Moving Consciously
Living the Truth of Who I AmArchive for truth
Transformation
Day 52 of 52 Days: White Cosmic Worldbridger
If you’ve been following along, congratulations! We’ve completed 52 day of journeying inward. It is simultaneously the end of one cycle and the birth of a new one.
Step into the fire of transformation. You are more than your body, your mind or your heart. You are spirit in form in action.
Use your capacities of body, mind and heart to express the truth of who you are. Who you ARE, not what your opinion or someone else’s opinion is of yourself, but who you really are.
I have a name, I have a job — neither of those is who I Am. My name and my job (I’ve changed my name a couple of times, I’ve had different jobs) are merely place markers for our short stay on earth. The “I am” never changes. I am spirit. I am love. I am life.
Step into the blue of flame. Let everything burn away that no longer serves your purpose for being on earth. Step into your greatness.
Thanks for traveling with me. Thanks to those of you who stopped by to read and comment. Carry on.
Now Here or Nowhere?
Day 44 of 52 Days: White Overtone Mirror
Be present. Are you Now Here or do you think you are Nowhere? A mere separation of letters changes the emphasis.
Create this day anew.
Give thanks for the specific capacity of consciousness through which your work is accomplished. Be aware of the vital importance of every circumstance, every activity, and every relationship, small or large. Release your love and greatness into each moment of the day. Be ready to live and create through divine feeling, thought and action.
You are now here, ready to play your part in the whole as a creator — one with all.
Say that last sentence in first person: “I am now here, ready to play my part in the whole as a creator, one with all.”
Sense the majesty and nobility of that statement. Then do it. Better yet, BE it.
You Can’t Be a Beacon…
Day 15 of 52: Red Lunar Moon
You can’t be a beacon if your light don’t shine…it’s a song, probably most recognized sung by Donna Fargo.
You can’t be a beacon if your light don’t shine
There’s a little light in all of us by God’s design
But you can’t be a beacon if your light don’t shine
How can you ask for the truth
When you do not truthful live
How can you ask forgiveness
When you don’t forgive
How can you ask a child to be honest and true?
When he can only judge what’s right by what he sees in you
How can you offer vision, yet walk around blind
No you can’t be a beacon if your light don’t shine
At a large corporation I worked for, one of the custodial employees could be heard singing this song as he went about his job of cleaning the building. He enjoyed his job and kept the hallway floors and the bathrooms clean as a whistle. He took his job seriously…that of keeping the physical presence of the building clean and also in letting his light shine. He did not hide his light under a bushel basket. He was a beacon and was well-loved by all the employees.
The moon is seen as a beacon and is often associated with the emotional realm. Today’s inner journey is about cleansing and purification; about renewing, rejuvenating and refining one’s being, restoring health, freeing ourselves of toxic and distorted energies that no longer serve us. The moon’s energy is also associated with the ebb and flow of the ocean. Water…it is the largest component of our human bodies. Water…the symbol of truth. Water purifies and cleanses. The waterwheel is symbolic in it’s constant turning, keeping the water clean; stop the waterwheel and the water stagnates. You can’t be a beacon if your light don’t shine. The truth comes through you only as there is a clean and pure path for it to do so.
Sense the essence of these words: soft, relaxed, fluid, flexible, graceful, balanced, receptive. Today, let go of ONE thing (a habit, an attitude, an emotion, a thought, etc.) that is inconsistent with honoring your body, mind, emotions and/or spirit.
Pushing something away is no less toxic than holding on to something…let the waterwheel do its job. Let your light shine.
Appearances
Day 12 of 52 Days: White Crystal Worldbridger
In Nia, we use the Four Energy Allies (also known as the 4 Agreements by Miguel Ruiz) to be energy efficient in all realms (body, mind, emotions and spirit). The Four Energy Allies are:
Speak with Impeccability; Don’t Assume Anything; Don’t Take Anything Personally; Always Do Your Best
A wise man once told me: “Thing are not always as they appear.” I was busy making stories up in my head about something that in reality turned out to be nothing. His words come back to me time and time again in my daily living. There are always two (or more) sides to every story.
