Adelle Brownlee Brewer

Nia Friends,
Last week, we focused on two stages of FreeDance… Feelings & Emotions and The Real You… a fun segue into our focus for this week: Listening to yourSelf and Your Body’s Way, so you can feed your body what it needs.
In Nia, we talk about Your Body’s Way and The Body’s Way. The body loves yin and yang energy, mobility and stability, and is balanced in its design. The body also thrives on dynamic ease. All of these principles of the body’s way can be applied to Your Body’s Way by listening with your intuitive voice and eye, asking your body what it needs and desires.
Does your body want to release a pent-up emotion, self-heal a pain, sing with joy, move with more flexibility and strength?
By listening to our body, we can feed it just the right medicine for health and wellness. Our body knows… it is our oldest friend. Our wisest guide.
I was inspired by an email I received today from dailyom. Read below and come dance with me this week!
Love in abunDance!
Adelle

Think back to how you viewed the world when you were younger. What were your thoughts on happiness, love, and injustice? Think about how you would have reacted to a dilemma you are currently facing. The perspective may shed a different light on relationships, money matters, or life decisions. Likewise, think about the person you will become. A more mature version of you might mull a problem or conflict over carefully before taking action right away… or perhaps not. Maybe your older self would be more willing to take risks, care less about what other people think, and want to enjoy life more.

You can even set up an advisory panel of your past, present, and future selves. You might even want to try to have a written dialogue with your selves to record the thoughts, feelings, and advice that your younger and older selves might have for your present self regarding a current situation. Your different selves can give you some invaluable answers. After all, no one can know you better than your selves. You are your wisest guide .

—

Adelle Brownlee Brewer
Owner, The Synergy Studio, Nia Black Belt Instructor;
Nia 5 Stages Instructor; Professional Fiber Artist
San Antonio, Texas
www.thesynergystudio.com
www.niasanantonio.com
www.nianow.com
www.nianow.com/adelle-brewer

Although we cannot taste, smell, or see music, we can perceive its presence as vibration and resonance through our skin, bones and organs. Reflect on what you observe to be the most important skill to develop for receiving the healing benefits and the power of sound…

I was blessed growing up in a house of music. My father was a natural, playing the piano, guitar, and singing without ever taking a lesson. My mother sang and danced by his side. Sound, vibration and movement surrounded me from my earliest childhood memories.

We used to gather at my ranch house near Burnet, Texas, with dozens of relatives. Every vacation and holiday was a celebration of singing, dancing and gaiety. My primary home in Oklahoma was also filled with music. I can’t remember a day when song did not pervade the space of every room. I have vivid memories of helping my dad install speakers in the walls, and then setting up our extensive stereo system together. He taught me how to edit, listen for changes, record, and fall in love with the gift of music. I held deep appreciation for all types of genres from the time I was a little girl, sitting on my father’s lap singing at the top of my lungs.

Dance was always present. My father would put on music and away we would go… whirling and swaying to the rhythms. If I didn’t have a partner, I still danced every night, surrounded by music and without criticism for my joy of movement.

I was very fortunate to have supportive parents who relished in my love of music, movement and magic, and I passed this on to my own four children. In utero, they listened not only to the natural rhythms of my heart, lungs and voice, but also to the music that was always present in my environment. Music has played almost non-stop in my house since they were born, filling the space with vibration, resonance, and ambiance. My four now grown children all danced in my womb, as I moved and taught through all four pregnancies. They all pursued music in different ways… percussion, saxophone, flute, guitar, piano, trumpet… and all have a great appreciation for music genres of many decades.

What is the most important skill to develop for receiving the healing benefits and the power of sound?
No skill needed… just encouragement and acceptance… every cell in the body is a sound receptor. All we have to do is be open to receive. It is through the natural encoded art of listening and receiving that we gain from the healing benefits and power of sound.

