Posted by terrepruitt on November 10, 2011
Celiac disease is a chronic, hereditary, autoimmune digestive disorder characterized by a toxic reaction to gluten. It is not a food allergy. From Page 21 of the G Free Diet, by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and contaminated oats.
According to PubMedHealth: “A food allergy is an exaggerated immune response triggered by eggs, peanuts, milk, or some other specific food. Symptoms usually begin immediately, within 2 hours after eating.”
Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten. (per PubMedHealth)
People that have celiac disease run the risk of being malnourished because their immune system could have damaged the villi in the intestines. The villi absorb nutrients from our food. This compromised digestive system can result in symptoms of stomach aches, bloating, gas, cramps, diarrhea, to name a few.
In addition to this disease and food allergies, there are food intolerances and different degrees of them. An allergy will cause an immediate and severe reaction even if just a small amount is introduced to a person that is allergic. The severity could be as much as life threatening. An intolerance is more of a nuisance that will cause discomfort, but is–in general–less severe than an allergic reaction.
I have said it before, I love bread. Have I said that before? Anyway . . . sometimes my body is in such an icky state that I am to the point that I will give up bread if I have too. But gluten is in so many things even if I give up bread I could end up in that state. It is very tricky. I am trying to figure out if it is just an intolerance. It is so interesting. It is so very difficult to distinguish. It doesn’t help that I do have hay fever and the weather could be affecting me.
I have come to the conclusion that when we have a sunny day after a rainy day I am pretty much toast. I am a sneezy-sniffling-congested-so-exhausted-I-might-as-well-stay-in-bed-because-I-am-so-miserable mess. So it rains and I think, “Oh how nice the rain washing the world.” Then the next sunny day even though I enjoy the beauty of the day I am wiped out. Next time I will pay attention . . . thinking beforehand about what I eat and I will see if I don’t eat the foods that might cause “icky body” if that helps.
I do not think I have Celiac disease. I don’t think I have a food allergy. I do think that with all of the food combinations of GMOs and highly processed foods that I have developed some intolerances. Some think (I agree with them) that wheat has been so hybridized that it is something our bodies cannot digest. It is not the same wheat that out great-great-great-great grandparents ate. Not even getting into GMO stuff, just the breeding of wheat makes it different from what it was. That in combination with all the other stuff in our Western Diets. I think the combination makes it difficult for the body to process.
There are many people who are “gluten-free” so there has to be something to it. I just wanted to mention here the three different categories (if that is what they are called). There is disease, allergies, and intolerance. All different. Sometimes with the same symptoms, but with different levels of severity and different levels of effects on one’s health. Just interesting. What do you think?
Posted in Food | Tagged: celiac disease, food allergies, food intolerances, gluten, healthy, immune system, Pub Med Health, wheat | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 8, 2011
We exercise our proprioceptive sense in Nia in every workout. Generally proprioception is the sense of body parts in relation to the body. One’s own perception of one’s own body. You may have also heard kinesthesia which is very closely defined, both definitions debated, as the sense of movement. But for now I will tell it as I learned it and explain it as I know it. Proprioception is what we do by knowing where we are in space . . . not outer space, but in space. Knowing how far to reach for something. Our body knows or senses how far our arm has to reach. In our muscles we have proprioceptors that monitor, detect, and inform the rest of the body what needs to be done in order to achieve the goal of reaching the object. Proprioception makes life so much easier!
When you reach for your coffee/juice cup in the morning you probably look at the cup. You look, your brain makes a million calculations, your arm reaches out for it, and you grab it. Then do you look at the mirror to make certain you actually get the cup to your mouth? Probably not. You just know where your mouth is and you bring your cup up to you mouth for a sip of liquid. Yes, there have been times I am sure when we have all “missed our mouth” and poured something down our front, but more often than not we make it to our mouth. Same with eating and brushing our teeth. We know where our mouth is so we are able to get our hand to our face with the proper distance for the utensil.
Walking is the same. We have a sense of where the ground is so we don’t watch every step, we just allow our leg to go out to make contact with the ground and we step. I bet we have all missed a step or thought the ground was either farther away or closer than it actually was. So we might have jarred ourselves a bit. But again, more often than not walking is a smooth habitual action executed with ease.