I love utilizing the Four Energy Allies in situations where I find myself having the opportunity to judge a person or situation. The two Energy Allies that work for me with “appearances” are Don’t Assume Anything and Don’t Take Anything Personally. If one can master these two specific energy allies, the possibility exists for focused clarity with relationships (with people or with circumstances/situations).
Today, my inner journey is about discovering appearances of judgment. Two emotions often used to misjudge people and circumstances are FEAR and ANGER. Rather than allowing the situation to clarify, the tendency is to immediately judge. Judgment changes the outcome of what might have been. Those are the times when we find ourselves apologizing for our actions…
Today, I am guided by the elegance of clarity and truth.
Be the source
Day 9 of 52 Days: Blue Solar Night
“Be the source, not the seeker.”
In Nia, we acknowledge our body’s inner wisdom as our “Conscious Personal Trainer” (CPT). The CPT in Nia is your personal coach, your body’s inner guide. For instance, using Nia’s Principle #5 of Awareness, my focus for class might be to focus on the sensation of pain and pleasure with the intent to observe what you do to increase, ease, comfort and pleasure and to self-heal. During class, my CPT might tell me to use my physical body to become aware of what I do that creates comfort; or my CPT might tell me to slow down and pay attention to what I’m sensing and to connect to the sensory information being received.
In Life, that same Conscious Personal Trainer is available. It is the voice of your own Divine Self — your Source. You need not seek out a guru (and by the way guru is spelled “gee, you are you”), or listen to someone who purports to channel divine information. I have to laugh when someone wants me to see or listen to a video or tape of someone who is “channeling” some divine information from some entity from another dimension. What’s wrong with speaking the truth straight from themselves? If the channeler doesn’t believe in themselves, why should I believe anything they’d say through some other entity? I know the truth, and it lies within me. My Conscious Personal Trainer tells me all I need to know.
So, today, breathe in inner wisdom. Acknowledge your CPT. What words of wisdom is your CPT sharing with you today?
Be the source, not the seeker. Let love radiate.
Beautiful Things
Day 4 of 52 Days: White Self-Existing Mirror
Your world is created by your thoughts, words and actions. One of my favorite adages is, “if you don’t like what you see, change the way you see it.” See it with new eyes.
Have an awareness of the countless beautiful things in your every day life. Think of something that you would not normally consider beautiful. It is possible that changing how you see, speak, think or act can affect your world. For example: If you do not consider a rainy day to be beautiful, then make a conscious choice to see the rain as symbolic of cleansing and purifying, thereby allowing a greater appreciation for the rain). As you go through your day, observe what you think, say and do. If you’re using a journal, perhaps jot down a couple of things for which you could have a greater appreciation.
Additionally, what we think of ourselves can make a profound difference in not only your world but THE world. YOU are beautiful. Yes, you are; of that you can be sure.
Love your body, mind, heart and spirit. Love your life.
Be Here Now
Day 2 of 52 Days: Yellow Lunar Warrior
I had an incredibly magical time in my Nia class last night. My studio is within the walls of our gift shop and coffee bar. A woman (she later told me she was 69 years old this year) who is formerly from Wisconsin but lives in Florida now, came into our gift shop specifically to see the place where her daughter had purchased a “tree of life” glass ball for her. She had recently lost her husband; her daughter had sent her this glass ball from our gift shop. She said that every morning she wakes up and the light is shining through this glass ball, illuminating the tree of life and she knows her husband is close by in spirit. While she was visiting the gift shop, our barista on duty that evening was showing her around and talking to her about Nia. They were walking down the hallway toward Sacred Space Studio when I walked out — dressed in my hippie garb (long skirt, wreath around my head, rose colored granny glasses, and a leather choker. She stopped in her tracks and smiled. I smiled back and said “42nd Anniversary of Woodstock, we’re dancing tonight to classic rock”. She started laughing…a really raucous, full bellied laugh and said, “I’m reading Be Here Now by Ram Dass. I can’t put it down.” We connected at a heart level immediately.
