I have a box of journals. When I stack the journals on top of each other they reach my hip. I have always been a journal writer. Not necessarily an every-day writer, more like when the spirit moves me.

Last week I was doing one of my search and recovery missions. I search through my journals to recover parts of myself. I return to my earliest writings to see: what were my dreams, my desires before the responsibilites of adulthood crept in. The more I read the more I see the consistency among the years. And it is comforting to me.

Purely by accident, I stumbled upon journal entries from my white belt Nia training. The first page of the journal (I always love starting a new adventure with a fresh, white lined journal), is dated 11/29/1996 and I'm starting my Nia journey the next day.

As I read these the next several pages, I am moved to tears. I still am as I type this. These few pages document the beginning of a new way of seeing myself, knowing myself and finding a new type of Joy in my body. On that day of writing I had no idea that 13 years later I would still be in love with this body of work--Nia. This love has outlasted boyfriends and one husband. It's outlasted job-changes. It has supported me through the transformation into motherhood and through divorce.  The journal writings document where I was and help me receive where I have travelled.

I am looking forward to sharing these intimate writings with you as I celebrate my 13th year. So stay tuned. I'll be writing them in a daily post on their 13th anniversary.

 Love, Jill

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Last night was our first study group using the book "Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts" by Regina Thomashauer. And boy did we get off to a saucy start. I'd like to use the blog forum to leave some notes and also to invite you to join us for the remaining two classes (Thursday, 8pm PST Sept. 30th and October 7)

 Topic One: Pleasure

"Pleasure gives us clarity, it refreshes us and rejuvenates, it keeps us ahead of the curve" writes Mama Gena. 

Did you know there is a word-"anhedonia"- which literally mean without pleasure. And too many of us are living our American lives like this "having loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all usual activities and pastimes".  Have you given up on fun?

Mama goes on to teach us that in order to give pleasure we must know pleasure (a quote from the movie Dangerous Beauty). So how do we connect to pleasure? We simply, yet not necessarily easily, ask ourselves if we are in a state of pleasure. Are we obligating ourselves? Did we start in a state of pleasure but then obligate ourselves to the point of misery. I gave an example of housecleaning. Usually when I start cleaning, I am excited to get it done. I am looking forward to doing it b/c I like the result. About half way through, the sensation of fun is gone and I begin moving towards displeasure and downright grumpy bitterness. So do you have times when you ignore the sensation of displeasure coming...blow through it and end up putting yourself in a sour mood over it? Is the activity really that important? And is there a way to maybe take a break and boost our pleasure up before returning to less fun activity.

 Nia Co-Creator, Debbie Rosas has always inspired me. And she has always had a beautiful poetic way with words. This article came out in the Nia Natural Time News, the Headquarters newsletter. You can sign up for it here. It's a beautiful reminder for me that I have a Sacred Livelihood and my purpose is to guide, lift and inspire others towards self-acceptance and personal celebration. Here's Debbie's touching and thoughtful article in it entirety. With Love, Jill

What's It All About
by Debbie Rosas

We are having a revolution: The Revolution of Self. This is an apex in our evolution, a revolution of culture and consciousness. I believe this could be one of the most significant apexes of our collective evolution since the industrial revolution.

Recent events have shaken us to our core, allowing us (and forcing some of us) to reflect and refocus. All over the world, people are reevaluating their values and their relationship with self and community. As a result, there is a new consciousness emerging in and around us. It is an energy wave touching and affecting everything we do, a measurable wave of change and transformation offering us a new vision and purpose for humanity. I feel this energy in my core; I feel it deep in my cells. It's as if there is a new kind of power and beauty stirring the creation of a sacred body, a sacred life, a sacred business, a sacred lifestyle for our children, family, community and selves to benefit in ways we cannot even imagine. It is an energy inviting us to ask, "What matters to me? Where do I find my purpose? What inspires me to get up everyday and do what I do?"

Welcome to Week #9 of NiaDivas' Nia Summer Groovin'! 

August 29, 2009
The last week of Nia Summer Groovin'!

Feeling the length and breadth of the Alexander Technique?  By now, you're undoubtedly feeling the variety of movements that energize Nia.  How does that feel?  What are some words and images that come to mind? 

Continuing on our body journey, with week #9, our last week of Nia Summer Groovin'!, we highlight the healing art of yoga in everyday life, Wrist Joint and Hand Arm X-ray Anatomy, and the Creepy Crawlers FitTip.  

Onward!

Yoga--The Conscious Dance of Alignment