What about touching your nose or scratching an itch? The same thing. We know where our body parts are so our muscles and our proprioceptors know what it will take to get our hand there to scratch.
This is part of the nervous system. This body function can be trained, it can be practiced, it can be improved. If you like sports such as golf or baseball, you are practicing with precision movements that allow you to use an object to make contact with a ball. You learn how and when to swing. You learn how hard or light to hit in order to get the ball to go not only the distance but where you want it to go. Practicing a choreography dance is training your muscles and your nervous system. Learning the steps and being able to place your feet correctly without looking is great practice. In Nia we use our entire body while dancing so we are able to keep our proprioceptors and our nervous system active. In many of our routines we actively look up while our feet perform specific moves. We encourage our students to allow their feet to dance what they know.
It is very important to practice with and train our proprioceptive sense. Learning new motor skills is a great way to get those muscles and nerves singing. As we age this sense seems to diminish and it could be just from lack of movement. I have seen many elder people stop moving and then become very afraid of the world around them. If we keep our proprioceptive sense then we are aware of where our body is and we are aware of the world around us, this helps us fear less. So keep moving. Keep practicing old skills. Keep learning. Learn new skills. Keep dancing. And keep living. Exercising our proprioception will help ensure a high quality of live and living!
Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: muscle training, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia routine, Nia workout, Proprioception, proprioceptive training, sense of movement, sense of the body | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 5, 2011
I spent most of the day working on learning another Nia routine. Some songs, as I have shared before, are easier for me to learn than others. This time I am actually I am having some issues with a copule of the katas. Today is the 5th of November. Back in 1605 there was a plan to assassinate the King by blowing up the House of Lords during opening of Parliament. This plot is referred to as “The Gunpowder Plot of 1605” or “Gunpowder Treason Day”. There is a lot of history surrounding this day and it’s celebrations. For some it is somewhat of a “cult classic” type of day. With the movie V for Vendetta leading the way.
The first time I saw the movie I really didn’t get it. I was distracted by the main character and waiting for him to reveal his face. But, being that my husband is the type of person who watches a movie over and over and over, I was able to actually understand the movie. I think it is one of those movies that you need to see a few times to really understand all that is going on. Or you need to be paying close attention the first time you watch it and not be distracted by the mask. There is a lot going on in the movie. I took me several times to understand certain parts. Each time I watched it I understood more. I don’t want to say too much and give any parts away.
I will say that the guy who plays Mr. Smith in the Matrix movies is in it. It also has Natalie Portman and Stephen Fry it in.
There are some very good quotes from the movie, with the speech from the main character leading the way:
“Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. [laughs] Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me “V”.”
And there is:
“People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”
“Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.”
“God is in the rain.”
“Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all we really have. It is the very last inch of us, but within that inch, we are free.”
These quotes might give you an idea as to the type of movie it is. It is about a country that got off track due to its people allowing its one and only ruler, the Chancellor, to dictate everything. There is one guy (or Guy . . . ha, ha!) who thinks it should be different and is willing to take a stand. Although, I don’t agree with the WAY he is going about it, I understand why he thinks it is the only way. The movie takes you through the events that transpired to get the country where it is. The path it takes you on is not straight by any means and the way it is revealed is very cleaver. But as I said before, it took me several viewings to get it.
For some reason . . . maybe just because it includes a date in it, my husband and I have always wanted to have a party on the 5th of November. But of course, sometimes the 5th of November is a weekday and having people over is not an option because at the time of the talk of the party it has always included the fact that we have to do it at midnight because that has a significance in the movie too. But this year, the year the 5th falls on a Saturday we have been a bit side-lined. We have friends that are fans of the movie so we are going over there to watch it. Should be fun.
Have you seen the movie? What did you think? Ever thought of having a party on the 5th of November?
