Author: Adelle Brownlee Brewer Page 2 of 19

Awareness

 As the word ‘Awareness’ entered my teaching this week, I was once again reminded of the power of being aware of what my body is saying. The power of ‘Awareness’, the principle we teach that has the catch phrase, ‘Paying attention to body sensations.’

When I woke up and looked at my computer, Deepak Chopra spoke to me this morning about Awareness. Powerful sage of our times, his words resonated:

“If you want to change your body, a change in awareness must come first. Awareness is where meaning happens. What you are unaware of won’t change.

If distorted energy is the root of all problems, it can be brought back to its normal, healthy state by accessing our inner intelligence–pure consciousness.


As your awareness changes, your energy changes, and then your body changes. The chain of events moves from the invisible realm to the visible on this path: AWARENESS – ENERGY – BODY

Awareness that is limited by fear, doubt, anger, lack, addiction, insecurity, and judgment is conditioned. Conditioned awareness does not heal the body, it merely repeats the patterns from the past. In everyone there’s a level of awareness that isn’t conditioned or lacking. This is your real self, full awareness which automatically masters.

When You Are Fully Aware:

  • You can center yourself at will
  • You are familiar with a place of peace and silence inside
  • You aren’t divided against yourself by inner conflicts
  • You can transcend local disturbances and remain unaffected by them
  • You see the world from an expanded perspective
  • Your inner world is organized

  • Old conditioning keeps us from being free, because time and again we fall into old patterns that run too deep, while our new behavior, the one we wish we could have, has no groove to follow at all. This state of being trapped in old conditioning creates its own kind of awareness.


  • When Your Awareness Is Conditioned:
  • You can’t find your center, so impulses pull you this way and that
  • You aren’t familiar with a place of peace and silence, so there’s constant restlessness
  • Conflicting impulses fight against each other
  • Local disturbances disturb and distract you
  • You see the world from a contracted perspective
  • Your inner world is totally disorganized

  • There are three ways to break down old conditioning: reflection, contemplation, and meditation. Their power increases in that order. We all tend to use these words interchangeably, but they have separate implications.

  • Reflection — taking a second look at old habits, beliefs, and assumptions.
  • Contemplation — focusing on a thought until it expands as far as it can.
  • Meditation — finding the level of the mind that isn’t conditioned.

  • Consider the best use of these methods for yourself to maximize your access to full and unconditioned awareness.
    The chain of events that ends in the body begins in consciousness. By moving stuck energy, the free flow of consciousness is restored, and that is enough to bring the body back into a healthy state.” ~ Deepak Chopra

    Well…hmmm… today will be a contemplative, meditative day of reflection.

    Sending love your way~~~ Adelle

    Magical, Mysterious, Mystical Column!



    Nia: A lifestyle practice that can be experienced at any age. Nia keeps us flexible, agile, strong and healthy. Nia combines 9 movement forms, 52 moves, 7 cycles, and 5 sensations to create a practice that everyBODY can do forever

    Why do we hesitate? Why do we let days go by without moving, dancing, rolling on the floor?

    Bring your spirit to class this week, and fly with potential and possibilities, as we dance our magical, mysterious, mystical column. Dancing Nia will open the doors to a life of health for this amazing structure that holds our life-force energy.

    Read 9 fascinating facts below about the spine, and I’ll see you in class! 
    My classes this week: Tuesday 6:45am, Wednesday 9:15am, and Fun Friday 5:30 pm

    With deep love, Adelle
      
    1. Both giraffes and humans have seven vertebrae in their necks.
    2. As babies, we have 33 vertebrae but as adults we end up with 26. What happens to the 9 remaining bones? Four of them will fuse to make our tailbone and five fuse to make the back of the pelvis.
    3. The spinal column has 3 very important functions – it supports the body’s weight, provides flexibility for movement, protects nerve roots and fibers and forms a protective surrounding for the spinal cord– the main pathway of communication between the brain and the rest of the body.
    4. The first set of vertebrae (the cervical vertebrae found in the neck) are also called the Atlas. Atlas is a character from Greek mythology who, after losing a fight, was turned to stone and had to carry the weight of the Earth and the Heavens on his shoulders. The cervical vertebrae were also given this name as they carry the weight of the head.
    5. The biggest cause of disability in the working population is attributed to spinal disorders.
    6. The spine contains over 120 muscles, 220 ligaments and over 100 joints.
    7. One quarter of the spine’s length is made up from cartilage.
    8. Since cartilage discs expand in the absence of gravity, astronauts returning from space may be 1.5 to 2 inches taller than when they left. Gravity’s effect on cartilage is also the cause of humans shrinking between a quarter of an inch and five inches every decade after the age of 40. It also means we are generally taller in the morning than at night because of the daily effect of gravity on the body.
    9. The spine is so flexible it can bend far enough to form two thirds of a circle.
    WOW… Magical, Mysterious, Mystical Column… get ready to move it!

