As many of you know, last Thursday evening Joanie and I started a Nia White Belt Intensive.  We have 4 wonderful and enthusiastic trainees, 2 from our San Antonio Nia Community, one from our sister city Laredo, and another from our sister state Oklahoma.  This Nia intensive is a split weekend, and together we dove deep into the first eight principles of the Nia White Belt.

The Nia practice is deep and rich….I love this work!! We continue with the intensive on Friday morning with Principle # 9, The Upper Extremities, our arms, hands and fingers…Creative Arm and Hand Expression. 

Thank you Joanie for our shared focus this week :)…
Expressing ourselves with our upper extremities is a natural part of living in a human body—we do it all the time! Our arms, hands and fingers express joy, pain and pleasure; intimacy, protection and excitement. 

They are truly the messengers of our heart.

When we are hurt, our hands reach for our injuries. When we are deeply moved, our hands reach toward our hearts. When we are excited by our achievements, our arms burst up to the sky, toward unlimited possibility. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are always communicating our thoughts, feelings and emotions through the movement of our upper extremities. 
Tuning into your upper extremities—your arms, hands and fingers—allows you to tap into your full range movement and expression, naturally healing and conditioning your body by simply interacting with the world. This is The Body’s Way, and 18 of Nia’s 52 moves are dedicated to these lovely body parts.  They add so much to our dance!!!  All of a sudden a bow stance is your dance in flight as you imagine your arms as beautiful white wings of light; a heal lead is an opportunity to paint the space around you with your fingers; and stepping onto the ball of your foot is a determined reach toward your dreams with your hands!  
Right NOW give yourself a hug and receive the healing touch of your hands on your skin.  I then invite you to give that hug to someone and allow them to sense your healing touch.  It might be the best gift they have ever received!

So this week as we prepare and step back into the Nia White Belt intensive, we will focus on Principle #9 of the Nia White Belt – Creative Arm and Hand Expressions, in my Tuesday and Wednesday classes.  As you Dance Through Life pay attention to the movements and sensations of your upper extremities throughout your day.
– Notice how you use your arms and hands to express your thoughts and feelings in every environment.
– As you walk, allow your arms to swing freely with relaxed shoulder joints.
– As you work at the computer, set reminders throughout the day to notice the sensations in your neck and shoulders. Then, consciously relax the muscles of your neck, shoulders and upper back as you type.  Use Creepy Crawlers to stimulate movement of your joints in your hands.
– When you finish working for the day, practice Palm Directions to release your shoulder joints and stretch the front of your chest.
– To release tension and stretch your hands, integrate Webbed Spaces into various activities in your day, such as when walking from your car to the store, as you wait in line, etc.

I love this work…see you in class!