Posted in Entertainment, Misc | Tagged: "Gunpowder Treason Day, assassinate the King, God is in the rain, Mr. Smith in the Matrix movies, Natalie Portman, Nia, Nia katas, Nia routine, Parliament, Stephen Fry, The 5th of November, The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, the House of Lords, V for Vendetta | 11 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 3, 2011
When I first started looking into different types of diets (READ: NUTRITION PLAN/WAY OF EATING), I was curious to always see Nightshade Vegetables mentioned. One diet that I have talked about is the anti-inflammation diet, this diet does not contain nightshade vegetables. You might know what they are and what that means, but I have mentioned before that I am not a gardener. I am not a gardener and even more so I have no idea about vegetable families and their classifications and stuff. I keep having to look it up. What is a nightshade vegetable? 
Nightshade vegetables are from the Solanaceae Family. Nightshade vegetables contain a group of chemicals found in plants called alkaloids. There are different types of plant alkaloids, some being toxic. Plants containing alkaloids have been used for medicinal purposes as well as stimulates and poisons. Studies have proven that alkaloids can affect some of the functions in the body. Some people are more susceptible than others. These vegetables are thought to interfere with digestion, muscles, and joints. Nightshade vegetables promote inflammation in the body.
If you are susceptible to them it might be beneficial to limit consumption of these types of veggies. As I mentioned if you are on an anti-inflammation diet they might be forbidden all together. Again this could only be if you are sensitive to them. Or if you are interested in trying to reduce the amount of chronic inflammation in the body. If you have arthritis or any other disease associated with chronic inflammation it might be something to try. Or if you experience pain caused by sensitive nerves.
Nightshade vegetables are very common. They are so common it kind of makes sense that chronic inflammation is more prevalent and being study by the medical profession. I think the most common nightshade veggies are potatoes, tomatoes, and bell peppers. You know I LOVE bell peppers and I was just learning to like tomatoes. And the issue with potatoes is they are yummy in so many forms; mashed, fried, baked, roasted. In addition to my beloved bell pepper ALL peppers are lumped in this family. So even the hot ones that might aid in digestion could be causing inflammation issues.
In addition to inflammation there is research has proved that the alkaloid in potatoes interrupt signals from nerves to muscles and might contribute to muscle twitches. Next time you have a twitch try to remember if you had any potatoes. In addition to signal interruption, the chemicals contained in some nightshade vegetables might even cause pain Also some research has shown that the alkaloids leech calcium out of bones and deposit it into soft tissue.
Eggplant is also a nightshade vegetable. I love roasted eggplant. Eggplant along with tomatoes contain nicotine. Yup, tobacco is a nightshade plant and nicotine is an alkaloid. It is fortunate that both tomatoes and eggplant contain a lot less nicotine then tobacco, it is still interesting to know.
Cooking reduces the level of alkaloids in our veggies by about 40-50%.
Please note that I am not saying that any health issue or discomfort you are experiencing is caused by nightshade vegetables/food. What I am saying is that some research has either proved or associated the alkaloids in nightshade vegetables/foods to be connected to certain things; inflammation, digestive issues, nervous system malfunctions, pain, muscle twitching, etc. and it is interesting to know. And it might be beneficial to do some experimenting with your diet if you think you might be sensitive to the chemicals found in some of the vegetables and/or spices considered nightshade foods.
Did you know what veggies were considered nightshade? I am glad that I now have this list.
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: anti-imflammation diet, bell peppers, digestive issues, eggplant, hot sauce, Inflammation, muscle twitching, nervous system malfunctions, nightshade vegetables, pain, peppers, plant alkaloids, potatoes, Tomatoes, toxic chemicals | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 1, 2011
So how do you handle grief? Pub med says, “Grief is a reaction to a major loss.” But then it says, “It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion.” Wiki states, “While the terms are often used interchangeably, bereavement refers to the state of loss, and grief is the reaction to loss.” I guess they mean grief is an EMOTIONAL reaction to a major loss. In relation to death, I believe that everyone grieves in their own way. You have probably heard about the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I believe that these are emotions or feelings that people might go through when they are grieving. And just because someone identified these stages doesn’t mean everyone goes through each stage. If people do experience them they might not even be in this stated order. These were just created to help people understand, to cope, and to connect, knowing that you aren’t the only one who felt angry or were in a state of denial. Most important grief is very personal.
We all handle grief differently. We all handle our emotions differently. I believe that people can feel whatever they feel. We don’t always have control over what we feel. Emotions sometimes just pop up. Sometimes they might even surprise us if we look at them. Feelings are what they are. I think it is healthy to let yourself feel whatever comes up. I don’t think emotions should be pushed aside or ignored. I don’t think they should be stifled. Emotions just happen.
