Lesley's Summer, sending gratitude
By Lesley Tinker on Aug 31 2008 - 10:11am
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Today, the last day of August, inspires me to send summer greetings, replete with gratitude for the gifts received. When Jill and I chose to take off July and August from teaching Nia, it was with the desire to refuel our bodies and reinvigorate our business and thus more fully bring Nia to you in the fall.
Jill and I so look forward to reconnecting with you with Nia starting this week at Youngstown Arts Center with three free classes: Thursday, September 4th (6-7 pm with Jill ), Saturday, September 6th (10-11 am with Jill), and Sunday, September 7th (10-11 am with Lesley).
May all be received with inspiration for you also to reflect on your summer's bounties.
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Green Belt -- Nia teacher intensive training5 days in Portland OR at Nia Headquarters with the cofounders of Nia, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. The Green Belt is a new belt level expressly designed to deepen the clarity of a teacher's presentation of Nia through in-depth study and practice of Nia's music, movement, methodology, anatomy, and philosophy. There were 17 of us, at varying belt levels, giving many opportunities for feedback.
The result for teachers and students is to experience even greater joy in movement, greater connection to our body's way and the body's design, and thus greater fitness. I am extremely excited about the material presented in this belt and bringing the benefits to Nia classes.
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Disneyland -- the ultimate Nia-enriching experience
A 4-day birthday extravaganza from 7 a.m. 'til midnight (with 2-3 hour afternoon siesta), nearly non-stop every day. It had been nearly 20 years since my husband Don and I had been to Disneyland, and we were way overdue.
Arriving during a southern California heat wave, we cooled down amidst laughter and screams (full-bodied sounding!) through multiple rides down the aptly named Splash Mountain. We hung out in New Orleans Square, rode Pirates of the Caribbean over and over again, enjoyed a birthday dinner at the Blue Bayou grotto, and even had a chat with Captain Jack!
We spent just a few hours in California Adventures, across the way from Disneyland -- Soaring Over California is a must - the feel, the sensataion enriched by awareness through Nia, of being in a hang-glider soaring over the scenic California coastline, wine country, Golden Gate Bridge, and southern California orange groves.
Back to Disneyland, watching Tinker Bell do her nighttime spin around the castle to the tune of Wish Upon a Star sent me unexpectedly into tears of kinesthetically remembered childhood delight from my first trip to Disneyland -- the amount of embodied emotion and wisdom that is buried in our beings astounded me; the potential of the human body and spirit are boundless.
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Blue Electric Storm -- welcoming in the natural time new year, the Nia way
3-days in Houston with one of the gloriously energetic certified Nia trainers, Helen Terry, plus a potpourri of Nia teachers and students from distances near and far. Blue Electric Storm was named from the 13-moon natural time calendar, a calendar whereby the year rotates on 13-month cycle overlaid onto the 12-month calendar many of us are habituated to.
The 13-moon natural time year starts each July, and this year is the year of Blue Electric Storm, a year guided by Abundance. Coincidental with the start of Blue Electric Storm on July 26 is Helen Terry's galactic birthday and the start of the Nia Technique's 25-year anniversary celebration.
The 3-day celebration of "Blue Electric Storm" in Houston emerged with play-shops, classes, parties, and a Nia jam of over 100 people! All was with a focus on experiencing the sensation of the joy of movement and how this sensation, this way of moving, deepens fitness and pleasure in body, mind, emotions, and the unique spirit of ourselves.
And, talk about joy, at Blue Electric Storm. I and others were introduced to Kombucha, a probiotic drink, and other probiotic foods, thanks to Chef Joe, also known as Tio Pepe. These probiotic foods and beverages immediately grounded my body in feeling oh so vital.
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5-Stages of Self-Healing
2 days in Sammamish WA with Nia cofounder, Debbie Rosas, plus pre-training and upcoming post-training. Self-healing is defined as the physical sensation of feeling better than before -- it's not about curing disease--important distinction.
The 5-stages of self-healing, primarily done on the floor, take us movement-wise through the five development stages we naturally experienced as infants, toddlers, and youngsters: (1) embryonic with the fluidity of non-thinking movement; (2) creeping with the beginning of linearly moving forward and backward; (3) crawling with the development of cross-lateral travel; (4) standing/crouching with the development of verticality; and (5) walking with the integration of self. By moving through these stages, even 5 minutes a day, benefits may include an increased sense balance, flexibility, agility, mobility, strength, stability.
Jill and I have brought you the 5-stages during Nia classes. This particular training took the practice deeper by providing a template for a complete classes and workshops. Look for more with NiaDivas later in the fall.
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It is with humbleness and joy that I thank each one of you for the gifts of the summer. I hope that your summers were equally and even more gratifying.
Sincerely,
NiaDivas' Lesley Tinker
Certified Blue and Green Belt Nia Instructor
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