I invited her to dance with us. I’ve invited quite a few people in the moment to step into their greatness by joining us in class, but very few really take me up on it. There are always reasons for not doing so. There are very few folks who take the title of Ram Dass’ book to heart and Be Here Now. This woman did. She took off her shoes, stepped into the studio, with wide-eyed anticipation. She told me that she was a late bloomer…she wasn’t a hippie back when it was the popular thing to be…she had a family to raise. They were all grown now though. She’s very drawn to the world of the “free spirit”. She couldn’t have picked a better place or a better night to find herself in a Nia class. She was only going to stay for the first couple of songs since her family might send out a “silver alert” if she wasn’t back soon. BUT she stayed for the entire class and then stayed to chat with some of the students afterwards. When I asked her if her family would be concerned about where she was, she replied “Nah, they know I’m always on an adventure.”
Warrior spirit. She is the epitome of it. I am honored that she was drawn to our gift shop and into Nia. Actually, I’m honored that all of my students were drawn to Nia. I have so many unbelieveably magical sparkling students who really love Nia. They sparkle like diamonds. They are all warrior spirits living in the moment acknowledging their own greatness. Which leads me to the Inner Journey for today, Day 2 of 52 Days. .
I found a verse written by Bob Shine: “I’m walking in the baptismal waters with a trail of diamonds sparkling in my wake. My eyes like two springs overflow the river with tearful joy and as I journey onward I sense the river rushing me to some unimaginable destination. So I simply settle back to let the river guide me and enjoy the ride.” The picture above shows a warrior with a sword riding on his noble steed. The sword for me is the symbol of truth. The horse symbolizes nobility of spirit. A warrior cuts through the lies, the illusions and seeks the truth, and nobly lives the truth. The warrior is fearless. So today, acknowledge that you have the power to disintegrate fear in the moment. Challenge any fear that rises up today with the sword of truth.
Some thoughts to ponder: what do the words “diamonds sparkling in my wake” mean to you personally? Is it easy for you to “simply settle back to let the river guide you?”
Be Here Now.
Limitation Liberation
Day 1 of 52: Blue Magnetic Eagle
Limitations are not obstacles, they are starting points. Perfection is in the process and the journey toward perfection (mastery) means rising above limitations. Do you have a self-imposed limitation that needs to be liberated? Describe the alleged limitation and the first step you would take toward liberating yourself from it. Your mantra for today: Limitation Liberation.
Yes, you can do it.
Ten Years
This is really not a post about Nia specifically…but it is about Dancing Through Life (Dancing Through Life is one aspect of Principle #5 of the Nia White Belt. Principle #5 is Awareness.
Thursday, July 28, 2011 is my 10-year wedding anniversary. I mentioned this to my husband last night and his response was “10 years, is that all?”. We both laughed…it does seem as though we’ve been together for a life time. I know I’ve blogged about how we came to be together, so I won’t go in to that whole story again (it’s a good one though!). Suffice it to say that we actually met for the first time in the early 80′s at a place called Rainbow Farm. It was a meeting place (the Midwest “Center”) for The Emissaries of Divine Light (no, NOT the Divine Light Mission and no NOT the Emissaries of Light). The Emissaries of Divine Light (also known as EDL) has been around since the 1920′s — this seems to have been a time when many spiritual leaders were coming forth…Bill W (or Bill Wilson), founder of Alcoholics Anonymous was a contemporary of EDL’s spiritual director, Lloyd Meeker. Both of these men created havens for the spiritual “enlightenment” (a word that is so misunderstood and bantered about frivilously) of many a wandering, hungering and thirsting (for the truth) human being.
For me, EDL was my spiritual classroom. The teachings were not ambiguous rantings or channeled words from some disembodied spirit from another plane. EDL’s teachings were and still are about the practical responsibility of consciously moving upon the Earth.