    Dream, Imagine, Manifest


    What does it mean to dream? What does it mean to imagine? What does it mean to dream into manifestation?


    When I was a little girl of 4, I dreamed and imagined a place where everyone in the world could come and dance, no matter how old they were. I dreamed that dream into manifestation 40 years later and The Synergy Studio was born. 

    I am one who manifests. One who dreams ideas into manifestation. I love to help others bring their dreams into reality, into being, with divine right action. 

    I have a lot of energy, and its constantly in motion, dreaming the next dream, imagining the next creation, and taking the first step to manifestation. 

    Today is a day of reflection, and today the next two quotes appeared in my in-box. They emboldened me to write. Words are powerful, and attention sets intentions into motion. 

    Energy flows where intention goes… Create your reality!

    With deep love, Adelle
    Yellow Planetary Warrior: 
    I Perfect in order to Question
    Producing Fearlessness
    I seal the output of Intelligence
    with the Planetary tone of Manifestation
    I am guided by the power of Flowering



    Emboldened by Spirit, I pursue my dreams… Daily Word

    Dreams are ideas in the Mind of God. They arise in my heart because I am a spiritual being, always in the process of becoming. As I listen to my heart, I take bold steps toward my vision. To manifest it, I put my thoughts, feeling, and words into action.
    As I pursue my dreams, I feel joy, peace, and freedom. If self-doubt arises, I rekindle my faith and get back on track. I boldly affirm my heart’s desire and proceed one step at a time. As I confidently walk towards my dreams, I am emboldened by Spirit.  

    Aligning Actions and Words… Madisyn Taylor

    Words carry a lot of weight in this world, from how we say them to what we say with them, but it is through our actions that we bring things into being. This is what we mean when we say to one another that actions speak louder than words. In many cases, what we say doesn’t necessarily line up with what we are doing, and it is here that it becomes clear that it’s easier to talk about doing something than it is to actually do something. At the same time, it’s easy to keep doing something that we don’t necessarily acknowledge ourselves doing verbally. It’s good for all of us to take a look every once and a while to make sure there is alignment between what we say and what we do. 

    For example, it’s easy to talk about our dreams, but it takes a lot more energy to take the many small steps that lead to bringing our dreams into reality. If all we ever do is talk about it, we begin to lose faith in ourselves because nothing changes on the external level. In this way, being all talk and no action is actually a form of self-sabotage. It’s also useful to examine our actions to see if, through them, we are following through on our words. For example, in expressing concern about the environment, we can look to make sure that we are taking the simple steps we can take to put that concern into action. 

    It’s always helpful to observe what we talk about and who we say we are, and then to observe what we actually do in the world. Sometimes we realize our actions haven’t caught up with what we are saying, and at other times we see that we might change our words in a way that it will more adequately reflect what we do in the world. Either way, the more we align our words and our deeds, the clearer we are in expressing our truth in the world, and the more powerful we are in bringing it into reality. 




    Activating the Core to Activate the Breath!

    Hello friends!
    We had an amazing weekend for the launch of Movement and Breath® at the studio. Friday evening, 10 people joined us for the evening breathing session, and Saturday and Sunday, we had 8 who traveled from Austin, Dripping Springs, Laredo, and Boulder, CO.! It was magical, and I am in deep gratitude for everyone’s support. 
    I will be offering the next Movement and Breath® at the studio on a weekend in late March or early April. I will let you know when the date is set, so you can join us! I will also be traveling and teaching this very fun breath weekend. 🙂
    I look forward to teaching all my classes this week, and can’t wait to see you in class. After a weekend of learning how the activation of the core helps to deepen the breath, I am inspired to focus on Nia Principle #8: Core. 
    The pelvis, chest and head make up the Core of our body, where we contain, exchange, and direct the flow of energy.  In Nia, we incorporate movement of the pelvis, chest and head with pelvic circles, hip bumps, chest isolations, undulations, spinal rolls, shimmies and head and eye movements.  By incorporating all these movements, we keep our spine strong and healthy, and energy flowing through all seven chakras that are located along our mystic column.

