Monday, September 28, 2009

Blue Belt and then some

Yesterday I audited some of the Blue Belt. Perhaps one of the most useful principles is "The Power of Two." Without going into too much detail, the basic concept is that the "receiver" (an excellent name for the listener in a conversation) is 100% there, i.e. neutral to receive the "transmitter" who is 100% clear. I noticed that I was a smidgen better at transmitting than at receiving.

A wave of sadness poured through me as I listened and watched Carlos deliver his part. And yet, it is clear to me that I will thrive and survive whether or not Carlos is in my life. I have survived the loss of so many people! Perhaps their spirits are still floating around and affecting thoughts, feelings and experiences.

As I danced for an "audience" (2/3rds of the class), I noticed that not everyone was noticing me. I had a moment of, "Hey, I'm giving you my self; don't you want it?" Then I realized that is the way of it, and I let go. So I give and there will be some who receive - perhaps even benefit - from what I have to give. There will be those who don't notice me at all. There will be those who see/hear me and have a negative reaction. My job, my ONLY job is to find my authentic self and be willing to give that to myself. I think of the sun. It stays in its place and gives light and heat. Sometimes it is obscured by clouds and/or rain. Sometimes we hide from it in our little boxes we call home. It just burns on - and on - and on. It doesn't try to be the moon or a waterfall or a monkey. It doesn't "know itself" - it just IS.

Getting ready for the next taping for cable TV.

1. Keep your word: I'll do that
2. Don't take anything personally: Sure
3. Assume nothing: Absolutely
4. Do your best: Ah, time to get back to preparing.

But first, I'll read a blog or two.

Namaste

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Multidimensionality

The last few days have been VERY intense. Blue Belt Nia Teacher Douglas from Vancouver Canada drove in Monday. We both audited White Belt and took classes. I taught Tuesday and Wednesday. Douglas videotaped on Wednesday. I'm curious to see the results.

From talking and talking and talking with him (he's definitely one of my soul brothers) I realize, again, that I am a multidimensional being. This has its advantages and disadvantages. At this point, however, I am choosing to allow that it is my nature (must have some Gemini somewhere. I am also choosing to take the soup and the nuts of it. So there!

For me, one of the high points of Douglas' visit was helping him choose the gift for his lady. He bought her a lovely crystal pendant and chain.

We experienced a lot of Nia. I'm reminded of this extraordinary gift in my life.

Slept for a couple of hours and then awoke to organize and reorganize books and cd's and DVD's and made outrgeious mashed potatoes, did theater exercise assignment and started to review the songs I will be teaching during our JAM on Saturday. Now I'm on the computer to catch up with emails and this Blog.

Life is good - especially with mashed potatoes made from farm fresh organic potatoes, garlic I picked myself, real butter, a dash of cayenne, tumeric and sea salt in my stomach. Who eats mashed potatoes at 4 AM? ME!!

My students, who are all past 60 and then some, and I agree that one of the best things about aging is that we care less and less what others think about us. Freedom!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Carlos Rosas Announces his Retirement from Nia

I posted this as a comment on Jill's blog and realized that I want to put it on mine for others to read. Here 'tis.

I hope you read this, Jill. You expressed so very beautifully what many of us are feeling - our gratitude - our memory of Nia, Carlos and Debbie. Carlos spoke to us who attended his class last evening (Friday, September 18th - the eve of the Jewish New Year). This was not a sudden decision. He will be with us teaching Intensives and classes until December 31, 2010. What came up for me when I read the announcement from Nia was - "Oh my God, how many classes have I missed that I could have gone to?" Is this not a typical reaction? And isn't it cool that I can get myself to more classes during the next months that Carlos will be teaching? Usually when someone leaves, it's fairly sudden and we don't have the opportunity to "make up for lost time." Thank you Carlos, for giving us this long warning of your exit from our lives as one of the Nia mavens. And of course, he is a part of us who have experienced him, as we are each a part of him. We are One.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Busy Times

Well, I got a shock when I saw the DVD of our first show which will be on cable TV. Steve did an excellent job of interviewing. My speaking and demonstration of The Gentle Way to Fitness was decent- could have been tighter. HOWEVER, technically it sucked! The music was much too low, and the camera work was way amateurish. There was no background - just a stark green wall.

What did I expect? Did I expect a professional job to be done by people who are not professionals, who don't have access to the time and equipment it takes to make a slick product?

So here's what I learned. Everything is a mirror. I could have prepared more; I could have expected less; accepted what we did do and allowed it to be just fine. Ego busting. Let go of comparison. Be in the moment. Allow for expansion and growth. We will be taping 8 more shows - 1/2 hour each. Things will be better.

So much to learn! Always more to learn. Biggest lesson for me is to Accept.

God grant me the power to change what I can, accept what I cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference.

Jeremy is putting together some more new music.

Tonight I attended a three hour class in BodyTalk Access. I will attend the second half - also three hours next Tuesday night. Thursday starts my new session of KelmanWorks. Saturday, Vinn Marti is giving a free Soul Motion class. Friday night starts Rosh Hashonah - the Jewish New Year. Next week Elsie Stuhr Senior Center starts classes. I will be teaching two of them - depending on registration. Thank you God-Self for all these extraordinary activities and for the love and beauty permeating All That Is!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Fitness

Fitness is a way of Being. Yes, I meant to capitalize being. Usually, when one says someone is fit, one means that someone is healthy in mind, body, emotions and spirit. The way to be fit is an ongoing journey - many paths. I am convinced that one size fits all, i.e. that there is one right way, is ridiculous. My way to become fit may not suit another. There are SO many paths to the goal of fitness. It's exciting and delightful for me to explore as many of them as I have time.

