeper into the connection with you body and your life by taking a Nia White Belt Intensive.    Sign up at http://www.nianow.com/joanie.  

Love & Light,
Joanie Brooks,  Nia Training Faculty, Nia White Belt Trainer,
Nia 5 Stages of Healing Facilitator, Journey Dance Guide, Mindful Change Coach
http://www.joaniebrooks.me/


 Nia - Somatic Education for EveryBody.  Nia is an expressive movement form & lifestyle practice that uses The Body's Way to achieve physical, mental, emotional & spiritual fitness & well-being."   

75 trillion cells in your body…Play with them all with Nia!
 

Now I Am...Embrace, Celebrate, Shine...2013 Focus!

Happy New Year Friends!

Wishing you a JOYous 2013 and may all your dreams and desires prosper this year!  2012 was NiaSA's year of Purpose, Potential, Possibilities...becoming a Sacred Athlete.  2013 is the year of "Now I Am...Embrace, Celebrate, Shine.  Now I Am Embracing who I am, Celebrating my journey and Shining my Purpose."  I hope you will join all of NiaSA in this overarching focus for 2013!!!  

I am very excited as I step into the new year, filled with great expectations!  It is also for me a promise of change.  Change is a Gift and is the one constant in all our lives   Change opens us to new ideas and to a new way of being.  Change can be small or large; there are no boundaries.  It can be as simple as putting your shoes on your left foot first instead of your right foot!  Change creates new neuro-pathways in our brain and keeps us alive and young!  We have a practice in Principle 4 of the Nia White Belt, FreeDance, where we are invited to change our movement every 2 bars.  It is called Authentic Movement and the intent of this practice is to stimulate new movements, break habits and invite creativity in our body.  To become authentic with who we are and to expand our movement vocabulary.  Change is a Gift!  What do you want to change?  Are you willing to go through change?  As we begin our 2013, let us open to the gift of change.  Bring your gift to the dance floor and greet it with great expectations.  One of the most powerful ways to manifest change is through movement...through your body.  From there who knows where it will transcend!!!  Find out...see you in class!!!  

My classes this week:
Thursday Nia at 5:30 pm
Friday JourneyDance at 6:45 pm and

Saturday Nia at 9:30 am
all at  http://www.thesynergystudio.com/. 

Change is a Gift!....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.  

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 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 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!