Cross-Training Body Mind Emotions Spirit | Rachael R. Resch

As part of my Nia Next Generation Trainer (NGT) training, I have an assignment to adapt the choreography of an existing Nia routine to new music.  I chose the routine Canta, by Nia co-founder Carlos AyaRosas.  You can listen to the original music of Canta here. My adapted Canta routine is called Oasis.  Oasis because [...]

[Read more →]

Thanksgiving 2010 Today I am grateful for my body and for life.  Thank you, body.  Thank you, life. Thank you, body, for your innate wisdom, your brilliant body know-how, your splendid, spirally, multi-tasking intelligences, that always know where and  when and how to go, in the best, in the most difficult and in regular, everyday circumstances. [...]

[Read more →]

Today, at the end of class, we listened to “A Good Day,” the words of Brother David Steindl-Rast, the 84-year old Benedectine monk who, in 1965, was sent  by his abbot to pursue Christian-Buddhist dialogue. You can read more about Brother David here and his connection with many spiritual traditions working for peace. Brother David [...]

[Read more →]

“Kindness” was the focus of class on Tuesday. In Nia, once we set the focus, we step into the practice.  We can step into kindness again and again as our practice.  Kindness is always present.  The body is your cocoon of kindness.  Kindness is inside the body.  The body’s own kind.  Your kind of kindness. [...]

[Read more →]

My body is exquisite.  This was the focus of Thursday’s Nia practice, chosen at random. Your body is exquisite. Your body is exquisite all the time — not just when you feel good, happy, in love, healthy, look a certain way or are successful.  Your body is exquisite all the time.  Your body is exquisite [...]

[Read more →]

The focus of today’s class was Nia Principle #13: Dancing What You Sense. When we experience the essential lesson of Nia — that life is lived through sensation — we become connected, connected to the body, connected to our lives, connected to the world, and connected to the moment and to the great presence that [...]

[Read more →]

The focus of today’s class was “Acceptance.” As promised, here is the etymology of acceptance: Latin accipere, to receive From ad + capere ad, toward, near, to add capere, to take, to capture “Receive” is from the same Latin root, recipere, from re + capere, to take again. We can take in the moment again and [...]

[Read more →]

April is National Poetry Month, and today, April 29th, is Poem In Your Pocket Day.  In honor of this, each student chose a poem at random from the basket.  Our focus for class was the cross-pollination of the first line of each person’s poem, read aloud: Wage peace with your breath. The same stream of [...]

[Read more →]

For the last two weeks, we have been engaged in “Passion: The Practice of Form and Freedom.” During week one — The Practice of Freedom — we have danced to the music of the Nia routine Passion, using Nia’s eight stages of FreeDance. During week two — The Practice of Form , starting on Thursday, February [...]

[Read more →]

The focus of today’s Nia practice, chosen at random from the basket of cards, was “Loving Movement.” Loving movement – as in “I love to move!” Loving movement – as in a gesture of love or an offering to a person or to the Holy. Loving movement – as in a chapter, an episode, a [...]

[Read more →]