This morning’s class truly felt like medicine for my soul; a rejuvenating experience that uplifted my spirit. I really love when everything aligns flawlessly, coming together with such ease, great pleasure, and deep comfort. Teaching a fully embodied class, while integrating all that I’ve learned and experienced throughout my extensive 32-year full time career with Nia, brings an immense sense of satisfaction. All the familiar “regular” ladies showed up in the room, and at the end of class, I couldn't help but exclaim, “Today felt like the team got back together; it’s so great to see all y’all in class at the same time!”.
As well as saying this out loud to the Soma Ranch class participants, I was also sharing this insight with “my peeps within my soma,” which refers to the supportive internal team I rely on, residing deep within my own mind. These are the voices that I consult for guidance and assistance in both my teaching endeavors and my everyday life.
With my upcoming final Nia training at Soma Ranch approaching, maintaining joy without slipping into depression or spiraling into drama truly feels nourishing. In many ways, the training has already begun within me. My mind is actively constructing the 7-day course; memories of previous trainings flood in like a vibrant tapestry, while creative ideas begin to percolate. All of this happens as my heart expands, enveloped in a profound felt sense of potential and endless possibilities.
Similar to tracking a moment in time by observing the age of a child, my first Blue Belt training is quite easy to remember, as it was the significant event we chose to celebrate the opening of the NiaMoves Studio on Pecore in Houston back in 2008. I have provided this Nia Blue Belt course 3 - 8 times a year since then, and now, 17 years, 90 trainings, and 630 days later, with over 1000 trainees having participated, I can reflect on the incredible journey we have shared.
The Nia Blue Belt is a deep dive into communication, relationship and intimacy. There’s a lovely parallel between applying knowledge and skill in the Nia class on the dance floor and doing the same in life to create a life well lived “dancing through life”
For example,
Intimacy: In class this morning, sustaining a consistent and unwavering focus throughout the entire experience significantly contributed to an exceptionally satisfying and rewarding outcome. This remarkable level of focus required a harmonious combination of skill, determination, and thoughtful strategy, all of which were meticulously supported by the hundreds of hours of dedicated practice and accumulated knowledge and experience. This phenomenon can be described as intimacy—specifically, the ability to pay careful and discerning attention to details, maintain genuine engagement, be fully present in the moment, notice subtle nuances in interactions, and possess the capacity to respond effectively and appropriately as situations unfolded.
Communication; in class I am communicating with my body, mind, emotions and spirit (me, Helen, inside my body), and also expanded, beyond my immediate “team” to what is still within my realm. I am receiving sensations from both my body and my physical realm, images from both my mind and my mental realm, feelings from my heart and my emotional realm and finally lots of fun unique things from both me and my spirt realm. While this might sound complex and mentally challenging, with practice, the teacher can be in the center of all centers, like a sweet soft spot, the still point, in the center of a vibrant storm. I love to feel suspended in time and space, relaxed and quiet, receiving fabulous flowing data from “all my peeps” in and around me. (yes - welcome to the privacy of my brain LOL)
Relationship: in class I am practicing being in relationship with many aspects simultaneously, including being in relationship with my body, details in the music, the class participants, choreography, creativity, spontaneity. Ideally all these relationships are flourishing joyfully, I am bringing attention, curiosity, clear communication and desires to my relationship with all of the above, meanwhile they are each bringing specific things to their relationship with me. For example my body is bringing sensations, communicating both pain and pleasure to it’s relationship with me, I, am then bringing adaptability and changes (small and big) to my relationship with my body. The music brings rhythm, melody and harmony to its relationship with me, i bring synchronized movement and expression. The result being my relationship with the music, my body and the class participants, is flourishing wildly!
If you’d like to enjoy some movement medicine, witness how the above was applied in class, feel free to click the button below. This is a gift from my heart to yours. I hope you find some medicine to help you feel better whether you watch, listen or dance to the class experience. If you feel led to provide something in return you could either make a donation to St Jude or pay for class. Buttons for these options are included below. (This is OPTIONAL)
