Preparing for Blue Belt - Body Mind and Soul

Helen Terry, a Nia Black Belt and Teacher Trainer, is coming to the Greater Cincinnati Tristate this April 2012. I am very excited about this event because I know the transformation that will take place during this time.

Nia has been quite the transformational process for me. I've been teaching Nia for 2 years now, and was certified 3 years ago and wow, I'm still amazed and humbled by what it has done for me. Even with the trials, tribulations and hallucinations that have occurred in the past years I am still amazed of the changes, the awakenings, what have you, that have occurred in my life.

When I first started, I'll be honest, I was hoping to make money while being a stay-at-home mom and trying to find a way to keep motivated to move so I could live - be alive! Honestly, I felt like I was dying since I have had my son, we spent 71 days in the hospital together and I knew I had to find something to keep me healthy. Nia has done that for me with my motivation being my love for dance. Nia has open the opportunity to dance for me.

Then when I realized that this was going to be a really hard task, for one, making money at it, two the schism taking place for what ever reason I am still unclear of. Then my body was really failing as my thyroid was failing me. I had to up my hormones and suffer from the consequences of the hormones meds. Those same meds are causing anxieties and depression which I am consistently working through. Concentration was impossible and the chronic fatigue was taxing. And I am sure I have been quite bitchy in the process because my hormones are all over the place, every moon phase I feel death take over my body and wonder am I going to die today. This and I am going on 40 and possibly peri-menopausal. There are times where I become a hormonal temperamental mess. The good part of this is, I am conscious of it and frequently work through it with hopes I do not put my foot in my mouth. HA! Take that!

Back to Nia, Nia started to open doors for me, it introduced me to the Feldenkrais Method via Cynthia Allen, Integrative Learning Center and Future Life Now CEO, which gave me the tools to work with my sciatic nerve pinches and alleviate pain. It opened me up to my own demons and how to work with them and not to be a slave to them. It has given me self-knowledge - getting to know myself: fears, anger, bitterness and my judging mind. Nia has taught me to step into beginners mind. It has taught me to be compassionate to others and forgiving them and myself. I am mostly hard on myself than I am on others.

It has taught me to be a little bit more open. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of people think of me as someone who has something to hide. I do, my own pain and suffering. There "was" a lot of suffering, my heart, my body, my soul has been crying for quite some time. I keep those emotions locked away from everyone to see, because I figure this is something I need to work through, and it's none of your business. It's up to God to put the right people in my life to help me through that and God has certainly put people in my life to help me through it, amazing people and continues to do so with Nia and other modalities. I have come to the conclusion that you must be quite the incredible person to take the time to get to know me. To see through the wall and help me tear it down and God has, one brick at a time.

Nia has also opened me up to an array of people who have helped me find answers to my thyroid situation. Rachael Resch, a Nia black belt and Teacher Trainer has opened the door to me with that as I am currently transition with my diet to cure my thyroid. On this diet, I have lost weight and prevented chronic fatigue.

Through Nia, I have been challenged by instructors, I have been nurtured by instructors, and I have also been defamed by instructors. It's all good, it's all apart of the process of my evolution. This is what Nia has done for me. It has helped me evolve. I am not the person I used to be - I have become amazing. I am still working through the dark parts, but it's ok, I trust that it will all work out.

Now, my goal for blue belt, or however many belts it takes to get there. I want to absorb the very essence of joy. I want to be joy. When I walk in a room, I want people to feel the ever presence of joy. When people come near me, if they are blue I want them to become joyful. I want to use Nia as a way for people to find joy in themselves, become it and make it contagious so that they fill the hearts of their friends and loved ones with joy. God-willing this will happen. I am not a very religious person, but I know God, I am confident in the way God works, and I am confident that God wants this for me.

I was hoping this was to happen in October for Green Belt in Sarasota with Nia Black Belt and Teacher Trainer, Kelly Atkins and Helen Terry. Which is okay, with Miss Kelly, I've had many revelations. But, it has to happen here in Cincinnati and with this community.

Finally, this April is going to be amazing, one way or another, it's going to be extraordinary and I am anxious, open and ready for what ever comes my way. Hopefully, God has prepared me for my mind to be open, for my mind to listen, to hone my skills and to become the very essence of joy. And if not this belt, perhaps the next. We'll see, it's all about natural timing.

If you live in the area or around, I invite you to join us. Starting April 14th, 2012 at the Kula Center in Newport, Kentucky. I am very happy that that Saturday at 6:00pm she will be doing a routine with the music from the band Pink Floyd. This band has also been a key component of my evolution, so I am very excited about this.

