Moving Consciously
Living the Truth of Who I AmArchive for truth
Passionate or Pathetic?
I had a QED body-field analysis done a few years ago and one of the interesting pieces of information that the results showed was that I was not sympathetic, but I was very compassionate. I was amazed that some machine that I put the pad of my index finger on could read me so well. It’s true. I have so very little sympathy for anyone (including myself), but I have a great deal of compassion. The difference IMHO has to do with being unattached to other people’s emotions and being very aware of my own.
An awareness shivered its way through my body when I discovered a couple of what I call “root” energies (having to do with the Root Chakra actually) contained in these two words.
Sympathetic — root word is PATHETIC
Compassionate — root word is PASSIONATE
Now, really…which would you rather be and which energy would you rather have someone offer you? Just the “energy” of those two words puts them light years apart in having something substantial to offer. I simply don’t have time for sympathy. Pity parties are passe’ and are a waste of time. Warrior Woman is in. Stand up. Speak your truth. Walk your walk. Dance til the cows come home. Let go of the pathetic self and open your heart to the passionate Self.
BE PASSIONATE.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.
SAY NO WHEN YOU MEAN NO.
SAY YES WHEN YOU MEAN YES.
LIVE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF CONSCIOUS JOY…
DANCE THROUGH LIFE
LET HOW YOU MOVE THROUGH LIFE BE A LIVING MEDITATION.
SEE YOUR LIFE AS ART.
Come and dance with me…or find the nearest Nia class!!
The “Conditioning” of Nia
Usually when one considers the word “conditioning”, one thinks of the ways one could condition the physical body for an event (like a marathon perhaps) or conditioning to maintain one’s muscular toning or cardiovascular health. Of course Nia does condition the physical body in many ways (I’ll come back to this later), but it is the conditioning through Nia of the emotional and mental realms to which I am grateful.
Another Black Belt Nia Practitioner (and New Generation Trainer), Allison Wright from Oregon, blogged recently about Self-Love and The Realm of High Magic. You can find her blog here: http://allisonwrightsblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/self-love-and-the-realm-of-high-magic/. Her definition of self-love (and one with which I resonated) is: the transformative ability to love myself unconditionally and to recognize that I am valuable, worthy and lovable to matter what.” I was particularly drawn to something she wrote toward the end of her blog regarding her own self-love allowing her to have the sensation of ”equality” when standing before someone in her world who she holds in high esteem.
To sense someone’s radiance as an invitation rather than an intimidation is a HUGE obstacle to overcome, and yet in Nia, as we progress through the Belt System (the path one travels as a professional Nia practitioner), we are offered this invitation upfront and personal. All of the Trainers, including Debbie Rosas Stewart (with whom I have had the honor and pleasure of having as my Trainer through all of my Belt Intensives), radiate a sense of personal power, of “knowing”, of worth. My own acceptance of self-love is absolutely imperative. If it isn’t, then what I have is a sense of fear. And certainly it is never the intention of a Nia Trainer to instill fear — their invitation is to rise up, to choose love OVER fear.
When I’m teaching in my own studio, I am the one who offers that invitation to my students. “Come and dance with me…there’s no judgment, only acceptance. Choose love over fear and let your inner dancer emerge. Let the grace and power that innately lies within you (it is there) be what makes you want to dance.” I don’t use those words (although I probably could) — it is through my expression of spirit, how I carry myself, how and what I say before, during and after class, that is the invitation for self-love.
Nia offers space for change. Nia offers the space for the invitation for self-love. Nia by itself is a technique (and a fabulous technique at that). When delivered by a person who embodies making the choice of love over fear, and makes that a way of life, Nia becomes a path to conditioning the mind (we offer the aspect of visualization to connect the physical movements with something to which the mind can connect; the emotions (love casts out fear), the body (Nia is a cardio workout) and the spirit (one’s own unique expression through movement). Self-love is a continuous process. It is a choice. And every day is a learning experience!
When I’m at an Nia Intensive as a student, I am offered the invitation to be present in every moment, to choose love, to relinquish any “less than” thoughts or feelings, and to step into my greatness. When I step into my greatness, I am immediately offering the invitation to everyone with whom I come into contact to do the same. We are one on the journey!
Now I Am!!! Come and dance. Accept the invitation to your own greatness!!!