I do believe that our reaction to our own emotions or the action we take while experiencing feelings might need to be regulated or contained. For instance if you are grieving and angry it does not help the situation to lash out at those around you. Others are sad too, and maybe they are angry too, but allowing all that anger to come out in harsh words and temper tantrums does no good at all. When one is mean because they are angry at the situation, it does more harm than good. I can understand someone feeling so much pain the first reaction might be to lash out, but for most people saying mean words and forming hurtful sentences is not a habit so in order to be so unkind it takes more effort than just a spur of the moment reaction. Continuing to be cruel is something I deem unacceptable.
I also believe that as long as you are not harming anyone or causing harm to yourself you should be allowed to grieve in your own way for as long as you need to. If I were to not get dressed and do nothing for two weeks, I wouldn’t really be harming anyone. My circumstances would allow me to check out for a couple of weeks. As long as it didn’t last too long it could be good for me. But if I were in a situation where I was a caregiver, let’s say I had kids, it would not be acceptable for me to do nothing for two weeks. Doing nothing for two weeks would cause harm to the children. So how you act because of the grief really depends on the situation, but since it is so personal it is not easy to say that one’s way of acting is wrong.
I also think that there really is no time limit on sadness. I think the sorrow will last forever. I think there are moments of sadness. But I also think that there is joy, it is ok to be happy. It is ok to go on living. I think it is even ok to recall the deceased with happiness. I always marvel at instances where people’s behavior is deemed unacceptable. Again, if they are not causing harm, then they should be able to deal with their grief in their own way. I think it is healthy to allow yourself time and what you need in order to cope. There are definitely as many ways to deal with loss as there are people. Grief and the way one works through it is a very personal thing.
Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: death, death of a loved one, five stages of grief, grief, loss of a loved one | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 29, 2011
Who designed airline seats? Someone who knew the psychology of crowd control? Think about it. No better yet let’s do a little exercise. Sit in your chair. Sit tall. Allow your eyes – better yet, set your gaze forward. Reach the top of your head to the sky, allowing the energy from above to assist in the lengthening of your spine. Imagine space between each vertebrae. Establish distance between your shoulders and your ears, creating a long neck. Pull your shoulders back (shoulder blades in your pants pockets). Sense your posture. Sense the placement of your arm bones. Let your arm bones hang straight down from your shoulders. Now feel. How do you feel? Take a few moments to acknowledge and recognize what you feel and what you sense with your confident posture.
Now imagine you are on an airplane sitting in the typical (coach) airline seat. I know many of us probably vary in height. But just imagine for a moment that you are seated on a plane. Let your lower back round out toward the chair. What happens to the rest of your body? What do you sense? How do you feel? Do you feel subdued? Do you feel controllable? Maybe just in comparison to the other posture? When I push my lower back into the seat my postures becomes a slump, my shoulders round, my belly pushes out, and my head goes down. I have always wondered about airplane seats. I think they are very uncomfortable. I could never understand why they were designed to be the opposite of the human spine. I could never understand why they were designed to be so absolutely uncomfortable. I think they are very bad for the human body. I really think they are not designed at all for comfort. Now after having been on a few planes after not having been on them for a long time, I think I might understand why. I might actually sense why. If I am in a state of mind where I feel I need to just comply it is easy for me to just do what I am told. If my postures is “slumped” my head is already down and my shoulders are rounded, I can’t even take a full and proper breath, why not just sit there and be a blob. I don’t want to think, I just want to get my free drink and get the ride over with. I can see why people don’t want to make eye contact and be social. It is almost as if our will has been sucked out of us.
Airline seats make me feel like a blob. That is all I truly have room to be. It just occurred to me on this past trip that this could be the feeling and the mentality that airlines are going after. It is a lot easier to control 300+ people when they don’t feel very confident or very human for that matter. I would think that people will just do what they are told when they can’t even take a full breath. Since it is just for a short while and we “need” to be on the airplane we just put up with it. With the advent of all the portable electronics it makes it even easier for us to just sit there like blobs all slumped over and compliant.