For more information on the Blue Belt training: http://www.nianow.com/nia-training/257/nia-blue-belt-intensive-training-11

I consider myself honored and blessed to have this opportunity and I am looking forward to dancing with all who come.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Cincinnati, Ohio

Testing

This is a test of the national iSpiritDancer Association. This is only a test.

Alan Watts

I love all things Alan Watts. Everything about him, even what some would consider a defect I still love and adore that part of him because in my eyes he was perfect. Perfectly imperfect in all his glorious ways.

“Things are as they are. Looking out into it the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” ~Alan Watts

Here is a music video created by http://colorpulsemusic.com And you can download the song on their site. It's well done and my applause to melodysheep.

That Gut Feeling ~ Manipura

Something I found interesting and am totally convinced of, because of my experience when studying and working with the Manipura is we have a strong connection between our brains and our guts. Reason being, the two parts evolved from the same clump of cells when we were born. Plus, one half of our nerve cells are located in the gut. 100 million nerve cells are located in the small intestine alone. So, think about that when you stuff that baconotar down your throat, we certainly become what we eat. Cows living depressed and with anxiety, full well knowing their fate. You are what you eat and we wonder why so many people today live with depression and anxiety. This is also why I prefer to eat consciously, choose wise eating habits. I'll be adding recipes in the near future.

What Creates an Unhealthy Manipura

Many things in a power-hungry society can influence the Manipura. Let’s use some examples, overly strict parents who strongly use their authority over you and how you handle that power is one way of creating a deficient Manipura. You may have a tendency to fear challenges because of authoritarian rule. A parent who feels they need to break the will of a kid is only going to end up with a hurt child with problems. Now on the other hand, you may have parents that are the complete opposite, and let you run wild. Lacking those healthy boundaries that a child needs. Let’s just face it, all things need a happy medium and the right discipline is needed, kids need that because they need to know they need to know they are being looked after and nurtured.

Over-stimulation, lack of stimulation, neglect, abuse, domineering parents and children not allowed choice are more things that can create an unhealthy Manipura. Parents who undermine you, “How could you do that?” “You broke another plate!!!” “You do such stupid things!” “Your stomach is too big,” when you wear zeros. Verbal or physical actions that give you a sense of shame, shame of what you say, your body, etc, paralyzes the Manipura.

Deficient Manipura include:
· Lethargy
· Lack of will
· Stomach troubles
· Gas
· Apathy
· Chronic fatigue
· Not enjoying what you do, you dread doing

Excessive Manipura:
· Egotistical
· Hyperactive
· Can’t sit still
· Controlling
· Can’t discharge energy
· Type A personality
· Bragger

To go deeper, check out “The Chakra System, A Complete Course in Self-Diagnosis and Healing.” By Anodea Judith. A fantastic course where she breaks down the chakras, what causes excessive or deficient chakra, mental dis-ease and health dis-ease, blockages, the psychology behind each chakra that affects us, plus ways to heal them.

Healing the Manipura with Your Nia Practice

One of the things I love about Nia is, we are constantly doing these beautiful unusual twist and turns. If you watch these twist turns, they seem to travel from one part of the body to the next; from top to bottom which often includes the solar plexus. This is a great thing, because lack of blood flow to the solar plexus is also key to anxiety, so the twist and turns are perfect.

When you get started, focus on the Manipura, if you need physical visualization, make an upside down triangle with your hands in the solar plexus area: Chant the Manipura mantra. Start working your solar plexus with waves or rolls of your solar plexus. Visualize a fire purifying you.

If anxieties or apprehensions begin to occur – That would be considered a good sign as you are beginning to detox. Use breathing or chanting to keep focused and not get caught up in those emotions. If that doesn’t work, call on your deity/God. If you need to hurl, that’s ok too, run to the bathroom and let go. These are just toxins that need to come out.
Any apprehension occurring then after the stomach rolls and body twist you can also push that energy from the solar plexus then push it into the ground from stomach, to pelvis and through the ground to let Ma Earth recycle the energy.

Other ideas during Nia practice do something spontaneous that you wouldn’t ordinary do. Mental noise like shame, aggression, anger, fear visualize those things in your head then shake that energy off, don’t claim it, lose your attachment with you. Throw it to the ground. If you have a tendency to be quite and withdrawn, get flirtatious, use a lot of sounding, let go, scream your head off. Any ideas that come to mind use it. One of the things I love about Nia is when we step in, it’s a no judgment zone, and this includes judging yourself. Have fun!

Chanting During Nia

Deep Sounding with deep breath can generate strong blood flow to the Manipura. Much like fire breathing meditation, but I wouldn’t recommend fire-breathing meditation during Nia – you’d pop a lung or something. But with a deep breath in adding to a warrior cry or an anxiety relieving “ahhh” would be helpful.

