beautiful reminder email from NIA teacher

below is a wonderful email I received from my NIA teacher...
something I think everyone should try
at least once in their lives...its inspiring!!!

HI everyone,

Today's tidbit it about awareness. There have been two articles recently written about Nia and I have had many new students coming to class from them. I am reminded about the process of learning Nia and find it's a great opportunity for everyone to return to the basics of NIa. The two most important things about Nia are JOY as an energy to connect with each class and sustain, as well as awareness. Let's explore awareness and how this tool is used in NIa. Awareness is a tool used that supports conditioning. Conditioning being healing the body and finding pleasure in movement,both fitness and passion about life. Awareness effects not just the body, but the mind, emotions, and spirit. It is recognizing information and acknowledging something is happening. We can be mind aware of our thoughts, emotional aware which is aware of feelings, or spirit aware which is aware of something unique to the self. The spirit aware is often accompanied by a deep inner appreciation. In the physical body, the sensation most frequently felt is pain. Pain is a signal to change what your doing, so the pain diminishes or stops. Awareness can be placed in any part of your life. It is a tool for you to call on and consciously use. For instance, noticing the position of toes during class. Also noticing tone of voice as you communicate during the day. Awareness is paying attention to detail. It can be something happening in any realm. There are many ways it's used in class, like using the eyes to move the head. Awareness is a way to function along the path of the body. Aware of your breath ( less tangible) would access the movement form of Feldenkrais. The fact is that you can access sensation at any moment. Take a moment now and notice your belly movement or sensation as you breath. Stopping long enough to feel sensation is bringing meditation in to your life. There are many studies backing up how meditation improves health. Recognizing sensation in the body keeps you body centered and out of your head. Often in class I say "do it your body's way", this is the reminder to become aware of what your doing, how you do what you do. Though we may all do a heal lead step, we are all encouraged to notice our unique way of doing it. Can you be aware of how you do what you do. So aware that what you become motivated by is seeking pleasure over pain. By following pleasure and using awareness what you do is eventually more functional. As a new student, connecting to the sensation of flow is a great place to place your attention. Seeking the sensation of the whole body connected. It is felt by feeling movement from one joint to another. For example, movement might start in your right foot and then move up and out through the body in different ways. Sometimes the flow is linear, or circular or spiral. Notice the flow and notice where the communication is broken or not. Not judging this as good or bad, but noticing. It's like connecting the dots through the joints of the body. For instance, Wagging the tail in class activates flow through the spine. Where in your body do you feel the movement flow?

In JOY everyone,
Kelly

to find a NIA Teacher near you go here: http://nianow.com/classesandevents/