In Nia, we access many tools that use sound, and vibration to enhance our ability in delivering the Nia Music, Movement, and Magic promise. The art of listening, authentic movement, coding bars, cueing between 3 & 6, class format, form and freedom, the power of three, emotional energy, choice and manifestation, the power of silence and sound…studying the nuances of the instruments as they come and go. Dancing to the music ultimately becomes the avenue for delivering the promise.

As Ted Andrews writes in Sacred Sounds, all ancient societies “taught that rhythm could effect changes in physical states, melody could effect changes in emotional and mental states and harmony was capable of lifting the consciousness to spiritual awareness. Chants, mantras, prayers, songs, stories, music and speech must employ rhythm, melody and harmony to achieve union of body, mind, and spirit.”

Yes! This turns me on… the more I discover, the more I want to explore as a sensation scientist. The more I’m exposed to different genres of music, and different vibrations, the more open I become to the healing power of sound… singing, chanting, voicing, dancing to the natural rhythms encoded in my body… its all there. I’m ready to dive even deeper!

Hello beautiful friends and lovers of movement…
The studio has two events coming up that I want to bring to your attention, and tell you a little more about their importance and significance.
The first weekend in May, we are bringing Michael Molin-Skelton from California to the studio. Michael is an amazing person, beautiful mover, and gentle soul. Michael along with his partner Anneli, have developed a movement practice called SpiritWeaves. It is the ‘spirit child’ of the 5Rhythms and Soul Motion, both worldwide movement forms like Nia. Everyone who comes in contact with Michael falls in love with him, SpiritWeaves, and the opportunity to go deeper in the natural rhythms and cadences of their body. He is a wonderful facilitator and healer.
I had the opportunity to spend last weekend with another master of the 5Rhythms, Adam Barley, and it was transformational. With my love and passion for Nia over the last 12 years, I have sensed an opening to go deeper in the meditative qualities of dance, the emotional avenues that movement opens, and the connection to the spirit/soul in us all. The 5Rhythms, Soul Motion, SpiritWeaves, and other modalities are inspiring me.
I encourage everyBody to come to the weekend workshop with Michael. I have copied more info below and its under ‘workshops’ on the schedule page of the studio website, www.thesynergystudio.com. I’m offering a ‘friday night only’ opportunity if you cannot attend the entire weekend. It will be a weekend not to be missed… it is the first time that Michael has come to San Antonio, and we are blessed he has chosen to visit The Synergy Studio. I have more masters in Soul Motion, 5Rhythms and others planned… Michael is the first, and we are blessed to start with one of the shining stars. Please take this opportunity to go deeper in your practice of freedance, freedom, and the dance of your spirit.
The second event on the horizon is also near to my heart… the last Nia White Belt Intensive that Holly Curtis Nastasi will teach here in San Antonio. Both Joanie and I will be co-teaching this belt with her, in anticipation of ‘graduating’ to full trainers ourselves. Starting in 2012, Joanie and I will co-train White Belt Intensives at the studio!
Holly’s last White Belt will be June 10-16th. You can sign up online with a $500. deposit at www.nianow.com.
Holly is one of the three top trainers in the Nia world. For those of you who have taken the White Belt with her, or taken her class, you know her ability to deliver the work. She is one of my main mentors and models. Being her last White Belt in San Antonio will be an amazing experience for everyone.
The White Belt Intensive is a week-long experience for everyBody. It is life-transforming, as it focuses on the body, your body, and the 13 Principles of Nia. Not only for those who desire to teach, the White Belt is for personal growth… and in fact, 70% who go through the training worldwide sign up for personal growth reasons. Spending a week immersed in learning about one’s body is a week that ripples on for a lifetime… our body is our oldest friend, and one who is with us every moment of our lives.
Yes, I am a passionate person… and I believe that we are all evolving and healing. I am very passionate about Nia as well as other movement forms that heal and keep our body, mind and soul strong and full of life.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to bring these masters to you through The Synergy Studio.
I feel so fortunate to have such a supportive community who continues to spread the word of healing, light, and love to San Antonio and the world. The world needs us now… more than ever before… shine on dear friends.
Read more below about Michael, SpiritWeaves, the White Belt… and click on these links SpiritWeaves, 5Rhythms, and Soul Motion to get a taste of the magic to come! (note the April 20th date for discount on SpiritWeaves)
With love, joy, and dance in my heart,
Adelle