Dancing the Pelvis, Chest and Head
My flexibility, mobility and strength of The Core (pelvis, chest and head in Nia) has increased leaps and bounds from 10 years ago. I love the sense-uality of moving my hips and pelvis; I love the freedom of my ribcage and the movement of my heart realm when moving my chest; and using the movement of my eyes to direct the movement of the head is an awesomely simple exercise in discovering wonderment and fascination. The 7 major Chakras (energy centers) are contained within the Pelvis, Chest and Head. Activating the chakras through movement allows a balance of energy to open through the body which is essential to health and healing.
I often wonder if the students in my Nia classes are fearful of moving their hips or if they just haven’t had the opportunity or proper training to do so. Maybe a bit of both. Sense-uality through allowing oneself to have an experience of fluidity in the pelvis and hips, while remaining grounded through the legs and feet (Chakra 1), is a powerful exercise in self-love. Nia is about pleasure. One of the most pleasurable “a-ha!” moments for me in Nia is when I find the mobility in my hips (Chakra 2). As I am conscious of the mobility as a pleasurable “sensation” rather than a test of my sensuality (yes, there is a difference), I am free to explore a natural fluidity of my pelvis and hips. Moving the pelvis and hips does not automatically rate the movement as sexual. Intention is key. Chakras 1 and 2 are contained within the movement of the pelvis. Chakra 1 is the Root Chakra (security, stability). Chakra 2 is the Sacral Chakra (sacred vessel, creative expression).
There are varying ways to experience movement of the chest. One of the 52 Moves of Nia is “Chest Isolation”, which involves movement of the ribcage. I am able to experience isolating my ribcage through circular movement as well as shifting the ribcage side to side. Being loving and not critical of oneself is absolutely paramount. Movements of the chest involve Chakra 3 (Solar Plexus) and Chakra 4 (Heart). Chakra 3 surrounds personal power, self-love, self-determination. Chakra 4 opens love and compassion, healing and transformation.
The Head contains the Senses: Vision, Hearing, Taste and Smell. Moving the head can include the neck (and spine) or the eyes can lead the movement of the head, looking all around, up, down, corners, behind. I like to actually hold my head within the palms of my hands and begin to move my head with the support of my hands. The head contains Chakras 5, 6 and 7. Chakra 5 is the Throat Chakra and involves sounding (humming, singing, speaking one’s truth, one’s strength through voice). Chakra 6 is the Brow Chakra which activates imagination, inner wisdom (as opposed to academics), visualization. Chakra 7 (the Crown Chakra) is the seat of one’s connection to Source or divine power which is not separate from oneself.
Acknowledging the amazing healing and conditioning powers provided by The Core is vital. My lower back (lumbar spine) has actually relaxed and felt the sensation of “ahhhhhhh” after consciously moving my pelvis. My ribcage has learned to open like butterfly wings when I breath in and close to enfold my internal organs on the exhale. Moving the head consciously, releasing my lower jaw and looking in various directions has allowed neck tension to release.
My classes this week have focused on The Core (Pelvis, Chest and Head) using some of my favorite music. Here’s is my playlist for The Core:
The Gates of Istanbul by Loreena McKennitt
Sun is Shining by ReUnited
Vinsandaan (Tara Mix) by Bobby Cochran & Hands Upon Black Earth
Sleepy Maggie by Ashley MacIsaac
One World One People by Xcultures
Dance Together by Men, Tib & Darko
Shine (remixed) by Joshua
Light to Your Life by Bliss
So Much Magnificence by Miten & Deva Premal
Enjoy moving your Core! And come to one of my Nia classes! EnJOY!
Developing Impeccable Behaviors
In the book “Dancing the Dream”, author Jamie Sams says this: “As we develop the impeccable behaviors that are required of us, we may falter from time to time, but each level of understanding brings skills and strengths that we can add to our personal medicines. When we become inattentive or slip into an occasional negative pattern, we are also provided with a new wake-up call or pop quiz, which will persist until we pay attention and regain our balance once more.”
In Nia, the 4 Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz) are called the 4 Energy Allies. They are:
SPEAK WITH IMPECCABILITY
DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING
DON’T TAKING ANYTHING PERSONALLY
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
I have had more than one person in my life recently revisiting the relationship with their spouse or significant other. Communication, more often than not, has been lacking. Assumptions are made, things are taken personally, and thoughts, words and actions lack impeccability.