Frank (my husband) and I met at Rainbow Farm in the early 80′s at a Midwest EDL Conference. I remember meeting he and his wife, Suzanne (who became a very close friend for years and who eventually died from ovarian cancer in 1999). Frank always had this enormous spirit; he was…and still is…full of the energetic love for life; Suzanne, I remember, played the piano and sang. So once a year, everyone from around the midwest (I lived in Kansas City, Missouri at the time) gathered at Rainbow Farm. I saw Frank and Suzanne (who were from Wisconsin) every year. In 1987 or 1988, I attended a mutual friend’s wedding in Iowa. Frank and Suzanne were there. The bride had invited me to perform improvisational movement to a piece of music accompanied by Suzanne on piano and another friend as vocalist. None of us had practiced the piece together, but it came together without a hitch during the wedding. After the wedding, there was a reception in the local hotel where the out-of-town guests stayed. It was after the reception that Frank, Suzanne and I solidified our long-time friendship. Everyone left the reception leaving all the pots, pans, dishes, etc. to be washed (the bride/groom elected to save quite a bit of money by not having the hotel staff clean up). The only people left were the 3 of us, and another couple. We rolled up our sleeves and went to work cleaning the place probably better than the hotel staff would have done. It was the nature of our spiritual education: if there is a job to do, do it without complaint or criticism, and with love for expressing life through the particular task being done. And that is what we did.
Just about every year after that, I would travel to Wisconsin to visit Frank and Suzanne for “Summerfest” (the largest music fest in the world, lovingly known as “The Big Gig”). I moved to New Jersey in 1991. Suzanne would travel east to visit me if I was unable to make it to Wisconsin. In 1994 she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and she died in August of 1999. I came to Wisconsin in early July of 1999 at Suzanne’s request to be with her so that Frank could continue working (I had retired from a large corporation in December of 1998). For the next 6 weeks, the three of us shared in something so extraordinary…we created a bond and a safe place for Suzanne to live out her last days on earth. She had agreed to hospice (thank God for these compassionate folks). After Suzanne’s passing, Frank and I arranged for a memorial service. Friends came from throughout the United States. Frank and I were aware that something had shifted in our relationship — the friendship was still there in all of it’s wonderfulness, but another element had entered for us to look at…the element of Love. We later learned through reading a few passages from Suzanne’s journal, that she had planned and wished for Frank and I to come together after her death. There was no manipulation on her part (other than inviting me to come and be with her). Frank and I, to this day, give thanks for remaining centered and simply moving with what Life was offering us. Our spiritual training through EDL, that of being completely responsible for the contents of our consciousness, allowed us to remain centered through the transitions Life had waiting for us.
On July 28th of 2001 (a little over 2 years since I originally came to Wisconsin to be with Suzanne), Frank and I were married in a beautifully organic setting (our own property), with wonderfully supportive friends and family gathered as witnesses to this glorious event. Suzanne’s ashes are buried on our property amid the pines on our ridge…it is only fitting that we pay homage to her for preparing the way for this gift of Love.
So…ten years. Ten years of learning how to accept total and complete responsibility for the contents of our consciousness. Marriage is interesting. There is a need for give and take; yin and yang. Human nature is riding shotgun at all times through one’s life. It is soooo easy in a marriage (or in any circumstance actually) to want to blame another individual for one’s own misgivings or mistakes. I’m certain that this is among the reasons for so many divorces. Many people do not want to accept the responsibility for the contents of their consciousness (or lack of consciousness). There must be agreement, a shared spiritual vision, for anything to really work on this planet.
My husband and I have a shared spiritual vision and it is to accept that we are the most powerful and the most influential, causative factors in our world. To take it one step further, I am the author of my experience and I choose to be present and available to see and act as needed and in doing so I take responsibility not only for the contents of my consciousness, but for the power and magic of creation. And I do so through the inherent courage to act. I am not a by-stander to my life.
“When a person settles for being a bystander to their life, they lose touch with the magic within them, which is the magic to create. And that is the saddest thing that happens when a person begins to see themselves as a witness to their own life, as an object in the world in which they live, instead of a causative factor.” — David Karchere
Although life’s circumstances have allowed Frank and I to journey along our own path, we feel it an honor and a blessing to have been associated with what we consider to be the highest order of spiritual discipline available in this world: the Emissaries of Divine Light. I have found nothing else that even comes close to the deep and profound experience of my spiritual training through EDL.
I have been teaching Nia (www.nianow.com) for 10 years as well. My two passions entertwined in a dance through life. My passion for sacred livelihood (Nia) and my passion for my sacred relationship (Frank) entertwine and unfurl daily as reminders to move consciously upon the face of this earth. This is my ministry. This is my service.