Adelle Brownlee Brewer
Owner, The Synergy Studio, Nia Black Belt Instructor;
Nia 5 Stages Instructor; Professional Fiber Artist
San Antonio, Texas
www.thesynergystudio.com
www.niasanantonio.com
www.nianow.com
www.nianow.com/adelle-brewer

sanctuary… 5rhythms ® and soul motion™ with michael molin-skelton

the human portrait is a prayer rising and falling on the current of our breath each movement a revelation, an emerging dance given shape by the threads of spirit woven in this moment

our journey begins with one step, are you willing? willing to listen within and trust the soft voice of soul calling you back home. to step into the life waiting for you to enter. a refuge of self. as we journey we invite you to dance together the disparate parts of our self, to dance the gap between our self and others. to dance in the grace that we belong, to dance.
in this workshop using the awakening energy of the 5 rhythms as a catalyst and the hallowed ground of soul motion as a container we will move to unveil and unmask the unique and sacred expression of our own dance. a facilitated inquiry into embodied consciousness through movement using the practices of the 5 rhythms and soul motion, we will use movement exercises (solo, dyads, witness circles, etc.) from both of these practices and ritual (prayer made visible) as a vehicle for self-discovery, self-exploration and self-expression. in this workshop our focus is on cultivating and embodying our own worthiness, embracing our flaws and our awes to help us wake up out of our habitual patterns as we experiment with ourselves and with each other in this awkward and magnificent journey at the edge of possibility. we will create our own sanctuary through the breathing beating temples of our bodies as we navigate this mystery we call life.

Mary Oliver writes, “one day you finally knew what you had to do, and began” come begin again.

about michael and anneli molten-skelton…

“amazing. michael and anneli hold space in a matter that allowed me to be myself in my entirety. I felt more at home in this workshop than I do in my daily life. anneli & michael are very special leaders and i am grateful that they have entered into my life.” rachel jordana horodezky

“michael and anneli created a magical container of love, trust, safety, playfulness, reverence and joy. working together seamlessly, they offered the totality of themselves to facilitate our connection with the totalilty of ourselves. it was a space of healing and deep encounters. much gratitude and love to you both.” jan berlin

more about spiritweaves ™ ..

spiritweaves ™ is a movement inspiration extended to all with an impulse to pray in motion to dance devotion. it is a movement invitation extended to all with a desire to listen to their own voice to dance the truth; your choice.
spiritweaves ™ is a dance of improvisation guided through the lens of your attention and married to the fire of your intention. when woven together we are free to do the dances of twisting not resisting rolling rather than controlling unwinding and unbinding unraveling as we are traveling wandering together into the center of who we are.
spiritweaves ™ is a movement liberation extended to all who are willing to answer their own calling. a movement revelation unmasking the mystery and magic of our own dance. we will assist, stir, incite, invite and inspire the dance to be awakened into and throughout our lives breath, weight, shape, pause, repetition, silence and witnessing are some of the tools we will employ to engage and enhance you as a creative event, always unfolding. emerge and see what breaks through as spiritweaves ™
spiritweaves ™ is a prayer in progress constantly being birthed out of the 5 rhythms® and soul motion ™.