There are times though when we do need consider whether a person (or persons) fit into our lives. Sams asks 4 questions:
1. How do I feel when I am with this person?
2. How do I feel just after he or she has gone?
3. Do we have similar goals, purposes, and levels of integrity?
4. Am I taking this person on as a project, trying to change his or her life instead of focusing on my own issues?
The answers offer insights…not only about the other person or persons , but to one’s own motivations. I used to have the “savior” complex. I would always find myself drawn or would draw to me individuals who were so screwed up (ooops, is that an assumption?) that I thought I could somehow offer them the light of day, to see things differently. Alas, it never worked. Well, actually it would work for awhile, but then I would either tire of being the shoulder to lean on (having at first offered it unconditionally), or the other person would become so freaked out with all the new and different perceptions that they would just leave. Either way, it was perfect. It always led to some eye-opening insight into my own motivations.
I know who I am now and I live my life accordingly. My husband and I were drawn together under some pretty intense circumstances — neither of us looking for a relationship…and yet…we moved with the intensity of the situation, not judging anything or anyone and just allowed life to unfold in bits and pieces. Neither of us assumed anything. Neither of us took anything personally. We sought to think and speak with impeccability — the situation demanded it. We did our best at every moment. Life had drawn us together for a purpose. There were so many ways to see it…and there still are…even after 12 years of being together. Every moment is new…because we choose to see it that way.
This month’s Nia Continuing Education is “Awareness of Sight: Sensing Light”. Chris Friedman, Nia Black Belt Teacher, says: “Seeing is letting light in. Seeing happens as light travels into the eye through the cornea and lens. It strikes the receptor cells of the retina, which are called rods and cones, and then is transferred as energy via the optic nerve to the visual cortex, located in the occipital lobe of the brain, at the back of the head. Here the “energy information” is organized and interpreted into the images we call sight.
Tension causes us to narrow our vision, to see less of what is available, such as when we stare at a computer screen or when we contract with worry. Becoming aware of this tension and then releasing it allows us to open up to an expanded field of visual awareness—into panoramic, three-dimensional vision. We are better able to receive and interpret light when we allow our eyes to release slightly away from each other, so that information can flow freely in.”
Relating this to the theme of this blog, “Developing Impeccable Behaviors”, most of us know that we create our own worlds. Most of what we create is from what we see in the world. We interpret it, make assumptions or judgments. Our vision is narrowed because of the “tension” we bring to the situation. We don’t like what we see, we don’t like the a person’s appearance, we don’t like the way a person is looking at us. One of my favorite adages is, “if you don’t like what you see, change the way you see it.” It’s pretty simple actually.
Chris Friedman’s words “becoming aware of this tension and then releasing it allows us to open up to an expanded field of visual awareness—into panoramic, three-dimensional vision” have a larger meaning for me in this moment. I know Chris is talking specifically about the way vision works in the physical eye; however, taken into broader context, when we become aware of and then release our less than impeccable behaviors (tension), we are opened up to an expanded field of conscious awareness…it’s like a breakthrough, a shift.
Sams says these “shifts in perception…create a type of rewiring within us that changes how we respond to life. We feel the shift and will never be the same again.”
I love this stuff.
So for all of you out there contemplating relationships…see with new eyes. Release the tension and expand your field of awareness. Let the shift happen. Things will never be the same…isn’t that really what you’re looking for?
Standing With God
It saddens me that there is such diviseness in our country…and not just in our country…in the world, but let me keep in to right here, right now.
I had dinner last night with a good friend who is having the same sensation of standing in the blue of the flame or in the eye of the whirlwind — both of these “places” are symbols for centeredness, stillness amidst the chaos — where one can witness and observe. Both of us are persons of spirit. We stand with God. And both of us have had the experience recently of being told that we have to “take a side” in this very divisive political arena going on in the United States (as I mentioned before, there is divisiveness far beyond the U.S., but I’m keeping this blog post “localized” to the U.S).
My answer to the person who confronted me and demanded that I tell her where I stood politically was that I stand with God. Certainly I have an opinion, but as a business person and as an ally of and emissary for spirit, my opinion is not shared except with those who are closest to me. Those who do not judge or condemn me. I knew that the person doing the demanding was looking for a fight. She had already alienated several of our friends by pulling them into a conversation about politics that got heated and ultimately destroyed any thread of decency. I was actually appalled…or perhaps it was a bit of naivety…that this person with whom I have had a long term friendship would suddenly become a raving, maniacal, cruel energy vampire and who would cast out friends because of her political stance. Does this really happen in the United States? Well, my experience says yes it does. So I began to search for the reason why there is such fiercity. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a spiritual warrior myself, I know something about being fierce. There is a place for it, but only when I am being directed through my standing with God. If it’s my ego being fierce, there is destruction. If it is my spiritual warrior being fierce, there is creative expression and room for acceptance, balance and compassion. The answer as to why there is such divisiveness comes down to Divine Identity. There is no divisiveness there — only divineness.
