Whenever I’m about to do something that makes me feel nervous, I remember the quote from Susan Jeffers – “Feel the Fear & Do it Anyway”.
Fear itself is not the enemy, sometimes it protects us from real danger. Sometimes we give fear the power to make us much smaller than we are destined to be. We need to feel our fear and then decide if it’s based in reality.
The unconscious (subconscious) mind has one job – to protect! It has no interest in personal development, fulfilment or expression – it only knows that if we’ve experienced a physical or emotional trauma in our lives then we need to be protected from all similar experiences. Our unconscious mind would wrap us in cotton wool if it could.
For many, the words ‘dance’ and ‘class’ in one paragraph evoke negative feelings due to emotional traumas from the past – being teased, unfavourable comparisons with others, even sometimes from the ridicule of people in positions of authority.
I was feeling the FEAR recently on my way to the ‘Wild’ Dance Jam organised by the Brisbane Nia Community.
A Nia Dance Jam is a class where every song is led by a different teacher. Quite a while earlier I had volunteered to lead one of the tracks (a long one) without being fully mindful of what I was putting my hand up for. In the meantime we partly moved house, had visitors come to stay over the holidays and moved house some more! It was not until the day before the Jam that I found myself ready to learn the choreography! Not good for my nervous system! Fear suggested that I find someone to do it instead of me. Then I saw emails from those who were unable to take part, and realised that I needed to…
‘Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway’!!
As soon as I arrived at the venue, Laurie Bass – Nia Training Faculty member from Portland, Oregon USA, a guest joint trainer with Australian Nia Trainer Sophie Marsh for the Brisbane White Belt training – acknowledged that I had chosen a long track. Laurie kindly offered, “I’ve got your back. Get started and if you want to move out I’ll move in”. Others just smiled and said, “don’t worry”. This is what you call a friendly crowd, so I didn’t worry. I felt supported in every way to dance with joy.
Sophie Marsh & Laurie Bass at the White Belt Training
This event was part of a global initiative to celebrate the new Nia Technique routine called “WILD” and promote NiaTV. Nia TV subscribers can take a Nia class any where and any time, on their computer or device. The Brisbane Nia Technique teachers chose to donate funds raised at the Wild Dance Jam to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors. Monies raised supports their dedication to the protection and preservation of wildlife and wild places in Australia.
Going to the floor to get a little WILD at the Brisbane Nia Dance Jam, 10 January 2018.
The Nia community (Tribe) is full of people who are beautiful in every way and as different from each other in terms of shape, size, age, cultural and ethnic background, fitness level and more. Nia is a movement practice that cares for the body in an incredibly holistic way, yet also sees beyond the body to the soul or essence of each participant. This especially shows up when a group is moving together; not all in exactly the same way, but together. Forget about the ‘no pain, no gain’ concept of fitness – Nia is about following the pleasure in movement, listening to the body, tweaking movement where there’s discomfort and developing fitness as a side effect while moving joyfully.
The Nia Jam was so much fun!
Nia is so much fun!
If you haven’t felt the fear and done it anyway, I highly recommend Nia as a practice to help you spread your wings ready for flight…and to take as one of your main co-pilots for the journey.
Sylvana is a clinical hypnotherapist based in Brisbane and a Brown Belt Nia Instructor who currently teaches three Nia classes per week. She loves the freedom that Nia provides and it has allowed her to come home to herself. She dances for the sheer fun of it, and enjoys the bonuses: getting fit, feeling energetic, becomming healthier in every way, and meeting wonderful people. In her Nia classes, Sylvana guides others to release inhibitions and move in their own body’s way in order to feel good.
Click here to find a Nia Class near you and be sure to investigate the benefits of attending the next Australian Nia White Belt Training, to be held in Sydney in April 2018.
And go here to see a sample of WILD at the Nia Dance Jam held in Brisbane on 10th January 2018.
Written by Nia Australia member, Sylvana Simon.
Edited by Jo Behlau, Vice President & Giulia Ponticello, Social Media Administrator, Nia Australia.