Dates: Friday, May 6th-Sunday May 8th
Friday 7:00-9:00 pm
Saturday 11:00-5:00 pm
Sunday 10:00-3:00 pm
Cost: $200 for entire weekend. $175, if paid by April 20th
Friday Only… $35.

questions? AdelleBrewer@gmail.com

Knowing Your Body Through Nia: White Belt Intensive In San Antonio at The Synergy Studio

Whether you are seeking professional training or personal growth through movement,
Nia training has something for you! The Nia White Belt Intensive experience empowers everybody
to take their Nia practice and their life to the next level! Whether you want to know more about
Nia, become a Nia Teacher, or have a week of dance and movement to connect with yourself, the
Intensive is guaranteed to be transformational and educational. Cost: $1599.
“The Nia White Belt connects us profoundly to our bodies, bringing everything in our lives into
focus. This training feeds your soul, through your body and mind.” Holly Nastasi
Each day is divided into highly interactive sessions where you learn,
move, and practice Nia’s 13 White Belt Principles. You’ll receive education in
movement dynamics, body-mind physiology, kinesiology, choreography, X-ray
anatomy, and music appreciation. In addition, you will participate with other students
in Nia classes to witness the power of the Nia Technique in practice.
No previous experience or training is required to attend. You
are eligible to become a teacher as a White Belt by
purchasing the Nia Sacred Livelihood Package
after the Training.

June 10-16th, 2011

Sign up online: www.NiaNow.com

questions? AdelleBrewer@gmail.com

Nia Friends,
I just came from an amazing weekend in Dallas, dancing with a star of Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms movement practice, Adam Barley. As we danced the 5Rhythms of Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness, we danced with fear, power, and beauty… dancing into freedom.
Freedom to be authentic… Freedom to be you… Freedom to dance… Freedom to express.
Its your birthright.
We will play with Nia Principle #4 this week… FreeDance… as we dance our emotions, sensing the freedom and space to express, fake it, be real, be authentic. FreeDance in Nia opens the pathways to explore, discover, break habits and stimulate movement creativity… and find the freedom to be the real you.
Join me this week as we play with our emotions chart and dance our emotional body into freedom.
Yes! No! Maybe? Oh yeah…
Loving the dance, Adelle

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

Adelle Brownlee Brewer
Owner, The Synergy Studio, Nia Black Belt Instructor;
Nia 5 Stages Instructor; Professional Fiber Artist
San Antonio, Texas
www.thesynergystudio.com
www.niasanantonio.com
www.nianow.com
www.nianow.com/adelle-brewer

Connective tissue largely defines the shape of my body. How does this information impact my movement and the way I perceive and relate to anatomy?

With the heightened awareness of the connective tissue in my body and its role in shaping my form, I have become more conscious of the way I align my bones when I stand, and how I move in class. I’m aware of how my emotional body affects my posture, and therefore the symbol that my body is making and expressing to the world… my symbology. BrBelt Principle #10, Symbology-Shaping Consciousness supports me daily in all my realms.

Awareness of my connective tissue has also sharpened my sensitivity to BrBelt Principle #2, Posture, Walk, and Voice. I have been stalking my posture, walk and voice in the emotional roller coaster of day to day living, and when I imagine the spaces in-between opening, expanding, moving outward, my body breathes with greater ease, and there is a lighter quality to my walk. By consciously moving the connective tissue both in class, and in my daily dance of life, I am able to release tension, tightness, and ‘unglue’ the sticky areas in the tissue that are constraining. Moving in the spaces, I sense the systemic connection of my entire body, and the beautiful weaving of the tissue that gives my body mobility and stability. I imagine my connective tissue like the colorful fabric I design, surrounding, supporting, and moving with the fluidity and grace of the wind. As Linda Hartley expresses in Wisdom of the Body Moving, “When we move in the spaces between the organs, bones, muscles, blood vessels, or cells, we are moving through the connective tissue sheaths. This movement is sensual, internal, flowing, and elastic, like the luxurious stretching of a cat. It flows on and on, rebounds and flows again. It gives vital support to the integrity of the whole in both movement and stillness.”

I continue to monitor the mobility and flexibility of my right shoulder since my operation 4 years ago. I have a screw inserted that connects my supraspinatus tendon to the bone. The area surrounding it has a lot of scar tissue, and it becomes bound and stuck when I do not consciously move it daily in multiple directions, ungluing the sticky tissue and freeing the energy to move and heal. I can sense the mis-alignment of the joint on days when I do not teach, or spend a lot of time working on my computer. My conscious dance of life for health is vitally important for my daily healing.