It is amazing how posture can affect attitude. So the next time you aren’t feeling as chipper as you would like, check your posture. Or if you are in a situation where you know you might get a little down, try sitting up or walking taller. And when you are on a plane try to find a way to sit where your back can be straight, your posture good, and you can breathe fully. I put my jacket in the small of my back so that I can sit up and not slumped over. How about you?
Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: airline seats, airplane seats, crowd control, good posture, lengthening your spine, sense your body, uncomfortable sets | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 27, 2011
How do you relax? Or de-stress? There are a lot of different things to do. There is probably almost as many things to do as there are people who can do them. There is eating. Some people use food to release stress and tension. They might eat comfort foods or just eat to eat. There is drinking. Some people drink to “calm their nerves” and relax. Both eating and drinking can be abused and used in this way to excess. There is also meditation. Some people might find some sort of relief in a form of meditation. There are many different ways to meditate. At a basic level it is just a silencing of the mind to help calm the mind. In many practices the person meditating can consciously affect the body after much practice, but others just affect the body through the act of slowing down and being calm. Meditation can take the form of drumming, chanting, sitting, moving in a particular pattern . . . there are many forms. There is also exercise to release stress and relax, either resistance training or aerobic exercise.
Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Exercise has physical effects that in turn help the body clam down. Aerobic exercise produces endorphins. Endorphins help to relieve pain. Endorphins are also contributed with bringing on a state of euphoria. The state produced by aerobic exercise can help relieve depression. These little protein molecules release stress. Exercise can relieve muscle tension through the simple act of contraction and release.
In addition to releasing endorphins exercise helps slow the production of stress hormones, like corticotrophin, cortisol, and catecholamines. Stress hormones a can raise blood pressure and increase both heart rate and respiratory rate.
By the simple act of doing the exercise you are freeing up the brain from any problem you might have been concentrating on. Having to think about the exercise you are doing is a great way to help get your mind off of anything that might be causing you stress. So in that way alone exercise is a great way to relieve stress. In addition to allowing you to get your mind off any issues that might be bothering you, exercise can also help you work off any frustration. Negative emotions and frustrations can begin to melt away.
Blood pressure is lowered through exercise. This has a very large effect on stress in the body. If the body is functioning better the stress on the body itself is less. Some people get headaches when they blood pressure is high. It is difficult to relax when you have a headache. Lower blood pressure can help in keeping the body calm.
Stress reduction is very important in this busy life that we lead. There is so much to do and so much going on people need something to allow for just being. They need time and space to allow for relaxing and de-stressing.
Nia is one of the unique exercises (like Yoga) because it is an aerobic exercise and it can be a bit of a meditation. It is a great way to relieve stress and relax. I couldn’t post about relaxing and aerobic exercise without mentioning Nia. 🙂
How do you relax? Do you light candles and devour a cheesecake? Do you fill the tub and drink a glass of wine? Do you sit out in nature and enjoy the view? Do you meditate? Do you put on your exercise clothes and workout or go running? I am curious to learn of what you do. There are so many things and ways to relax and reduce stress, I would like to know what you do.
Posted in Exercise and Working Out | Tagged: aerobic exercise, endorphins, lower blood pressure, meditation, Nia, relax, stress hormones, stress reduction, tension, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 25, 2011
Nia is a body centered practice. Nia came about partly because at that time, in the 80’s, popular exercise classes were very hard on the body and the industry in which the creators of Nia worked produced a lot of injuries. The couple that brought us Nia spent a lot of time examining many different forms of movement which in turn shaped Nia into a body-centered movement practice. Nia is a cardio dance workout that moves the body as it was designed to move. Debbie Rosas-Stewart, one of the creators of Nia, wanted to be a doctor, she has always been interested in the human body. Nia’s training material often refers to the science of the body. The body is fascinating and fantastic. I believe that Debbie’s love of medicine and the human body is evident in Nia. Here are some facts that I found interesting. They are facts easily found on the internet so they might not be new to you. Even if you have heard them before I hope you marvel at the human body as I do.
- There are 10 human body parts having only three letters. (Can you name all 10 human body parts having only 3 letters?)
- Food is moved through the digestive tract by muscular contractions.
