"Today I re-write/re-hash a post from Summer 2018 where I deepened my love affair with Nia, it has touched my life in so many ways"
Amongst the many other hats I wear, the titles 'Natural skincare maker, Wellbeing enthusiast & Dancer appear on my business cards. The Dancer part has been on hold for several months as I lulled about in lockdown and opted out of keeping up the online classes. And now that things are relaxing somewhat I'm psyched to be raring to go again, to teach Nia out in the world with actual humans whos REAL eyes I can look into.
"Nia touches every little part of my being"
Nia is danced barefoot, so it really gets me in touch with how the earth below be feels. It showed me a way to connect with my body, makes me feel truly alive and reinvigorated me towards a new sense of purpose. In the summer of 2018 I took my Nia White Belt Training to deepen my own practice and relationship with my whole self. I never intended to teach, but that soon changed. I've spoken about Nia before. For the uninitiated, it's "a body centred awareness guided by 52 principles integrating movement forms of dance, martial arts and mindfulness." I've been practising Nia for about 4 years now, and in 2018 I stepped it up a level. This month I started the Blue Belt Nia Intensive online training with Nia founded Debbie Rosas, this month also marks the start of me returning to teaching Nia.
Following My Intuition
I was on a complete HIGH in 2018 when I embarked on a fortnight long adventure of amazing and transformative Nia training and classes led by international instructors/trainers Letizia Accinelli and Britta Vontagen. I felt I'd stepped into a space and place that was so unbelievably exciting that the lid of my life’s purpose had been lifted! Big right? And so to honour myself, that time in my life, the teachers, fellow students and the practice of NIA there are some things I’d like to share here. Like all the best stories, it's one of following your intuition, challenging your own perceptions of your limitations, and of wonderful supportive people holding each other up.
I had no idea what awaited me as I attended a class with Britta Vontagen, a visiting teacher from Boise, Idaho. The best I can come up with to describe what happened in that class was ‘complete and utter whole being bliss’. Something happened to me that I couldn’t put my finger on, but it felt great. I had been 'touched' in a way that I couldn't remember feeling, maybe ever. That night I set about signing up for the White Belt Intensive Training due to start the very next day. With less than 24 hours to figure it all out, throw a little logistical mayhem into the mix with sorting my son out, and add a sprinkle of feeling out of control for what would be the first ever full week without my son. Truth be known, I didn’t even know what I was getting myself into. And yet, together with a supportive dream team I managed it. Britta said in her final class of that Summer, ‘when the student is ready, the teacher appears’. Interestingly, I now find myself in that position of being a teacher with students - WHOA! Big responsibility!
And it only seems right that to honour what took place that day is to teach the routine Dragon we danced that day which Britta herself choreographed.
"This was the start of the my view of myself and the world really opening up in ways I never even contemplated"
The therapy of touch that comes with teaching Nia
I started teaching Nia in the latter part of 2018 [insert : MAHOOSIVE LEARNING CURVE]. My pal Sarah and I started Freerwithnia. Nia comprises of 52 moves, of which one is touch. Not only do I and students get comfortable with connecting with our physical bodies (in a safe in public kinda way), but in a 'connecting to something deep inside oneself where inspiration lives' kinda way. Its SUCH A MASSIVE PRIVELEGE to facilitate that discovery and safe environment.
Sometimes I pinch myself as I look at my body when I'm dancing and delight over how I'm in my 40's, I'm not drunk and I still dance and I'm doing it in a way that would have once felt awkward. I'm even happy to turn on my speaker on the High St of Burntisland and dance in public. Its such a relief to be free of the inhibitions and limiting beliefs that would have once prevented me from doing this. And the icing on the cake is I'm an actual dance teacher and people come to my classes because they know they're going to get to access that thing inside that is so uniquely sacred and special to them and its all made possible through the joy of movement.
A bitta bout Nia
Since many folk I meet haven't heard about Nia, let me enlighten you a little. Nia provides workouts and education that teach body-literacy, that is listening to your body and making choices that promote holistic fitness, wellbeing and health, incorporating:
Movement - the study of moving and health potential
Anatomy - the study of body parts
Science - the study of body awareness, health + vitality
Music - the study of sound, health + expression
Philosophy - the study of the body’s inherent wisdom
New country, new town and a life change
I couldn’t be more grateful that I did a very wise thing by listening to my intuition and moving to Burntisland where Jinti Wight-Boycott created The Space Upstairs and brought NIA to the community, and to Scotland for that matter. A place where a Nia community has been formed and connects - it's truly like being part of a family. I’ve been completely indulged by Karen Small of Island Moves who has paved the way on my Nia journey and not only juggles life with 3 children and delivers Nia classes with so much loving energy that it's been a honour to have her modelling first class teaching to me!
And its seems only fitting that the Bodylushious studio is situated smack bang next to that delightful dance studio...wwoooooo!
Feel like connecting to a deeper part of you through dancing?
If you've not experienced Nia and this post has piqued your interest, find yourself a class and try it out! If it doesn't work out at first, persevere, it's worth it. I promise you on some level it'll have a profound impact on you in ways you could never imagine. For me, that means helping me be the best version of myself to bring to all those identities I spoke about at the beginning of this post, and that can only be a good thing!
There’s so much more that I could say, but I will save that for a cuppa tea or two with you someday.
Thanks for reading and wishing you a delightful weekend! Bron xx