– Ram is the mantra for the Manipura. During Nia class or you feel compelled to, chant “Ram” vocally or mentally.

Now, I also want to mention which I haven’t mentioned in the other earlier Chakras, there are also Bijas, (seed mantras reverberations). Manipura is RuNG. Svadhisthana is VuNG and Muladhara is LuNG.

Note: The NG is said with the tongue on the roof of the mouth.
“U” or “Am” is said much like “Aum” or “Amen.” Also note, RuNG sounds much like ram.

Replenishing and Reprogramming with Healthy Emotions

Raising hands to heaven lovingly collect any joy energy or reclaim your will, allowing yourself “choice,” see yourself with self-confidence, feel pro-active, see your will growing strong, see yourself more patient or what ever you feel you need.

Turning and twisting your arms using the power of the solar plexus, visualize the positive energy coming to joy, love, compassion for self, visualize it. Collect that energy and use that upside down triangle to bring that energy down and bring it into the solar plexus. Do this 3 or 8 times.

Have any more great ideas, then feel free to add.
Tina

The Suchness of Now

My dear friend to whom I never met, but I know we are kindred spirits shared this video with me.  It's with Eckert Tolle, The Now:

Oh, So Sweet! Svadhisthana

With Nia there are a lot of healing movements pertaining to all the chakras and in this session we will focus with the second chakra known as the Svadhisthana or the sacral chakra or even the sex chakra.  As we are going beyond the correspondence, please check out the following link if you want to learn more about the correspondences: http://www.chakra-colors.com/Sexual-Chakra/

The Svadhisthana involves emotions, sexuality and fluidity/flexibility of the body.  It is located at the sacrum, genitals, affecting hips, knees and the lower back. So, movement will be based on those areas. But, before we get into the movements let’s discuss what creates an unhealthy sacral charka.

What Creates an Unhealthy Svadhisthana

As Svadhisthana chakra is ruled by water, water-signifying emotions. Know that, water should naturally flow. So, think of good, healthy flowing water that is drinkable. Where stagnant water is undrinkable because it’s poisonous. So, the question needs to be asked, “How does one become undrinkable?” 

A unhealthy Svadhisthana chakra signifies restrictions. Parents who are restrictive equal a child not allowed to speak.  I’m sure many of you heard the saying, “A child should be seen and not heard.” This child will not be allowed to speak out when he or she needs to be heard. This child will cry and will not get the response that she is crying for. Neglect plays a big role in this child’s life when proper nurturing is needed.

This child will be denied the creativity and live in an environment that shuns creativity. These restrictions will deny the good healthy natural pleasure that balances us emotionally, physically and spiritually.  Children love to interact with their parents, they loved to be heard, and they should be heard. Plus, children are naturally creative, we can learn a lot from a child’s natural creativity. Parents should be receptive to their child needs. Otherwise, as Anodea Judith puts it so well in her literature, a child will become emotionally illiterate.

So, if this programming is set into our minds and our bodies, what are the consequences?

If this chakra is deficient, we are subjected to fear:

• Fear of change,
• Fear of contact,
• Fear of intimacy,
• Poor social skills,
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Avoids pleasure, looks at pleasure like its evil.
• Lacking that spark to life, lacking desire, and passion.
• Depression

If this chakra is excessive:

• Very sensually driven, prone to sexually act out
• Sexually addictive
• Constantly have to be stimulated by sights and sound.  Watches a lot of tv, constantly going to the movies, constantly listening to music. They have to be stimulated all the time and can’t sit or be silent for a minute.
• Drug addiction/alcohol addiction
• Addicted to drama, only feels alive when drama happens.
• Easily hurt, always off on emotional roller coasters.
• Have a tendency to emotionally attach to a person, and can go as far as stalking them because they feel that this person is the only one who can satisfy them emotionally.
• Manipulates people emotionally, seducing people to get their needs met.

What happens to the body?

Emotions play a pivotal role with the physical body and its muscles. As emotions must naturally flow like water, if it doesn't then naturally there will be physical consequences. Stagnation will occur; the body becomes stiff, losing its flexibility and we are only as healthy as we are flexible.

To go deeper, check out “The Chakra System, A Complete Course in Self-Diagnosis and Healing.” By Anodea Judith. There she will go deeper into the Svadhisthana, how if affects your desires, emotions and fear of pleasure. It’s a fantastic course where she breaks down the chakras, what causes excessive or deficient chakra, mental dis-ease and health dis-ease, blockages, the psychology behind each chakra that affects us, plus ways to heal them.