- The pressure created from the human heart can squirt blood 30 feet.
- Hydrochloric acid found in the stomach can dissolve certain metals.
- The surface area of a human lung is equal to a tennis court.
- Half of our taste buds are gone for most of us, by the time we are 60 years old.
- The human brain is capable of storing everything it is exposed to, but it is the ability to recall the information that might be the challenge.
- We are shorter at the end of the day due to cartilage being compressed throughout the day.
- Kneecaps aren’t developed in a human until the child is between 2-6 years old.
- The longer the finger the faster the nail grows.
- Hair and nails do not continue to grow after death, but it appears as if they do since the skin shrinks and recedes as the moisture dries up.
- The skin of a human body contains 45 miles of nerves.
- The average human will breathe 23,040 times in a 24 hour period.
- People with dark hair have less hair than blondes.
- The stomach produces a new layer of mucus every 14 days in order to keep from digesting itself.
- The “funny bone” is actually the ulnar nerve.
- About 8% of the human body weight is blood.
- A human snore can be a loud as a jack hammer.
- Starvation takes a few weeks, but a total lack of sleep would cause death in roughly 10 days.
- A human sneeze has been measured to exceed 100 miles per hour, whereas the average cough is only 60 miles per hour.
- “Veins in the skin appear blue for a variety of reasons only weakly dependent on the color of the blood. Light scattering in the skin, and the visual processing of color play roles as well.” **
The 10 human body parts with only three letters: eye, ear, lip, gum, jaw, arm, rib, hip, leg, and toe.
Aside from what was **copied directly from Wiki, the above information was gleaned from the following sites:
The Nurse Nut, Yes, ICantSeeYou, Mawlana Faizani International, and ESZlinger. I have seen many sites contain the same information and more. I just found these ones particularly fascinating. I think the body is fantastic.
Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: body centered practice, cardio dance workout, Debbie Rosas, Debbie Rosas Stewart, facts about the body, how fast is a sneeze, human body, Nia, Nia cardio dance, Nia class, Nia creator, Nia Practice, Wiki | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 22, 2011
I have learned a lot in my 43 years. I know there is a lot more I could learn, but one thing I have learned AND that I find fascinating is that I need to be ready to receive. Have you ever shared something with someone and they “pishawed” you? You had tried to tell them something you found fascinating/interesting/money-saving/yummy/good to do and they had acted as if you didn’t know what you were talking about. Then two weeks later they come to you to tell you the very thing you tried to share with them? I used to get offended, even upset, but I am starting to see it differently. I am starting to see that when I tell people things and I feel as if I have been “pishawed” it is not as I once perceived it . . . it is not their mind is snapping closed . . . but, maybe, just maybe it is the mind just saying, “What? I have never heard of that . . . let me deal with that later . . .” And then when it is heard again the mind has a space for it because they had heard it before, so their mind is more open to accepting and listening.
It is somewhat like Natural Time in a Nia workout. In Nia, in our workouts, we have natural time allowing individuals to move their bodies in their own time. Could be they are not ready to do the move the first time they see it, but after a few repetitions they are ready to receive. Their bodies are ready. — Funny. I didn’t start this post off as relating to Nia, but as I was sitting here typing it dawned on me that being ready to receive is Natural Time. And as you know, all of the Nia White Belt Principles can be applied to everyday life. Just as many principles from any practice; Yoga, Jujitsu, aikido, Ballet, etc. can be applied to life.
Sometimes we have so much on our minds that adding something new just isn’t gonna work. So maybe when we first hear something we just say, “NO!” Then our brains move on. But maybe the new “thing” left a spot, like rust . . . . but good, where it just stays and either it actually starts seeping into our brain or it just sits there until we hear it again. Then we are able to open to the idea. It is like the old idea of a seed. Sometimes it is not ready to be planted, but it is there in its own little space.
I can actually remember specific times when this has happened, especially with my hubby, but I am posting about it because I recognized awhile ago that I do this. Because I have heard something and pishawed it then later examined it. It fascinates me. It makes me wonder why I didn’t recognize good advice/information when I first heard it. I wonder why I am not smart enough to recognize beneficial information when I see it. So that is why I think that we have to be ready to receive. It really doesn’t have to do with being intelligent. Sometimes being ready is something of natural time. We have to be ready in our own time. In our own time is the best time in which to learn. Amazes me.