    As Nia reveals, one of the most beautiful things about living in a body is our ability to find healing and realignment through movement. By paying attention to the way we hold and use our three body weights, we can identify areas that need adjusting and make conscious “tweaks” to re-establish balance, alignment and power.
     
    Join me in class this week as we move, shake, circle, undulate and realign, focusing on Principle #8, The Core of the Body. Unlimited 
    opportunities to strengthen the spine, let energy flow, and find balance in the Year of Possibilities!

    Dancing into a glorious week, Adelle

    My classes: Tuesday 6:45 am, Wednesday 9:15 am, Fun Friday 5:30 pm, and Sunday 4:00pm at The Synergy Studio!

    New Year on the Horizon! Celebrate!

    Happy December 28th!
    Friends, I hope you will be joining us for our 8th Annual New Year’s Day Ceremonial Celebration! I guarantee a wonderful kick-off to our new year. We listen to the beautiful Hang, played by the talented David Montalvo, while relaxing and setting our intentions. Then we write our 2015 intentions on flash paper and send them to the ethers(!!!), and THEN break into drumming and dancing and celebration! OH YES… FUN is in the air. 
    It is 20/per person if you sign up in advance online, or 25 at the door. Chick here to sign up, and go to ‘workshops and events.’
    We will be dancing this week in FUN celebration of the upcoming Year of Possibilities, so I hope you will join me Tuesday morning at 6:45 am, Wednesday morning at 9:15 am, Friday at 5:30 pm, and next Sunday at 4:00. We close at noon on New Year’s Eve and are closed New Year’s Day. 
    Can you feel my excitement oozing through this email?!
    See you very soon!
    Adelle

    Mark Your Calendars…
    January 1st, 2015, New Year’s Day

    Our Annual Celebration with David and Cameron Montalvo!

    Our 8th year to celebrate!
    This event has become one not to be missed!

    David Montalvo: Hang and Drums
    Cameron Montalvo: Drums and Percussion

    Our special New Year’s Day Ceremonial Celebration! We have sold out every year, so don’t miss this opportunity to clear out the old, set intentions for 2015, enjoy the beautiful music of these talented musicians, and have a rocking good time as we drum and dance into the New Year!
    Date: January 1st, 2015

    Time: 2:00 pm

    Cost: $20.00 per person

    $25 at the door


    Adelle Brownlee Brewer
    Owner, The Synergy StudioNia 1st Degree Black Belt Somatic Educator + Trainer
    Transformational Breath® Facilitator + Trainer 

    Certified JourneyDance™ Facilitator
    www.transformationalbreath.com
    www.journeydance.com/adellebrewer

    Considering taking the Nia White belt intensive?  
    Whether you want to teach Nia or take Nia for personal growth, it is an amazing experience!
    Check out my trainings: www.nianow.com/adelle




    12 Hours, 5 Babies, 1 Incredible Mother

    and more…
    8 loads of laundry
    6 cups of Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream
    3 bowls of buttermilk
    2 alert and curious Grandparents
    5 hours of sleep and 1 exhausted owner



    My precious Bella delivered 5 healthy babies last night and early this morning. It was an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful that I was present to help, as Bella might not have made it. My niece Lauren was here helping me, and 5 BIG babies later, everyone is fine!


    Labor started at 3:00pm yesterday, and after many calls to the vet and others, we were just about to take her to the emergency clinic when little legs appeared at 7:00 pm. After many pushes, the baby was stuck around its mid-section, and we knew we had minutes to get it out. Wash rag, gentle pulling and then the baby went limp. We talked through the reality of a still-born and continued to help her by pulling. The baby finally came out and yes, he was limp. I shook and rubbed and opened its mouth and a miracle… a breath! 