Life As Art
If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I teach Nia – THE fusion fitness/lifestyle practice of the NOW and of the future. Nia has 13 White Belt principles. The White Belt is the initial entry into learning about and teaching Nia, although one can also do the White Belt for personal development, too, and not teach. I use the 13 White Belt principles in my daily living, not just while teaching Nia in my studio. For instance:
Principle #1 is The Joy of Movement. How much joy do you find in your daily living? Joy is a conscious choice; it’s an attitude (rather than an emotion/feeling). When I choose Joy, no matter what the situation, there is an immediate connection to “all is well, no matter what.”
Principle #2 is Natural Time and the Movement Forms. There are 9 Movement Forms in Nia (Martial Arts: Aikido, Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do; Dance Arts: Jazz, Modern and Duncan Dance; Healing Arts: Alexander Technique, the teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais and Yoga). Natural Time is different from linear time. Nia ia adaptable to any situation (including sitting in a chair!), There are 52 Moves to Nia (27 Base Moves, 7 Core Moves, 18 Upper Extremities) all simply choreographed to really cool music. The teacher offers a certain pattern of these moves to each song and each student is invited to “find their way” with the movements…voila’…Natural Time.
Principle #3 is Music and the 8BCs. This is Nia’s own roadmap to a decoding and mapping the music used in routines — a visual format of the music and choreography. By becoming intimately aware of the structure and landmarks of the music and choreography, one becomes free to just dance rather than count (one and two and three and…).
Principle #4 is FreeDance. FreeDance has 8 Stages (these 8 Stages will be presented in a future blog post). Using the 8 Stages of FreeDance expands the possibilities for movement choices and assists with breaking movement habits.
Principle #5 (one of my personal favorites) is Awareness. Basically “awareness” in Nia is paying attention to body sensations. The body has a voice and it is the voice of sensation. Nia is a body-centered practice based on pleasure. If a movement causes pain (discomfort, tension, physical limitations), then it can be modified to increase pleasure.
Principle #6 is The Base. The Base is all about the feet and legs (includes the ankles, shinbones, knees, thighbones and hip joints). In Nia we call the feet “the hands that touch the earth.”
Principle #7 is the 3 Planes of Movement and Intensity Levels. In Nia, we are encouraged to move our body through 3 Planes of Movement: High, Middle and Low — this is personal and unique for each individual. The 3 Intensity Levels are Level 1 (the smallest range of motion, least amount of exertion), Level 2 (broader range of motion, more exertion) and Level 3 (fullest range of motion and the most exertion). I invite my students to explore Level 2 and to go to Level 3 when they wish to challenge themselves.
Principle 8 is The Core (pelvis, chest and head). The pelvis contains energy, the chest exchanges energy and the head, directs energy. The pelvis, chest and head are the 3 body weights and each is associated with a specific chakra (or energy center) and emotion.
Principle 9 is The Upper Extremities (creative arm and hand movement). This principle includes fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arm bones, clavicles, and scapulae.
Principle 10 is X-Ray Anatomy. This principle is about observing and sensing body alignment using structural anatomy and sensory awareness. There are 200 bones and 700 muscles in the body.
Principle 11 (another of my personal favorites) is Creating a Sacred Livelihood. This principle used to be known as “Business and Marketing” (blecch…how boring!). I love this principle! It’s about the business of your body and your life. My Sacred Livelihood is around Nia. I am living my purpose and have stepped into my greatness!
Principle 12 is Continuing Education. Nia is like no other cardiovascular fitness practice in that it has Continuing Education modules (both written and videos) which allow for the path of self discovery, self-healing and self-mastery.
Principle 13 is Teaching What You Sense. As a Nia teacher, I listen to the music, I dance to the music and I share what I sense as I’m moving. The body reveals information all the time. The gift of Teaching What You Sense allows me to share with those in my class what my body is sensing as I dance. We then have a shared experience.
Those are the 13 White Belt principles in a nutshell. As I mentioned, I use these principles outside of class, too. All of the principles invite one to enter into a deeper understanding and experience of one’s body and one’s life.
I’ve been teaching Nia for 10 years now…each year my practice becomes richer, expansive, allows for greater awareness in all aspects of my living. I like to call it my Life As Art.
Art is inspiring…inspirational. Be an inspiration every day and find your Life As Art.
