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

What if we heard the voices of each thing singing, “I am alive”? As I begin to engage in the world a little more each day, I feel the vexing return of the hurried, fight or flight culture in my body.  I notice this because I notice I’m holding my breath. I’m holding my breath, [...]

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Yesterday I went to Nia for the first time in three and half weeks!  (Who’s counting?)  Woohoo! I took the first 15 minutes of Judy Newton’s class that she was teaching for me at The DanceSpace. It was astonishingly beautiful to see all the big hearts shining out through people’s faces as I entered the [...]

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Why did the universe kick my ass? It matters and it matters not. The mind, in its constant seeking motions, naturally wants to know why.  Let the mind move, look, see, be curious.  But also consent to what is. These are some reflections.  None is the answer.  The mystery — and the response to the mystery [...]

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I’m very happy to report I’m now medically stable.  What a relief.  I’m no longer afraid to sleep for fear of not being able to breathe.  Yesterday, I spent the whole day out of bed!  I can talk now, but I sound like a funny, chipmunkish, Marlon Brando-esque squeaky frog. Last night, I was awake [...]

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Nia student Isabelle Alzado wrote me a few days ago and made this request: “I love you and ask you to take your turn to listen to your body – the way Nia  shows us – the way you show us [to say], ‘Body . . .’” So at Isabelle’s request, every night, as I [...]

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Every Nia class has a focus.  The focus of today’s class was “Beginner’s Mind,” inspired by Nia co-creator Debbie Rosas’ recent telecourse on that topic.  (You can listen to a recording of Debbie’s telecourse at www.nianow.com/telecourses.) In his classic book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Suzuki-roshi tells us, “If your mind is empty, it is always [...]

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“Judge not thy precious self.” These words have been my guide over the last two weeks.   They were chosen at random from the focus basket for the last Nia class I taught before my recent trip to New Mexico with my husband to study with our teacher, Martín Prechtel, at his school, Bolad’s Kitchen. These words became [...]

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Eternity He  who binds to himself a joy Does the winged life destroy. But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity’s sun rise. – William Blake (1757-1827) 

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Red Brocade The Arabs used to say, When a stranger appears at your door, feed him for three days before asking who he is, where he’s come from, where he’s headed. That way, he’ll have strength enough to answer. Or, by then you’ll be such good friends you don’t care. Let’s go back to that. [...]

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The class focus on Saturday, chosen at random from the basket of focii, was “Daily Connection With the Earth.” What is the sensation in your body when you hear and feel these words? My teacher, Robert Bly, taught me how to spontaneously tweak the language in a poem I am reading according to the promise [...]

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