Give me the spiritual warrior every day and twice on Sundays. My political (or religious or sexual or any other) stance or experience have meaning only when I stand with God. My opinions, my stances are my truth — they may not be your truth.
And ultimately there is THE truth which never needs to be defended.
So if you ask me where I stand, I’ll tell you I stand with God. For me, it is the only place to stand. If I’m not standing with God, then I am taking a side. There are no sides with God.
It is my hope that our country, and perhaps the world at large, begins to remember this.
My remedy for staying in Divine Identity is to dance in the name of the Lord…to dance to my highest vision, to honor my body, my mind, my heart and my spirit. Nia does this for me. It is my sacred livelihood. I am a sacred spiritual warrior — dancing the empty radiance into being.
The Power of Spiritual Expression
Throughout human history there have been so-called revolutions, which of course were supposed to change everything. They have come and gone and there has been no real revolution. Only the revelation of ignorance, greed and ego. Human nature has merely been replaced with more human nature.
The only worthwhile revolution would be the reappearance of Divine Identity through human beings. Currently there are many nations, our own included (the United States), in the throngs of revolution — whether it be political, religious, racial, etc. It saddens me to see statements, made by otherwise seemingly intelligent people, likening this or that person to Adolf Hitler. Really? That is the highest vision that can be expressed in the moment? Judgment and condemnation? Have those people looked in the mirror lately? I would guess the image reflected would be pretty ugly. The harshness of judgment and condemnation, accusation, blame and criticism becomes evident over time in one’s physical appearance and in the way one’s life unfolds. Those qualities and characteristics are of the lowest of human nature; they do not speak from divine identity. Human nature is ugly. Divine identity uplifts and allows the dance of love to be known in one’s thoughts, one’s words and one’s actions. We are not merely human. We are human beings. We are spirit animated through a human body.
Often it is imagined that if one expresses divine identity one would not experience uncomfortable feelings. Pain can be experienced at all levels because we are in fact part of the human condition, in body and in consciousness. Yes, we will have physical challenges. Yes, we will experience fear and disappointment.
We experience the cloudiness of mass consciousness — the clouds that cover the sun. Do you realize that the sun is always shining — even when the clouds cover the sky — the sun is always shining. It’s just not visible to the human eye. And the mind, seeing clouds, thinks only of the dreariness of the day rather than the radiance eminating from divine identity….if only it were recognized. YES, we can choose to be conscious amidst chaos and confusion. We can be the enfolding beacon of radiant expression in every circumstance.
NEVER underestimate the power of spiritual expression. When clouds are present, be the sun. The world will do its best to overpower spirit, but in reality if one expresses Divine Identity into the world, the ugliness and harshness of the world has no power. Each of us is responsible for clear spiritual expression — the release of creative energy.
If I don’t take responsibility for spiritual expression in my world, who will? There is no one else. I am. What a privlege to know this, to accept this and to be the change I want to see in the world.
Yes, Now I Am.
Nourishing Traditions
My husband and I have been following the ways of health and well being contained within the book, Nourishing Traditions, for about 5 years now. We were never fast-food junkies, but we did eat an occasional fast food burger, chicken sandwich or fries. That is until we starting to follow the non-traditional, non-politically correct views contained within the richness of this book. It has unequivocally changed our lives…for the better.
Vegetarians and Vegans will most likely not like what is presented. I used to be a vegetarian. It was nice to be politically correct at that time, but it also caused a myriad of health issues. Since I’ve been eating organic grass-fed beef, lots and lots of real butter, bacon and have changed to gluten-free nutritional program, I am healthier, I have more energy, my mental capacities are sharper, my skin has a healthy glow.
Let me also introduce you to (unless of course you already know about them): Weston A. Price Foundation. I strongly encourage you to subscribe to Wise Traditions which is the publication of the WAPF.
Here’s a bit about them:
“The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated nonindustrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price’s research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.
The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants.
The Foundation seeks to establish a laboratory to test nutrient content of foods, particularly butter produced under various conditions; to conduct research into the “X Factor,” discovered by Dr. Price; and to determine the effects of traditional preparation methods on nutrient content and availability in whole foods.
The board and membership of the Weston A. Price Foundation stand united in the belief that modern technology should be harnessed as a servant to the wise and nurturing traditions of our ancestors rather than used as a force destructive to the environment and human health; and that science and knowledge can validate those traditions.