Healing the Svadhisthana with Your Nia Practice

Start off mentally focused on the idea of “change.”  Change is pivotal in healing the Svadhisthana. So, invite change into your life. Since emotions are related to desire, focus on those types of emotions and work through them with your Nia practice.  Now, if you notice that you get caught up in those emotions and you start to cry.  It’s ok, it’s good that you are crying, however if you feel that those emotions are overwhelming.  Focus on a word, that word can be anything.  It can be the name of your deity, saint, or just a word.  The purpose of the word is to ground you. Chant it in your mind or out loud.  Sometimes just saying “Ahhhhhhhhh” is a great way to ground.

Nia Movements:

When ever the opportunity occurs and it will because Nia works with all 13 joints, which includes the hip joints.  Focus intently on your hips movements.  Hip bumps, pelvic circles, free movements that involve hip movements. This is the time to connect to the emotions that involve the Svadhisthana. Nurture those emotions, recognize them for who they are then, recycle those emotions by sending them into the earth then ground. Ground them by pushing those emotions down through your legs with pelvic pushes.  Emotions will spiral into the earth.

As you continue your Nia practice, you will start to feel more natural ways to move that energy, those emotions and go with it.  This is what Nia is about, it’s natural, it’s The Body’s Way.

Chanting During Nia

– Vam is the mantra for the Svadhisthana.  While you are practicing any Nia movements or you feel compelled to, chant “Vam” vocally or mentally.

Replenishing and Reprogramming with Healthy Emotions

Now that you have released unhealthy emotions, it’s time to replenish/reprogram your body with new emotions.  Those of you who have taken Nia will understand the next bit of info.

• When you extend your arms to the heavens, invite joy and happiness into your heart.
• When you extend your arms to the community then embrace yourself, embrace joy and happiness.
• When you extend your hands to heavens, use your body to spiral happiness and joy throughout your body. Shifting your upper then lower body, spiral head to toe pushing that energy throughout your body saying to yourself, I accept and deserve joy and happiness.

When ever your work with space, your space around you, and the three different levels extend joy and happiness energy to your aura.

Sensation Scientist

Ok, some people maybe looking for my chakra posts.  Most of them are on wordpress and I am in the process of switching accounts.  It's just right now I am deciding the best possible route to go with "ALL" my blogs.  So, if you are interested in the Chakra blogs, please go to the following link:  http://aumnation.wordpress.com/chakra-blogs/


The above charkas are not done yet, I just seem to be going through a tadbit of a writer's block. The creativity has been rerouted in another direction. 

Debbie Rosas
Creator of Nia

So, let's talk about "Sensation Scientist!"  I am so thrilled about this topic that Debbie Rosas the creator of Nia has brought about.  I haven't even gone through the course yet, but, just the title alone has excited me and sucked me completely into the topic.  "Sensation" meaning senses, perception and awareness.  Scientist meaning person who studies or practices any of the science or scientific methods."Wow!" "Outstanding, Wow!"


I am so thrilled with this.  Simply because this is something I've been so intrigued with physically, mentally, spiritually.  The sensations that has happened with my body during certain life processes and experiments.  What a pleasure for my analytical mind. 


So, what does being a sensation scientist mean to me; past, present, future? 


Past Sensation Scientist:
As a child, it would of explained the awareness I had "before" I was getting into trouble and my stomach would grow ill. Signaling that  trouble was ahead. 


As a teen, it would explain my hormones going out of whack and having the desires that I had that got me into a lot of trouble. If I were to be conscious of the sensations, and not a slave to my desires, perhaps I could have avoided the trouble.  Who knows, maybe - maybe not. 


Present Sensation Scientist:
As an adult, it would mean being conscious of the mistakes I made or make and changes I am going through now. Being conscious of my mind, recognizing  how those memories of regret affects me physically and learning to let go and change. Initializing the Nia Technique known as R.A.W. - Relaxed body, Alert Mind and Waiting Spirit.  




Future Sensation Scientist:
As I grow towards being a crone, it explains the freedom that invites me to live my life and be myself where in the past I was denied. Allowing myself some freedom as I reached a mature point in my life. Utilizing all those techniques I stumbled onto as I searched for truth. Being the seeker that I was, then becoming the butterfly.




What Does Being a Sensation Scientist Mean to Me...  
What I like about this the most is, anyone can be a sensation scientist. That everyone brings a unique experience to the table. It means that there are no rules or boundaries, because to me, the same solution does not apply to every person. Each person is unique. Each person is invaluable and has lot to offer.


A Sensation Scientist defies the limitations of the judging mind, the critical mind. As a matter of fact, the judging mind would almost be a sin. 


Most of all, the Sensation Scientist will become the real pleasure, the real joy and extend that energy outside of themselves so that it will bring joy and pleasure to those who are ready for it.