Driving a new vehicle

Letting go of the following vehicle:  roomy, automatic, safe, great resale value, low mileage, under warranty, other title.

FAQs:
Why are you getting rid of this one?
A:      It's safe. roomy. consumes more fuel. automatic. someone else has the title. I get in, put it in drive and go. There's no need to sense when to shift gears. I can fill it with loads of crap that I don't need "just in case".

What are you diving now?
A.     older model, smaller, manual, higher mileage, clear title

Why?
A.     Its high mileage demonstrates resilience. consumes less fuel. runs efficiently. I'm learning to hug curves and shift with ease. It's clearly mine. I feel free when I move around in it.

off for a drive. . .

On the road to find out

One of the many aspects of Nia that I have loved is the concept of natural time. Tuning in to the body, tuning out distractions, and listening with highly attuned "ears" for movement cues. Getting a sense of when to remain still, when to move, when to speak, when to listen. I am enchanted by this magic of Nia particularly as I witness its potency whenever I do my best to engage my "ears" and listen for the silence that clues me in on an upcoming change in movement.
Recently, the silence has been whispering simplify and clarify
My body's response tell me more. . .
Start from the beginning. Pay close attention. Reclaim. Release should. Embrace the unknown. 
I thought you said to simplify. That sounds like quite a bit to do. And, if you're silence, why are you whispering?
Don't be a smart ass.


And so, I am on the road to find out, holding my Nia practice as my compass and trusting the course of my natural time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU-1v2R-2fY
 

RAW

For the past 15 years, I've spent the week before returning to school blown about in gale-force winds of activity.  My summer to-do checklist of monumental accomplishments designed to create ease would stare me in the face, checkless. Brewing underneath was usually a storm of dread showered with smatterings of excitement. Assemble that in one 5' package and watch out for ensuing carnage.

My last day of duty on June 24th turned out to be quite more than an ordinary last duty day. It was the day that my dear friend who happened to be my great boss was informed that she would not be returning to the school the following year. It was the day that I called upon that which I receive from Nia,  RAW - relaxed, alert, and waiting for the sound and silence to cue my moves. This summer spent in a heightened state of RAW has been filled with harmony. Even in times when I dipped into fear's discord, the stay was shortened by RAW's gentle encouragement back to sensation.

RAW is where I sense a shift from "thinking" I "need" to "do" something to sensing when action is warranted. I invite rather than direct or command. For me, it's about trusting that whatever I need will be revealed in natural time and be filled with wondrous possibilities. This has been my experience and continues to be so.

The light has returned to my friend's eyes. Sensing this gift has been well worth the wait.

Stop, sense, and listen

I was carrying out another load of clutter when "Stop, Look, and Listen before you cross the street" popped into my head. Then, I sensed the message in my body - it's really all about making conscious choices before taking steps so that when we do "step" across any street, we do so in a state of awareness. Profound for 60's elementary school lesson.

I have no segue into the next part except to say that there was some connection at the moment but the clutter got me distracted :-).

Click. Surrounding myself with more stuff limits my choices. I used to think that it was a great thing but surrounding myself with stuff keeps me in my head and limits my range of motion. More means I scatter my energy sifting through distractions and "trying" to make decisions rather than tapping into my sensation which is the clearest frequency when tuning in to what I want. Shifting to sensation opens endless possibilities from which I can concisely choose relying on feedback from my body rather than chatter from my mind. As my relationship with my Nia practice evolves, I deepen my appreciation for the freedom and grace in clarity. I'm learning to release distractions that complicate and clog channels of energy. I can now sense if I really want to cross that street in the first place or if where I am is right where I need to be.

Goodbye old cloak

There is a long story that I could share here that would paint a picture of drama and intrigue, and how this innocent lamb rose against "those who could do harm" with her mighty pen as her trusty sword. I'd tell my story, captivating audiences worldwide, gathering support for my plight and assuming permission to remain wrapped in my cloak of self-pity.

That is not my truth. Though I have done my best to wear that old tattered cloak, it no longer provides shelter from the elements. Its misshapen form constricts my breath and I ask myself: Why would I want protection from that which reminds me - Now I Am . . .  I tossed that cloak last night with a conscious chose (and a grand announcement to family) to move. My body expanded with breath and reveled in ribbons of sensation as the music led me in my dance of freedom.

I thought I heard that cloak call my name late in the night. It was actually screaming "OYYYYYYYY" as it melted into oblivion.

Conscious Adult Steps of Investment

A financial planner recently paid me a visit to discuss investments. He was surprised by the questions I brought forth, half joking that "people in education don't usually have an understanding of how all this stuff works". I surprised myself as I heard the questions emerge, being someone who viewed the likes of Suze Orman as a threat to my self-anointed right to self-gratification through spending. There are friends of mine at whom I marvel when it comes to their financial dexterity and I've often pondered the origins of such talent. I ruled out genetic connection in my case while watching close relatives in rapture over the Wall Street journal and CNBC as I dashed through through the room averting my eyes and pressing my palms against my ears so information wouldn't leak into my cells.

That was before. . .

Investment. I've now invited in a different way of sensing that in my body through a broadened definition - Investment is about consciously choosing that which nurtures well-being. When faced with decisions I am learning to ask, Is this a wise investment? and to listen to my body's response. My body instinctively takes into consideration the variables and parties concerned. My head fills space with confusion and doubt and creates blocks where there are none. My body expands in space and allows clarity. This shift is gliding me through several major decisions of late.

I just asked my body if a subscription to the Wall Street Journal is in order. I'm thinking nausea is enough clarity for me.

Essence

By definition, core means: central or innermost part; basic or most important part; hard or fibrous central part of certain fruits containing the seeds. The "earth's core" or "core subjects" are points upon which we layer. In Nia we address the three body weights - pelvis, chest, and head as the core and invite them to unite in alignment. Moving and strengthening our core can open channels of energy. Hip circles can spark creativity from our sacral chakra. Inviting the belly button to chew can provide nourishment from seeds of strength in our solar plexus. Sensing our intercostal muscles remind us that our heart space has the capacity to radiate love and acceptance. Connecting our three eyes to fingertips, directions, and others can reveal new pathways that broaden our horizons. This is the week's focus - Connecting to our essence, the core, with the intention to align as we broaden our horizons.