Fitness of Body:
1. Nutrition - what we ingest - water, food, air
2. Exercise - how we move - how we are still

Fitness of Mind:
1. How we think
2. What we read, listen to, watch

Fitness of Emotion
1. How we choose to react to what is
2. How we express our reactions

Fitness of Spirit
1. Our individual attitude and ideology

Fitness of Soul
That's already perfect. Accept it!

Some of these overall definitions collide and some merge.

How about I ask myself in each moment, "Does this serve me on my journey to fitness?"

Some of what DOESN'T serve me: comparison, self-doubt, belief in limitation, giving in to dumbing down TV and other stimulation, certain foods.

What DOES serve me may or may not serve you. I just finished reading Tom Robbins latest book, In Cognito. It serves me to read anything that man writes!

Just to share - what serves me is an attitude of gratitude. What serves me is opening to love in all its forms.

Reading Vinn Marti's journals (blog the name if you're curious)and what he says about music - yes. Choosing sound serves me. It's all vibration. It's all music. I choose to take it in as energy. Thank you God for giving me a voice that is pleasant to others, that serves as a tool for healing. Well, I could go on and on.

What serves me now is to get outdoors in the sun. Later.

Vinn Marti

Yesterday (Saturday, September 12, 2009 – Cosmic Yellow Human) was an extraordinary experience for me. I attended Vinn Marti's Soul Motion class. During the first part, I was flooded with emotions, memories and realizations. I watched myself thinking and feeling. After our break, I simply danced. One of the many thoughts that crossed my mind is how I hide behind technique. Another thought that crossed my mind is that in some ways I actually prefer being alone, certainly prefer being free of concern about my or anyone’s judgment or opinion.

I’ve been thinking about Vinn and about me since we danced together years ago. Years ago, I was somewhat in awe and afraid of him, considered myself small and insignificant in comparison. I still see him as someone who is an extraordinary and beautiful being with so very much to ignite; but somehow I’m not quite so timid in his presence. It was really really delightful to actually dance with him – something I didn’t dare do in the past. I’m not sure if this is due to my increased confidence or that he is more available to us/me. I was aware that he was communicating energetically a lot. The channels seemed so open.

Jill, I still can't get to your blog! I miss reading your entries.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

It's growing!

I've changed the name at Friendly House from "Nia" to "The Gentle Way to Fitness". Wow. That's a big step.

Today we focused on (among other things)how to take GWF into our lives - showing how we can walk down the street with awareness and do specific things to honor our bodies. The mats weren't available for the floor work, so we did some things in chairs. Whatever we did in class can be taken into our daily living. At the end of class, I asked the students what specific thing they might continue. Several of them liked the idea of walking with their palms facing front - which opens the chest and helps avoid dowager's hump. Others liked the idea of looking out with soft eyes instead of looking at the ground. They were all interested in continuing the chair movements to break up their computer time. The movements taken from "Brain Gym" - an excellent little book will also be quite useful. Oh yes, we spent some time exploring various ways to do turns.

Steve took the class. He tells me that he falls in love with me all over again when he takes one of my classes. Guess I'd best continue.

I'm going to Inda for Nia-India in January to celebrate my 77th birthday!! Whatever it takes, I'm going to do this.

Breathing health. Breathing Joy. Breathing service.

Yes.

Monday, September 7, 2009

First taping

Friday evening we went over to the cable station. We were there from 4:45 to about 9:45 taping two half hour shows - one for The Gentle Way to Fitness and one for Areanne channeling for two people - me and Valerie.

Everything seemed to go quite well. I'll know better when I see the final result.

It was fun to treat myself like a star. I went over to New Season's at 3PM and had my face "done" by Renee. She did a beautiful job - really brought out my eyes. Of course we didn't even try to hide the wrinkles and gray hair. After all, the whole idea is that an elder can still move around like a younger.

*************

Today I watched a couple of clips of Nia on some of my friends' blogs. The people dancing so beautifully were all young - no one looked older than 40 tops - in great shape - mostly women. This is typical of the advertisements for fitness programs. It is disappointing to me that Nia, which claims to be for everyone, is shown in such a limited fashion. I love Nia. I love doing it. I promote it a lot. I send people to the website. I WISH there were more people like myself, older with a less than perfect body, being shown.

Jeremy, my music producer, came up with a GREAT idea. Have a camera follow me as I take The Gentle Way of Movement into my daily life.

I still don't have a videographer/editor here in Portland, OR to work with me on the DVD. HOWEVER, I'm told that after the proper amount of time, I can use the footage from the cable company. That would be awesome!!

I also still don't have any funding for this project. I'm not in the head/heart space to find out how to write a grant or get a promoter. There have been a few seeds planted, but they are not being watered at the moment. Right now the major thing seems to be to develop the actual program. The 15 minute "taste" I presented is an excellent beginning. I awoke Saturday morning realizing what I had done. I love the way SuperConscious realm works with us. I may be more specific another time.

Yesterday we went out to RiverSong near Hood River. The 90 acre sacred land is up for sale. That's an whole other journey!

Life is so speedy these days. At times it's a bit exhausting.

Final bit of personal news..oh yes, this blog is totally a personal sharing...no great insights, lectures or art...just me being me for any of you who find that remotely interesting, amusing or identifying with...and again, if noone but this one (i.e. me) reads this blog, it's enough!

SO - I'm determined to go to India for the Nia at Auroville in January. What a way to celebrate my 77th birthday. I'll be calling Danielle tomorrow specifically because Sabine and Phillipe have advised me to do that when they are with her. Do I have the money in the bank to do this? No. Am I determined to let nothing stand in the way of this intention? Yes. I don't know why I want to do this. I'm letting go of any expectations about it. I just know I will be in India on my birthday - January 13th!! Omigod!

YES!!