Nia of the High Country

06/02/2022

8 years ago I began to search for an approach to movement, that would incorporate all of me - my mind, body and spirit, and something that would be joyful, that I would do because of how wonderful it was, not because I should get some exercise. When I began my online search, I came across Nia! And this video is one of the first videos that I watched. I was just delighted. I remember dancing around the living room and how happy I felt. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did, and I still do now!

This Nia (www.NiaNow.com) dance break was led by Debbie Rosas (www.debbierosas.com) in Portland, Oregon at Directors Park. The song is "No Quiero Nada Mas" b...

05/02/2022

Continuing to enjoy the Nia Global Summit with Nia folks from around the world. As part of the summit experience, I'm attending a class each week given by a teacher somewhere in the world. The classes I've enjoyed so far were taught by Susan Sloan in Johannesburg, South Africa, (Global Unity routine), shown on the left, and Debbie Rosa's (founder) (Diva routine) shown on the right.

25/01/2022

Attended the first session yesterday of the Nia Global Wisdom White Belt Summit and it was very inspiring and uplifting! Debbie's voice is so soothing and her guiding of the session was so grounding. People joined in from all around the world with over 900 participants. One of the highlights for me was hearing different participants share something that really affected them in their white belt training. For some, the initial white belt had been taken decades ago. I could relate and identify with everyone, it was such a feeling of sisterhood/fellowship (there was a wonderful male participant that shared as well.). And it reminded me of how my white belt affected me, and recalled some of my experiences which I hadn't thought about for some time. It was a great experience today and I look forward to next week.
- Jaleh

04/12/2021

Nia’s largest-ever music, movement, magic experiment to address the extraordinary implications of Nia as potent body and life wisdom.

26/05/2021

A new Nia class (in-person) will be starting up this summer with licensed Nia instructor Sherri Docteroff Jaquays in Blowing Rock. She is really excited to offer these summer classes. Go to Sherri's Nia class page at THC Move and Groove for more information or see her link on her post below. She will post her schedule and location there soon.

This photo is of a field of trout lillies on Elk K**b a couple of Springs ago.

16/03/2021

It is a beautiful cool crisp mountain spring day, the fog that gracefully laid over the valley this morning has lifted and the blue skies peek through areas of puffy grey and white clouds. The dogs are having a sleepy day. I'm patting myself on the back, third day in the row for including Nia in my day. Yay!!! Let's see how many days that I can go before missing a day....I'm going to challenge myself.......I intend to dance Nia for a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day, for 30 days without skipping a day. Today I was happy that dancing to the very energizing and earthy "Sacred" routine, I danced around 45 minutes, finishing about 3/4 of the routine. My goal is to build my energy and stamina and balance up to at least where it was before when I was dancing 3-5x a week for at least 1-2 hours per day, and to enjoy some health benefits from this as well. I am already feeling a difference!

This is a picture of Kelle Rae Oien, who choreographed Sacred, in one of the dance steps that I especially love to do, during the music piece "Tala Odyssey" by Desert Dwellers.

"The focus of the Sacred routine is the bones. The intent is to drop in under our skin to experience our 207 bones in order to relax."

If you want to try out Sacred, go to members.niatv.fit.

15/03/2021

In my effort to transition back to daily practice of Nia, I danced again today, this time to a wonderful routine created by Casey Bernstein with the inspiring music of Karen Drucker.

Today the routine "Selfless" is the one that called to me. It is one I often go to when I need some gentleness, healing and nurturing. This is after being down with a non covid virus, recovering, then experiencing the side effects of the vaccine, then having a rough night of interrupted sleep and some emotional turmoil within leaving me feeling somewhat raw and exposed. However, after praying for assistance, I also had the blessing of having some beautiful dreams which included my mother visiting me (she passed 30 years ago) and having a few hours of happy, restful sleep. My husband also lovingly brought me breakfast in bed (not at all aware of the night I had.) I believe these were blessings and I am so grateful.

We all have most likely experienced pain, sorrow, sickness, and loss and grief as well as comfort or pleasure, joy, health, love and feeling of abundance. Our lives are full of both.

In the first song "Breathe," by Karen Drucker, the words encourage, and Casey leads us to movements that are energizing, comforting and freeing, and truly make me feel like I can breathe on so many levels.

I breathe in, I breathe out
I take in, I give out
I let love, I let go
I release, and I know
I forgive, I receive
I can feel, I believe
I am healed, I am whole
I release, and I know

Breathe, breathe, breathe........

No need to push, no need to try
No need to worry or question why
Surrender, let go
Release, and I know...

Breathe, breathe, breathe.......

The routine "Selfless" is one of the "moving to heal" routines which has a more gentle pace and the routines are somewhat easier to learn and the dance steps tend to be more accessible for a variety of needs.

Casey says that "the focus of this routine is squeeze and release and we will sense that through the sensation of flexibility, energy moving out along the bones, and strength where the energy moves in, and mobility will be sensed as flow. The intention of this routine is to sense the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual awareness that through movement we find health."

You can go to members.niatv.fit if you want to try out "Selfless" on Nia tv.

Hoping you're having a good day. Take care, Jaleh

14/03/2021

Friday, we got our covid-19 vaccine. We had been feeling the after effects this weekend. Movement often helps with soreness and stiffness which we have experienced. I have been doing some gentle stretching but today I was gaining some energy back and I felt it was time for something more. I enjoy this Source routine so much. I danced the first four dances of the routine today. This photo shows dance no. 4, Mama Yangu. Kelle says that it has a celebratory emotion, enables mobility and agility. I would definitely agree with that. It is really fun music and I love the dance she and Kevin created. The focus of the routine is on the eyes, and the intention is to help direct our awareness and intention to our body and organize our movement. It is also really good for leg and buttock conditioning. And of course all of the Nia dances are good for your circulation, your coordination, balance, energy, stamina, and your mood! The music is by Liz Addison and the routine was choreographed by Kelle Rae Oien and Kevin VerEecke. I just love it. If you want to give it a try yourself, go to members.niatv.fit and sign up for Nia tv. Hope you're all taking good care of yourselves. --- Jaleh

12/11/2020

https://youtu.be/sqlJtMjZszI

Welcome to the Nia ONE Around the World Video ProjectIn a world and time where so much can divide and separate us, the Global Nia Community has come together to...

04/07/2020

https://www.facebook.com/16508972945/posts/10157874757232946/