This year, one of our Nia students and members of Nia Australia, was honoured by the Nia community globally, receiving the International Student of the year award by Nia HQ in Portland. We are so proud of Pieta as she truly embodies and walks the path of a wise woman intuitively following the signs that are leading her to a life filled with Joy and wellness. As is Pieta’s style, with her overflowing kindness, Pieta’s response to the award was to send a gratitude hit and love bomb to the Nia Community. Here are Pieta’s beautiful words of thanks and story for you. 

 A Gratitude Hit and Love Bomb for the Nia Community!

My journey of self healing has been intense and extensive…Since my first Nia class in June 2012, so very much has happened. Most of it not even vaguely possible, without going to that class.

Since then, the fantasies I entertained as a child remarkably are becoming reality. This morning I woke with big, fat, warm, salty tears of gratitude, and overflowing heart, trying to take in, the enormity of the profound changes, within me, since that first Nia class.

I also feel hugely honoured and privileged by the way, the Nia community has simply accepted me, very often with erratic comings and goings, and states of ‘huge energy’. How very much, do I love and appreciate, the practice of ‘holding the space.’ Lifelong, I believed miracles happen, when some one has an open heart, an open mind, and an open ear. Now, I understand this to be true!

Nia International Student of the Year

This year I received an award, honoured to me, by Nia. I believe this award is not mine, it is for the Nia community. With everyone, whom I have met, within this amazing community, I certainly would not be here learning to live a life I simply was unable to imagine . I believe this award has everyone’s name in it. I hold a space in my heart, for each one of you, I been fortunate enough to meet.

 From day one, the music started and I felt I had nothing to lose and went into this class, thinking “my life has been too different, they will either accept or they won’t…”

You did, each one of you. How incredible is that? Each offering a gem of some sort, in your own way. Precious beyond belief. You have done a magnificent job, each one of you, in allowing me, the time, the care, the regard and respect to explore this incredible world of possibility, as I heal, and craft my life…From the inside out, as I transform to heal, you have been there. Each perfectly being yourselves.

Open Hearts and Open Minds

I love this community, with it’s open heart and minds. Who are these incredible people? This is the Nia tribe, who understands “one size fits no one” and mean it! Wow! Mind boggling in itself…

From my perspective, I cannot tell you how much I cherish this. I did not want my hand held, although I did need validation and care, as I dealt with significant silences. You did that, you listened and responded and encouraged to the level you could and at the time when your lives were making big changes too.

Please never think you are “just a…”. We don’t always have time to acknowledge all the wonderful nuances, which give a person that canvas, whilst they are creating something in their lives. Often, it is a look, a touch, a flower, or any acknowledgment really.

Beauty and heartfelt thanks

Today, I am using words, simply to say, I am constantly overwhelmed by the beauty and complexity, I am honoured to witness and be part of this because of going to that first class. As my world opened, I met some many wonderful people, sometimes only once, sometimes more often, the impressions remain, as did the care. I am forever grateful in the truest sense of the word.

I want to acknowledge Sophie Marsh and Jan Gillies. As I grow and understand more, my appreciation and respect for Sophie, my teacher and White Belt trainer, simply deepens. After that first class with Sophie, her mother, Jan came to speak and listen with me. Both are remarkable individuals and powerfully present women, who live their passion with conviction. I am so glad they do, through them, I have had the opportunity to meet many more. I am unsure really, how the words ‘thank you’ could ever be sufficient for that gift…

Much love to you all, and heartfelt thanks.

Pieta’s Story – Nia and the Art of Abundance

Finding Nia’s holistic approach to wellbeing

I discovered Nia, attending my first class, three years ago, in June. Although, I am not a Nia teacher, and at this stage, do not attend classes regularly, I love Nia with a passion. Why? First, it’s holistic approach, engaging all four realms, Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual. Why is this so important? I have been on an intensive healing journey, for the last three years, to achieve a lifelong dream to claim my first birthright as I near 61. The correct diagnosis, now having less impact as I heal, with the knowledge and understanding to accomplish this was Munchausen’s by Proxy, complicated by early treatment by therapists and further compounded by my own silence of over three decades. My life has undergone profound change, in all, these four realms, since that first class and a month later learning my true diagnosis.

Healing Barefoot

My life had been very restrictive, isolated, with decades in hospital surviving one medical crisis after another, being unheard. I had lived in confusion, without choice. When I first heard of Nia, I wanted to know more. Dancing barefoot, made sense! I still had a walking stick at the time, requiring more surgery. I had come off serious medication to discover the original diagnosis had been incorrect.

My understanding of the contemporary world and so much more was fairly non existent. My understanding of what ‘being well’ meant was also very naive! I just had a sincere desire, to get well. Nia simply makes sense to me. Lifelong, I have had severe Dyslexia untreated. Nia, with it’s amazing neurological integration of cross over work, has had a profound effect on the way I can deal with the world. I felt shifts with this from the first class.

The ‘sustaining’ Spirit of Nia

Nia entered my life, and from the first class, I received the ‘spirit of Nia’. This sustains me in times of physical vulnerability. During my first White Belt I really ‘knew’ I was human. This was such a transformative and epic moment in my life. The importance of this meant I could be open to opportunity, to take risks, to explore, to experiment with different avenues to heal. One of those opportunities was to reclaim my brain. To have a functioning and organised brain goes a long way to working out solutions, and being receptive to explore; it is truly magic!

Nia Trainings – learning self compassion

Nia instilled within me permission to and for myself to heal in the best way possible, in my body’s way, and in my natural time. Being open to opportunity has meant, last January, I undertook the Blue Belt and then this January the Brown Belt. I have become very aware, of how fortunate I have been, to have these opportunities. Particularly as I am now able to say ‘yes’ giving myself the best opportunity to heal. Abundance for me is being organised enough to be present, and open to opportunity, understanding the art of self compassion and giving myself my best chance of life.

The Nia Community – simply Magic

As important to me as I learn to speak, to think, as I become aware of how to reverse this condition, and constantly adapting to my new environment was and remains…the Nia Community. A group of extraordinary individuals who live their lives consciously, proactively, responsibly, creatively, sometimes sharing their vulnerabilities, using their skills with naked intelligence. For someone, who had been medicated, isolated and overlooked for decades this was a remarkable group to find.

This is a very precious group of individuals, who share their passion and themselves with a remarkable, authentic love of life, for themselves, their loved ones, their community, and for the greater and highest good of all. Each one, with their own remarkable story. Nia is simply magic within each person and it can be found within you. Nia is infectious and addictive and now I truly love the quest, which brought me to Nia. Nia and its community not only opened my eyes, my mind, and my heart, it opened up my world.