    Lauren left to get a suction cup for its nose, and by the time she returned the baby was wiggling, squealing and nursing. 🙂
    Baby #2, also a boy, was delivered in a similar way an hour later. Realizing he was also breech and stuck, we gently pulled until he came out, talking the entire time to one another to keep us from panicking. Two healthy, three to go.
    Our only little girl baby was born an hour and a half later, and without any complications. Whew!

    At 10:30, Lauren went home as I assured her I could do it by myself. I made a pallet on the floor, next to the whelping box, so I would know if Bella got up. I was so exhausted that I didn’t feel her crawl over me.

    At 12:30pm, I awakened to a puppy shriek coming from the other side of the house. As I sat up, Bella appeared with her baby boy in her mouth. She deposited him in front of me, and crawled in the box. After making sure he was breathing, and all was ok, Baby #4 snuggled with his siblings and nursed mom. *He is the Chocolate PieBald on right.



    Back asleep exhausted, this time I felt Bella crawl over me at 2:30 am. I followed her into the back yard, as she ran around twice and then back into the kitchen. High-pitched noises cut the air as she began pushing again. I picked her up, and we went back into my office with the other puppies. On the way, Baby #5 made a head first grand entrance. He was delivered in my lap, and little Bella was so exhausted that she didn’t attempt to open the sack so he could breathe. 

    Nurse Adelle 🙂 flew back into action and two minutes later, after breaking the sac, and tying/cutting the umbilical cord, I handed her last baby to her to lick and help clear his lungs. She then fell fast asleep, while he nursed, and I sat up nodding off… because they were in my lap. 🙂



    Fifteen minutes later, after changing the bedding, I deposited babe, and mom into the box with the other babies, and went off to do my 8th load of ‘middle of the night’ laundry :)))
    I slept next to Bella and the babies on my pallet, listening to the cooing, squealing, and sucking until 6:30 am.

    We have 4 boys and 1 girl. All Piebald Dachshunds, and all healthy. :)))) 


    Meanwhile…. Grandparents Link and Lilly stayed up all night on my bed, watching the comings and goings. They were guarding for any intruders. This morning they are still there… look closely at the first pic. They blend in!


    Link, Grandpappy… not too sure about all this. 


    Lilly, Grandmama… this is old hat. 


    Coffee and comfy pillows, I’m sending pics and face-timing people from all over with the news.

    We are so blessed… Onward!
    Sending love your way, Adelle

    Update two days later… babies doing wonderful, Uncle Austin and Aunt Emily come for a short visit!




    Sacred Body. Sacred Sound. Sacred Silence.



    Sacred: dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose or person.*American Heritage dictionary

    Sacred is a special word in the English language. It is descended from the Latin word sacrum, which referred to the gods or anything within their power. It also refers to the base of your spine, those beautiful fused bones that turn in, creating a hand that supports you from underneath and behind. Amazing… the human body… a sacred vessel of life.

    In Nia, we use the word ‘sacred’ when we talk about our lives, our body, our breath, our voice… devoted to us, our health, our well-being. We are Sacred Athletes.

    Our body is also our sanctuary, our oldest friend, a deep and sacred connection that unites our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual ‘selves’ into one place… one Sanctuary. 

    Every year, I save a very special routine for this season. A sacred time of year to celebrate the old, the new, family and friends. The routine? Sanctuary. 

    Sanctuary is a old routine originally choreographed by Nia founder Debbie Rosas. Through the many years of teaching it, I have made it my own. My favorite way to teach Sanctuary is by incorporating the sacred silence of my voice, listening for the sacred sound of my breath, the music, and my fellow dancers of life. I am adding candlelight this year, (great for 6:45am!) and with the pending rain at the end of the week, the classes will be extra special. 

    Join me as we celebrate this sacred season with Sanctuary. I will be teaching this until Christmas Eve. As many of you know, every time the dance is different. We will dance with the triad Sacred Body, Sacred Sound, Sacred Silence.

    I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation for you and the abundance of your spirit. We are an amazing community of friends, healers, lovers of life and givers of light. You have enriched my life in so many ways and I am forever blessed. Thank you!

    My classes for the coming days…
    Tuesday 6:45am, Wednesday 9:15am, Friday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:00, Tuesday, Dec 23 6:45am, and Wednesday, Dec 24 9:15am, all at The Synergy Studio

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyBody!
    Adelle

    The music of Adeimus: Sanctuary:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX__4aHwYzM

    Lengthen, Strengthen, Open and Release!

