Nia tidbit #113 Alexander Technique and Nia

Hi everyone,
I am so proud to share this email with you. It's a snippet that one you ( thank you Martin) sent me describing how he experiences Nia. I think it shows how Nia is great for men and women,any age/size and how it touches different kinds of people in so many different ways. It's also an example of how the movement form below touches us through imagery and movement of the head.
We've been focusing all last week on Alexander Technique, one of the 9 movement forms. Frederick M Alexander developed this system of healing to heal himself from a throat problem that effected his acting career. Dancers took to it quickly and then it expanded even more when doctors began sending patients to him who were depressed, breathing disorders, unexplained aches and pains, back ache, arthritis, fatigue, headaches, gastro intestinal conditions, and certain sexual conditions. Through conscious "use" of the body, looking at the body from a "whole" perspective, and utilizing "non-interference" or " inhibition" and then "conscious direction" , movement ( and thus emotions, thoughts, beliefs etc) habits are gently shifted to make room for a better functioning body and mind. It all happens in the "non-doing" , meaning it takes not changing the body through the "stand up straight, chest out , stomach in " approach, but rather through inviting a forward and up position of the head as it relates to the spine and then waiting and feeling for a new experience of the posture in the body as it walks, sits, lays down, dances and functions in life. This gentle approach helps to re-establish neural pathways by bypassing the outward act and creating change from the inside out. Another aspect of Alexander Technique is using the eyes to look and engage the energy body. The mirror was a tool Alexander used to notice how he did simple things like sitting in a chair and then initiating a new alignment of head and neck, and eyes, as he practiced and developed his method of change. It's truly "Dancing thru Life" in practice. I hope to see you in class this week to deepen your connection to Alexander Technique and to bring Dancing Thru Life into your day! love, Kelly

"When I first heard of Nia, it was from a friend who lived in Orlando and drove to Sarasota to participate in Kelly Atkins’ Nia classes. It had be good, I thought, for her to drive that far. I had started taking Yoga classes a few weeks earlier and I was already on the path of self-discovery, so I decided to try Nia. Now, picture this: a single guy in his early 40’s, business executive, likes fast cars and being a guy. That was me. And there I was, in Kelly’s Nia class – the only guy in a group of women – acting playful and silly, seeking pleasure and nurturing my body. Nurturing? What’s that? Well, let me tell you… For the first few weeks, I found it hard to leave my machismo at the door and shed my inhibitions in front of all those women. At the same time, I felt a sense freedom every time I stepped in, so I kept coming back. It wasn't long before I was able drop the masks I'd been carrying for years and give in to the pure pleasure of Nia. When I come to Kelly’s class, it’s as if I'm able to leave the material world behind and enter a magical world that Kelly creates for her students. The room transforms form a stormy sea to a tropical forest with butterflies, from soaring over cliffs like an eagle to touching the inside of a transparent sphere, from pounding on a drum to enveloping myself in an invisible cloak… the magic is infinite. To me Nia is a place where everything is possible, where I can create my present and my future exactly the way I want it to be. There are no boundaries and everything simply flows. I am part of the Creation." -Martin Turneau

Nia tidbit #112- sensation, creating dreams, chakras

Hi everyone,
The last few tidbits have been "passed on" info i have recieved, and i am excited to offer you something that came right from my body today.
Today's tidbit is about desire, passion, and flow. It is always said if you can find your passion , your calling, then money and opportunity will flow. Finding that thing to create in the world that you'd do no matter what, admidst lifestyle stress... this is the trick, or rather the art. This applies if you're looking for a successful career, relationship ( passionate/healthy/supportive love) , health( ways of healing) or any goal. I believe that finding what one is passionate about or cultivating passion is dependent on feeling desire( sensation), staying with it ( focus- tolerance) and allowing it to unfold for you ( choice). Think of a baby that moves and explores until the desire is strong enough to push the edges of their little bodies to strengthen to move from embryonic, to creeping , to crawling, to standing and walking..The body actually naturally gravitates towards health, ease, relaxation, and wellness. If we can sustain being in our sensations, becoming more tolerant of pain ( meaning to notice the subtle, acute, or constant sensation and not "numbing" it till it's an enormous pain you can't ignore) and pleasure( is it a little pleasure? medium ? a lot?), and not in the thinking mind but in the living body's wisdom, desire becomes enriched. This desire is healing in it's ability to bypass the ingrained habits and loops in the mind filled with "should's" and other beliefs. This desire is constantly changing and adjusting the way the body does naturally to whatever is in need of attention.
Once one is attuned to what one desires, passion begins to come forth that are authentic to one's spirit. This is embodied passion that is running on sensation. Glimpses of this come forth through practice with desire in the body. Living passionately is very energizing! A great way to practice this at home is to ask your body as a whole or even better a particular bone, muscle, ache, pain, joint , etc, "what is it you need, what is it you want" and staying with the sensations as you begin to decipher the difference between the head answering, or the heart or the ache/part itself...and the key is to stay with the sensations as you de-code it's meaning. Become a good listener!
As desire is cultivated from this deep place, passion is the tapestry that is woven from noticing that which you desire. As passion is deepened, it's time to begin to notice how the Universe steps in to support you. Be observant of opportunities and "random" encounters that are chances for you to begin taking action towards your wish. Having hope, and faith in whatever you believe in as a higher power, and knowing that good is coming your way is important to help you see clearly. IT's the river that will float you to your highest good. Below is a chakra flow chart I created for you to play with that ties in with desire and our energy bodies:

Remember these are questions to your body, and the body is answering through sensation:

chakra one: What do I need ( survival: safety, food, rest, movement)
chakra two: What do I want? ( once needs are met, what would enhance the experience?)
chakra three: Do I have enough personal power to integrate that want? What am I afraid of ? Who is the Me that is stating all my fears? What does fear feel like in my body?
chakra four: Who is there to help me create this? How do I begin relating to my desire, and to others about my desire? Trust
chakra five: what do I say about it? how does my language choice, and sound of my voice relay my desires and creation. What is it I am truthfully saying ( beyond the simple words). truth
chakra six: What ideas and inspirations come regarding my passion energy and choices?What are my beliefs about achieving my desires? thoughts
chakra seven: Universal love. Hope. Connectedness.



Kelly Atkins www.niawithkelly.com941-928-8866©Black Belt Nia teacher ©ACE certified personal trainer©Certified Wellness Coach- Coach "K" ©PhysicalMind Institute Certified Pilates Mat teacher