The Foundation’s quarterly journal, Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, is dedicated to exploring the scientific validation of dietary, agricultural and medical traditions throughout the world. It features illuminating and thought-provoking articles on current scientific research; human diets; non-toxic agriculture; and holistic therapies. The journal also serves as a reference for sources of foods that have been conscientiously grown and processed.”
Here’s their website: http://www.westonaprice.org/
It will no doubt change your way of thinking about food, food preparation, organically grown food and so much more.
This is the 31st day of celebrating my 60th birthday! I am more alive today, more conscious of the choices I have and that I make; aware of the consequences and/or rewards from those choices.
My body is sacred. It is because I have a body that I am able to dance, to express love, life and truth, to be the living expression of God on earth. That is my purpose. My joy is in loving my body and loving my life. Eating with reverance and awareness, dancing with the divine through conscious movement upon the face of the earth…loving nature, respecting and honoring the role I play…awesome and most sacred responsibility…to which I offer a loud and resounding THANK YOU. It is my pleasure.
Illusions
Day 12 of 60.
One of my all-time favorite books is “Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah” by Richard Bach.
I’m using this blog to quote from this wonderful text:
Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, teachers.
You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real Self. Don’t turn away from possible futures before you’re certain you don’t have anything to learn from them. You’re always free to change your mind and choose a different future or a different past.
Argue for your limitations are sure enough, they’re yours.
Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.
Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t.
In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.
And my favorite:
The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the Master calls a butterfly.
I read Bach’s book at the beginning of my spiritual journey, some 30+ years ago. I’ve carried the same copy around with me for that many years. It is tattered and torn, the pages dog-earred and yellowed; the words emblazoned in my soul…words that find their way into my everyday life.
My journey continues to afford me the opportunity to meet many wonderful people in a wide array of circumstances. My sacred livelihood, Nia, is my avenue for expressing the love I have for life…moving consciously…living the truth of who I am.
Come…come and dance. Journey with me…
Perfect Ten
Day 10 of 60.
Abundance. Amazement. Balance. Beauty. Blessings. Calm. Choices. Clarity. Curiosity. Commitment. Compassion. Confidence. Creativity. Dancing. Delightful. Divine. Discovering. Empowerment. Enchantment. Energized. Exploration. Friend. Goddess. Grace. Gratitude. Harmonious. Healing. Honorable. Imagination. Inspiration. Integrity. Innocence. Joyful. Journey. Kindness. Loving. Lyrical. Laughter. Miracle. Magic. Nia. Opportunity. Possibility. Passion. Patience. Peaceful. Powerful. Purposeful. Quiet. Radiant. Rejoicing. Relaxed. Release. Respect. Sacred. Serene. Soulful. Spirited. Strong. Spontaneous. Trusted. Truthful. Unity. Visionary. Wisdom. Wonderment. Zany.
I’m sure there are a million more words to add to the recipe for a full and rich lifestyle. I’ve chosen purposeful words to describe how I choose to live my life.
Think of 10 (or more) words that come to mind about your life experience and share them in a comment to this blog if you wish.
Words are cheap, yet carry a vibration and energy that is quite revealing. Anything interesting revealed to you through the words you’ve chosen?
Number Nine and Fractals
Number Nine, Number Nine…9th day of 60 days of celebration!
I was reading some text from author, Alan Hammond. In it he talks about the fractal pattern of broccoli…meaning a small design repeated and expanded. I love broccoli…and knowing that it could even remotely be related to Fibonacci (the golden spiral) excites me!!!
There is truth to design. There is design and control within everything. We, as human beings, have tended to forget this, ignore it or resist it. I used to have several bumper stickers on my old 1968 Dodge Charger that said “Question Authority”…they actually held the old beater together. Questioning human authority is one thing, questioning the authority of design and control is another….and it is a major reason why the world is in such chaos.
And actually our own lives may seem chaotic and random to us, but they are not. There is design and control in everything. Have you ever noticed a grouping of starlings in motion? They fly up in a pattern and then land, then fly up in a pattern and land. They are responding to the design and control of being a starling.
As Mr. Hammond says, “It is our expression of the Tone, the beautiful character of Being, the spiritual energy flowing out of the undimensional levels, that coordinates us with the flow of the Whole and its coordinated action.” Just like the starlings.
We are One in the dance of life.
Come, come and dance…Nia has design and control…that is one of the things that I so love about teaching Nia. The Body’s Way is the way the body was designed to move. We each have the opportunity in Nia to express Our Body’s Way…our own unique design…a physical body through which we clothe our spiritual, mental and emotional energy.
Now I Am…energy coordinating with the Whole.
We are One.