Have you ever learned or heard something and when you really thought about it realized that you had heard the same thing before but it didn’t sink in? Have you ever experienced the second time around as being the time you benefited from something?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Aikido, ballet, Jujitsu, Natural Time, Nia, Nia Moves, Nia principles, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Principles, Nia workout, ready to receive, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 20, 2011
Nia routines are choreographed movements to music. Nia’s choreography is pretty. In fact in many cases it is beautiful. Most Nia katas are based on the 52 Nia moves. Steps and moves have been carefully selected to fit with the music, for the most part. There are times when we are invited to just dance without a design. No matter the choreography we are always encouraged to dance in our own way–and that just might not be “pretty” to some people. The body — our bodies — the human body is put together in a specific way. Our parts are connected in a specific way. Movement is allowed and restricted by the way the body is constructed. Some bodies cannot move as was intended. Some bodies might have actual physical limitations that do not allow for soft, fluid, “pretty” movement. For some lifting their arm over their head might cause discomfort. It could be that they are not accustomed to lifting their arm that high so it might not be easy—at first. Some might have tight hamstrings or other muscles so their movement might be less than natural. But Nia is a journey, a practice. Over time the joints will loosen with practice and/or the muscles will become more flexible and be able to move with ease. It could become “pretty” or not. Nia might not be pretty, but it is authentic. It is not a performance. It is how our bodies move. Your body, my body, not the same body so we will move differently and it could be pretty or not. What I might think is pretty you might not. Let it be authentic.
Some bodies have other types of restrictions, could be mental or emotional. It could be, having been taught all her life “ladies” don’t move their hips “like that”, there is an automatic stop placed in her mind so her hips don’t thrust or gyrate. It could be that she thinks that movement is “ugly” so she won’t allow her body to do it. It could be that chipping away at that barrier will take time. And the learning might not be “pretty”. It might be choppy and not happen all at once. It could be that there is an emotion attached to a particular movement. An emotion can act as another type of mental block and not enable or allow the Nia participant to move as the body was designed. And that could, in turn, result in something that isn’t “pretty”. Nia might not be pretty, but it is authentic.
It could also be as previously mentioned — some have an idea of what moves are “pretty” and what moves are not, so for them maybe the “ugly” moves should be kept off of the dance floor, but Nia is not a performance. It is authentic movement of the body.
It could be an arm-raising, hair-whipping, sweat-dripping, face-reddening, body-jiggling, foot-stomping, voice-howling, eyes-crying, heart-softening, spirit-raising, mind-opening, body-moving dance exercise which, to some, just might not be pretty. It is not a show, it is not a performance it is a movement, it is a practice, it is a dance, it is an exercise, it is a workout, it is an experience, it is authentic. It is what you allow your body to do. It is what you want it to be. It is what you sense.
When we allow our bodies to move in an honest way we defer to the body’s intelligence. The body speaks to us, but we need to listen. It will tell us if what we are doing is causing pain so we can tweak the movement and move towards pleasure. Also we can learn which areas of our bodies would benefit from more flexibility or more strength if we listen. All the while, to someone who is expecting a performance this might appear “not pretty”. But to those who have experienced the freedom of listening to the body’s intelligence we see it as beautiful. We know there is a path, there is a journey.
I personally feel that it is beautiful when a participant moves to the music in a way that only s/he can move. Sometimes I might catch a glimpse of one of my Nia students and I have to remind myself that I too need to move according to the sense of the music because otherwise I would stop and watch. It is an amazing wonder to witness a surrender to the music. To some it might not be “pretty”, but it is truly beautiful. So dance your dance. Dance in your body’s way. Don’t judge. Don’t worry about if it is “pretty”. Movement is a glorious and beautiful gift to be enjoyed and not stifled. Let your movements be authentic and don’t worry about those who might think it is not pretty.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: body intelligence, dance exercise, dance performance, Dance Workout, Nia, Nia 52 moves, Nia choreography, Nia katas, Nia Music, Nia Practice, Nia routines, Nia students, the body's way | 4 Comments »
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