Many times in the evening, while lying in bed, I can sense my connective tissue tingling like fire throughout my body. Even in stillness, energy flows in the spaces in-between and is continually molding, shaping, and re-shaping my symbol.. my symbology that I carry moment to moment.

Connective tissue… yummy… shaping my body, shaping my consciousness.

Nia brings us back to our body… to the real inner experience of intuitive knowing that is encoded in our body… somatic knowledge… embodiment.

As a sensation-scientist, I explore, discover, and formulate ideas from the spatial orientation and the dimensional experience of living in my body. Nia gifts me the opportunity to put myself back into the equation of life, where ‘experiments’ become ‘sensation discoveries.’

Rudolf Steiner writes about how ancient man was connected to nature, the world, and the universe, through human geometrical elements. Orientation of the self was experienced through the body in three dimensions… front to back, left to right, down to up/and up down… growing into earthly beings. We experience these elements in every Nia class, while doing the 5 stages, and during our everyday dance of life. Nia puts the heart back into the relationship with experiential anatomy and physiology, and by recognizing the body as a work of art… a reflection of one’s own divine nature. By listening to our inner wisdom, we reconnect to our natural rhythm and cellular, blood experience.

… Science-Craft-Art…

In today’s ‘science’ and ‘scientific discovery,’ the experiment has replaced the experience and man has forgotten his inner knowing. The science of Nia reconnects us to the self-experience and consciousness is awakened through interaction of the senses… we become sensation scientists. By awakening every day to sensation and our connection to earth, gravity, and spatial orientation, we awaken intuitive knowledge. Just as an artist in the craft arts experiences his work through the sensations of touch, sight, smell, sound and even taste, the Nia movement artist experiences life through these five sensations as a sensation scientist. Nia also incorporates the science of the spirit by acknowledging the creative spirit of each individual… tools such as freedance, form/freedom, living meditation, receiving the mandate, choice and manifestation. We come to know inspiration, inspired by the re-birthing of our true spirit, a force that is present since childhood. Man as soul and spirit. Through the sensory world, our spirit body forms our physical body, integrating body, mind and soul.

Steiner refers to three inner senses that are present within us… the sense of life, the sense of movement, and the sense of balance… as Nia sensation scientists, we help people reconnect to these inner senses… re-kindling intuitive knowledge and inspiration… honoring the essence of everyBody.

Nia Friends,
I have been reading ‘Science’ by Rudolf Steiner with fascination and increased appreciation for the gifts that Nia brings us.
Steiner refers to three inner senses that are present within us… the sense of life, the sense of movement, and the sense of balance… Nia helps us reconnect to these inner senses… re-kindling intuitive knowledge and inspiration… and honoring the essence of everyBody.
We become Sensation Scientists, communicating with somatic, or body-based, knowledge.
Its all there encoded in our structure… the miracle of our body… waiting to speak through sensation.
Join me this week as we focus on Principle #13… Dance What You Sense.
We Listen to the music… We Dance to the music… and then We Share what we sense.
What do you sense in your body right now? Are you listening?
Looking forward to seeing you in class!
Love, Adelle

My classes this week: Tuesday 6:45am, Wednesday 9:15am, Friday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:00pm (psst… its a sneak preview of the upcoming routine R1… Joanie and I will be team teaching!)… all at The Synergy Studio

Nia Friends,
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.
Shake, Rattle and Roll!
Dancing into a glorious week, Adelle

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

Nia is a body-mind-spirit experience.
Nia is my Passion.

Adelle Brownlee Brewer
Owner, The Synergy Studio
Nia Black Belt Instructor; Professional Fiber Artist
San Antonio, Texas
www.thesynergystudio.com
www.niasanantonio.com
www.nianow.com