Living Meditation!

Hello my Dancing Friends!

I hope you had a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving week. Yesterday as we stepped out of Nia class, I invited my students to keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive everyday. I offer this invitation to you and if you do not have a gratitude practice, see what if feels like to start one today!!! One THANK YOU as you wake up and another when you go to bed. It will change your life!!

I also invite you to be kind and gentle to yourself as we step into what can be a hectic time of the year. Take time without taking time out of you day to be in a practice in Nia we call Living Meditation (LM). LM is the art of “non-doing”, stopping, and noticing the stillness in your body throughout your day. For example, as I am typing I can sense my feet touching the earth, my arms resting and touching my desk and my "bum" touching my chair. This brings relaxation to my body, calms my nervous system, and activates a meditative response. This gives me energy and at the same time relaxes me. LM can be practiced anytime in your day. In your car at a stoplight, notice your hands on the steering wheel, take a deep breath and be in a state of non-doing; no expectation, no inner chatter of the mind. Just be in the moment. You can practice LM while standing in line at the grocery store, at the bank, in a meeting...endless ways to bring meditation and stillness into your life while not taking you away from your life. AHHHH!!!!

In a Nia class we can practice LM with our stances, our CHA-CHA-CHA, FloorPlay, Kicks, FreeDance...throughout our entire dance. Awareness allows us to notice and pay attention to when and how we are touching and being touched. See you in class!

My Nia classes this week:

Monday and Thursday at 5:30 pm

Saturday at 9:30 am at The Synergy Studio

DIVA class on Tuesday at 9:00 am at Forte Rehabilitation & Wellness Center.

Namaste!

Joanie