    Happy Wonderful Holiday Weather!

    In the midst of the holiday excitement, do you sense your body’s need to lengthen, strengthen, open, release and relax?

    The psoas is a large muscle, with a length of up to 16 inches, that attaches to the bottom of the thoracic spine and travels along the lumbar spine, then runs through the pelvic bowl, down over the front of the hip joint, and attaches at the top of the femur. It is the only muscle connecting the spine to the leg. 

    Our psoas muscle is magical in the way it supports us standing, walking and running, and when healthy and relaxed, allows the diaphragm to function with ease and grace….and we can breathe to our full potential.  The psoasprovides us with mobility and core stability, and it affects the ability of our legs and spine to move freely.  

    Our psoas muscle is considered the most important muscle of our body and the muscle for most people that needs awakening and lengthening!

    Look around you in life and at work, and notice people’s posture.  Much of the contraction in our psoas occurs due to our use of technology, hovering over our laptops, driving hunched over the steering wheel, walking with our head looking down….the list goes on and on.    

    In Nia, we move the body organically in ways that support the conditioning and lengthening of our psoas muscle.  When we move through the planes of our body (high, middle and low) we are opening and closing the front of our groin, contracting and expanding our psoas muscle.  When we roll on the floor “embryonic like” we are spiraling our psoasmuscle.  When we engage our chest with chest isolations, we are mobilizing and vibrating our psoas  (***it attaches to our thoracic and lumbar spine).  When we use toes in, out and parallel, and express with our arms and hands, we are conditioning our psoas muscle.  Nia awakens our psoas, and can potentially release stress in our body!  

    Guess what?! Nia heals and conditions every part of our body…YEAH FOR NIA!

    I’ll see you on the dance floor this week, dancing and conditioning our Psoas!

    Love you all, Adelle
    My classes this week: Tuesday 6:45am, Wednesday 9:15am, Friday 5:30pm


    I Join in the Glorious Dance of Life!

    Sunlight sparkles across a blue lake. Shadows play across a wall. Winds rustle through evergreen forests. Even the busy city streets have a steady flow about them. All of life is a dance, a perfect choreography of Spirit.
    With joy and delight, I step in the beautiful flow of creation. As I turn my attention to the indwelling Spirit, I sense the underlying rhythm of all living things. It is in my own breath and my own heart.
    When this tempo changes on the outside, I stay attuned to my inner music­—my divine guidance. I whirl and jump through twists and turns with seamless grace. In sync with Spirit, I play my unique part in the dance of Life.

    Touch… a sensation that feels sooo good!




    Good morning my friends!

    As I was resting on the sofa yesterday, all three of my puppies were cuddled around me, in my lap, on my shoulders… all within hand’s reach for their favorite sensation, touching. They love to be close to one another in a puppy pile, close to my body, and also loving the sensation of my hand stroking their ears, their fur, their bellies. Ahhh…. Touch… my favorite ’52 Move’ of Nia. 

    Touch… touching… a sensation that is available to us all the time. While it can involve the hands, there is so much more to the power of Touch. When we recognize that we are touching and being touched with our words, our voice, our eyes, our skin… our body comes alive with sensation. 

    Touch is necessary for our survival, as we are mammals, and just observing animals will give us the answer to a vital part of our health and wellness. Hugging feels sooo good.



    Wrap your arms around to your back right now and give yourself a hug… notice all the ways you are being touched… hands, skin, heart, breath, muscles, bones, emotion… the list goes on.

    We will focus on the Power of Touch this week, waking up to the many ways that we touch and are touched. 

    Step in… sense your feet touching the earth… and join me on the dance floor!
    With love, Adelle

    My classes this week: Monday 5:30 (subbing for Joanie), Tuesday 6:45am, Wednesday 9:15am, Friday 5:30pm, and Sunday 4:00pm

    ***Read a note from Debbie Rosas on the Power of Touch.



    Adelle Brownlee Brewer
    Owner, The Synergy Studio
    Nia 1st Degree Black Belt Somatic Educator + Trainer
    Certified Transformational Breath® Facilitator + Trainer 

    Certified JourneyDance™ Facilitator

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