New Years Day: Dancing Our Dreams

This special New Years Day class offers an opportunity to embody our intentions through movement. It is also a fundraiser for At Home in Community (AHIC), a nonprofit that provides a home in the cohousing community for a disabled person. For more information about AHIC please see: www.ahomeincommunity.org/ Suggested donation $6.00 to $10.00. As space is limited, please call Leela to reserve a space at 541-752-1784. Class is open to all, from new-to-Nia to seasoned Niaphiles. Step into your new year with a sense of fun, well-being, and beauty. Class will be held at Coho Ecovillage, when you call to reserve a space, we can talk about directions and parking. And welcome to my home.

Moving Music video!

From Amnesty International. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xevGz8_MBKk

New Saturday Class in ON!

New Timberhill Saturday morning class starts January 24th at 11:30 in Studio C. Please come and invite your friends.

Saturday class at Timberhill starting in January...

It is looking like the Saturday class will not be at the times suggested earlier, but at 11:30 starting on January 24th. Please join us for the fun!

Field of Joy...

I often find the the most challenging principle of Nia to communicate in words is the most important one: the Joy of Movement -- because it is so ubiquitous. I perceive the Joy of Movement as a state of Beingness: being the joy of tai kwan do and letting my inner warrior out to sense the boundaries of my physical body, or letting my child come out and play, sensing the lightness of being of Duncan Dance. When I open my mouth to remind you about maintaining an awareness of the Joy of Movement - that's not it! - the reminder is just a pointing in the direction of it.

Do you ever notice how easy it is to mediate in a group of experienced meditators? Like a drop falling into the pond of awareness, I slip into the field of awareness generated by the intention of the group. Similarly, in Nia we practice tapping into universal Joy - the joy of being - 100% who and what we are in the moment. The individual intention to be in that space or field creates more of it. The intention of the group to be in that space lifts the vibration of it even higher. We move and dance in a field of Joy. I find myself in awe of the beauty that we create together by the diversity of individual expression while sustaining and growing the field of Joy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Words cannot express...

Quick pick-me-up....

Well, it's 16 minutes long, but it will touch your heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao
It is called 'Validation.'

Saturday class at Timberhill starting in January...

Hey all of you juicy people who want more out of life, we will be having a Saturday Nia class at Timberhill starting in January! We get to choose between 8:00am and 10:30am for class times. A benefit to the 10:30 time is that we can occasionally have the space for a workshop. We would have to clear out of the 8:00 space rapidly, so a workshop would not work in that time slot. I would love the opportunity to introduce a new routine with a little extra time for the details (that is what I mean by workshop). Let me know your preference by email at leeladevidancing@gmail.com

New Daytime Classes!!!!

A new daytime class will be starting in February at the senior center. It will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00am to noon. Please let friends who would like a day class know the good news. You do not need to be a senior to attend, the majority of the class should be over 50 years old. I'll send out more details when they are firmed up. Yeah for dancing through the day!

Nia article in More magazine: Beautiful!

This is a great article: http://www.more.com/health/fitness/nia-a-cure-for-shame/ Please share it with anyone you think might be interested.

Just for fun...

Check out this dance video... http://break.com/index/unbelievable-mccain-vs-obama-dance-off.html

Halloween happening Thurs evening...

This Thursday evening wear a costume OR orange and black, and you will be entered into a drawing for a prize! I don't know what the prize is, but it is sure to be fun! We will be celebrating the day before Halloween with Mystere, a routine that uses music from Cirque Du Soleil - full of mystery and magic!

Guest passes half-off this week at Timberhhill...

This week guest passes are half-off, so invite your friends to experience the pleasure of Nia at Timberhill. The pass must be used this week, so invite interesting people, people you love, people you would like to know better, people you would like to delight, or people you think would have a great time to come to the noon or 7:00pm classes on Tues and Thurs this week. The Tues evening class will be celebrating recent birthdays with Fantasia - no relation to the Disney film - but a whole lot of Yang fun!

Listen to the voice of sensation...

Have you ever agreed to do something you really didn't want to do and felt an uncomfortable sensation in your gut? Have you ever noticed what happens to your face and posture when you see a baby smile? Can you feel what happens in your body right now when you think of a baby smiling? We are truly amazing blends of body, mind, emotions, and spirit and our thoughts, emotions, and movements all influence our state of health and well-being on a moment to moment basis. The attitude we bring to our ordinary activities of daily living can enhance our state of wellness and well-being or detract from them. Fortunately, we all have the ability to notice whether our activities are health and life promoting or negating by paying attention to sensation. The body, mind, emotions, and spirit all speak in the voice of sensation. Notice sensation. Right now. What feels good right now? What needs to shift into another position to feel better? Maybe your eyes need to look away from the screen, maybe your body needs a walk, or a dance, or a stretch... Move towards greater pleasure and move away from pain in your Nia practice and in your dance of life. It's all about sensation. Seek pleasure.

Just for giggles...

Just to lift your spirits anytime, log onto this youtube video: Dancing with the Universe (You will see the title "Where the hell is Matt?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY Thank you Susan Hoffman for recommending this. It is a lot of fun!

Why do we do it barefooted?

Check out this fascinating article on foot heath and the benefits of exercising without shoes! http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/ It has some amazing artwork, as well.

Zensation Workshop!!! Saturday Oct 4, mark the date!

Experience the sensations of the Nia Technique though an exploration of the nine movement forms that power each class. What's the energy of Jazz Dance? Tai Kwan Do? Yoga? Alexander Technique? Duncan Dance? Aikido? Feldenkrais? Modern Dance? and Tai Chi? How can you use these forms to enhance your Nia (and life) experience? Come find out and experience one of Debbie Rosas' newest routines: Zensation! Saturday October 4th from 11:30 to 1:30pm. This class is included in your TAC membership. Nonmembers can attend for $10.00. Tell your friends. What a deal!!!

Grow the Daytime Nia class

Some of our wonderful daytime Nia mates went back to school, and others have had schedule changes, so our class has diminished in size, but not passion and the sense of connectedness. We would love to see this class continue - so if you or someone you know could benefit from a daytime Nia class - please encourage them to come on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1:00pm at Timberhill Athletic Club.

Gratitude...

What is it about Nia that feels so special? Why do people who practice Nia seem especially beautiful? I think it is, in part, because we all have a desire to feel better and we are willing to stretch ourselves - move outside of our comfort zones - to learn new patterns of movement, dance, and play together to achieve that better feeling. For that hour of class, we share the best of who we are with each other. It does not require words, in fact, words often get in the way of sharing who we really are. So, dancing, without conversation, seems to allow the beauty of spirit to shine through without obstruction. And it all happens with seemingly no effort! At the end of class my skin is wet and salty, but I do not feel tired; I feel cleansed, released, wholesome, and connected. The sense of connectedness is so palpable that we have to touch hands to honor that feeling. I feel blessed that so many of you juicy, lovely, inspiring people are willing to take the time to share who you really are with me and each other. It has been an honor to dance with you and I hope to see more of you in the coming years. Stay JUICY -- Dance through life!