My Passion for NIA Dance

Ok, so for my first actual content filled blog I figure it would make sense to talk about NIA dance as it has become an important personal practice in my life that has helped to heal my body. If you haven’t heard about NIA or are not sure what the heck I am talking about click the ’Special Events’ button located on the side column of this blog. Here you will find a description of Nia as well as some sources for more details. So back to my NIA story. It’s the perfect topic to start with because I pretty much LOVE NIA (always in caps) because it changed my life. www.nianow.com

 

About 8 years ago I was in an annoying car accident. I was on my way to visit Sequoia National Park for some camping and visiting with old friends (long before I had worked in the park as a volunteer ranger). I was in great shape and in elated spirits (sequoia has always been a sacred place for me). My car was load up with my favorite camp foods and I had thrown in a two interesting books just for good measure. The traffic was heavy on highway 99 and as I approached the city of Stockton, the line of cars came to a standstill. I stopped quickly and waited to see when we would move again. Unfortunately the person behind me hadn’t noticed that we had stopped and slammed into my vehicle crunching me between the car in front and his big truck…ouch! Gratefully, no blood or broken bones ensued, but my car was totaled, the camping trip was ended before it began and a my neck and spine had been jolted.

Jump forward five years to Nevada City where my dear friend Jan invited me to attend a NIA dance class hosted by Linda Burquez (Core Movement Studio). At the time, I was just beginning to get back into my body after spending the past years after the accident slowly re-organizing my body mechanics…Swimming, Physical Therapy, alternative modalities, and 7 doctors hadn’t really solved my chronic pain issues. It seemed everytime I tried to go back to or build up to my last known level of fitness before the accident, I just had increased pain.

The instant I entered the studio and Linda’s class, I felt a warmth rush through my body. Something felt right about being here (diffficult to explain…it was just a body sensation). I took off my shoes and looked for the space that I would call mine for the next 60 minutes. The music began and suddenly I truely felt transformed to a new world. The sounds, the movements and energy seemed to flow through my body instantly electrifying me with pleasure.

Flash back to childhood – adolescent years where in the sacred chamber of my bedroom, I travelled through my closet and emerged onto a dance stage waiting with an audience applauding for my performance (Yes, imagination has always been there in full- color HD surround sound). This was the place where my dreams ALWAYS seemed possible and my heart felt happy and at peace.

Back to Nevada City: I finished my NIA class surging with chills of enjoyment and desiring more! And more I did seek out. After speaking a bit with Linda and Jan about the ‘JOY of Movement’, I noticed something important: MY BODY DIDN’T HURT. At that moment, I decided (that’s the choice part I talk about in my ‘About Us’ page) to flood my body, mind, spirit and emotions with NIA Wisdom (My body was speaking to me and I was ready to listen). That evening I ordered a NIA DVD from the Nia Technique Website (www.nianow.com) and waited for the delivery. Three days later, my package arrived and I began what I call the 28 day journey to freedom. I danced to that video everyday and soon my body pain subsided. I could sleep through the night. I could get out of bed without feeling like I was 90 years old and ailing (at the time I was probably about 38). I felt alive and energized and happy. Not long after I enrolled in the NIA Whitebelt Training Program and began my new path of  body healing and ‘dancing through life’.

So, it’s been about 3 years since that initial NIA experience and I am happy to report that my body has changed. I have started engaging in my sports again. This past winter I skiied strong at Squaw Valley with only minor flare ups (more on skiing in the future – another passion!). The journey continues as I have just completed the second level of NIA training and have established classes and a NIA community in the Truckee, CA area (that would be near Lake Tahoe – hmmmmmmmmmm beautiful). I had to share this story as my starting point because NIA really did change my life. Going from active athlete to doctors telling me to “give up your sports”, “you’ll never run or ski like you did before”, etc… was discouraging and sent me into depression. NIA pulled me out from that spiral by drawing me back to my inner passion for movement and providing a structure that allowed me to begin to LIVE again MY BODY’S WAY. Thanks NIA, Debbie and Carlos Rosas!

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