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the science of White Belt principle 8Embody and Share

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© 2010 Nia Technique, Inc. | NiaNow.com Principle 8 Lesson Plan | 1

The White Belt Continuing Education Course is an integral part of your Nia Livelihood Package. This course supports

you in deepening your Nia education at home, helping you physically embody the White Belt Principles in and out of

Nia class. Your Embody and Share book is chaptered by principle, with each chapter supported by these Lesson Plan

downloads you can work with at your own pace.

science - craft - Art

Exploring the Science, Craft and Art of Nia naturally reveals

the magic of nature and the human form—the patterns,

beauty and expressions of life sensed and lived in a body.

Science explores the “why” of what we do. Craft explains

the “how” of what we do. Art expresses “what” we do to

make Nia a unique expression of ourselves.

All Nia practice is supported by The Body’s Way, an applied

science of using the body in accord with its specific

structure and design. The more you understand the design

of the body, the more you can make conscious choices to

improve your overall comfort, functioning and health.

Science: Why

Dynamically moving your three body weights—your

pelvis, chest and head—is key to conditioning and

healing the core of your body. Activating all three weights

engages your body’s intrinsic support system, moving

energy along the vertical and horizontal axes. This

improves balance, systemic strength, spinal flexibility,

core power, relaxation and nervous system adaptability.

Because your spine and chakra system are housed in your

core, the alignment of your three body weights affects the

flow of energy throughout your body. If your head is out

“But every tension of opposites culminates in a release, out of which comes the ‘third.’ In

the third, the tension is resolved and the lost unity is restored.”

—Carl G. Jung (1875-1961, Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist)

of balance, your neck, shoulders and vocal chords will

be strained, which impairs breathing and graceful upper

body movement. If your chest is out of alignment, your

lower back will be strained in attempt to compensate,

causing pain, stiffness and limited mobility in your spine

and legs. Your breathing will also be hindered, reducing

oxygen and energy flow through your bones, muscles,

veins, arteries, organs and connective tissues. If your

pelvis is out of alignment, your spine must adjust in

unnatural ways, impairing your abdominal support,

leg strength and mobility. Essentially, misalignment of

any of the three body weights causes weakness in your

whole body.

When your core is healthy and aligned, your muscles,

bones, ligaments and connective tissues are able to easily

support your three body weights as they balance one on

top of the other, connected by your dynamic, moveable

spine. Proper core alignment not only relieves pain and

prevents injury, it also allows you to breathe efficiently,

think more clearly and move with more power, grace,

confidence and self-esteem. By making small tweaks

you will quickly see: healthy alignment supports and

conditions all aspects of your being—physical, mental,

emotional and spiritual!

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Craft: How

Consciously activating your pelvis, chest and head

naturally strengthens, stretches and realigns your whole

body. By moving with awareness—paying attention to

how you hold and move your three weights—you can

learn to maintain healthy alignment not only as you

dance, but throughout each day.

Activate movement in your pelvis by:

•Wiggling an imaginary tail and then scooping it

underneath you

•Rolling the balls of your hip joints around as you

wash dishes and brush your teeth

•Sensing space around your waist as you walk, like a

ring of air.

Activate movement of your chest by:

•Breathing deeply and evenly, regardless of your level

of activity

•Expressing your thoughts and feelings by adding

vocal expressions as you exhale (“sounding”)

•Undulating your spine from bottom to top as you

wait in line at the store

•Circling, extending and folding your chest as you

work at the computer.

Activate movement of your head by:

•Using your eyes—look in many directions and allow

your head to follow

•Releasing and shaking your lower jaw as you wash

the dishes

•“Speaking” with your head, such as nodding “yes”

and “no,” or discovering head actions to express

things you would usually vocalize, such as “maybe.”

Art: What

In Nia, we refer to the core of the body as the sum of the

three body weights (the pelvis, chest and head), along with

the spine, which these weights center around. All three

weights contain and express different feelings, emotions

and energy centers, or chakras. The pelvis, the bottom

weight, acts as a container for energy. The chest, or center

weight, distributes energy. The head—the top weight—

directs energy.

Structurally, the main bones of your pelvis include the

coccyx, the sacrum (or “tailbone”), and the left and right

sides of the pelvic girdle (the ilium, ischium and pelvic

bones). The bones of your chest include the sternum, two

clavicles (or “collarbones”), 12 ribs and the 26 vertebrae

of the spine. Your head consists of eight cranial bones, 14

facial bones and of course, your teeth.

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Read

For this part of the lesson plan, you will read sections from

your Embody and Share book and answer questions about

what you learned.

Move

These lessons help you embody Principle 8, The Core

of the Body, transmitting cognitive information into

physical sensations.

Self-Assess

These lessons gauge your growth and competency in

Principle 8, The Core of the Body.

Exploring The Body’s Way

This section includes quotes and reflections to help you

explore the White Belt Principles.

Watch

For this section, log into NiaNow.com and go to the

Continuing Education section to watch the Principle 8

Teacher Training video with Debbie Rosas Stewart.

Lesson Plan Format

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the core of the Body

Principle 8

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Read1. Read Chapter 8: The Core of the Body in your

White Belt Embody and Share book.

2. In your journal, answer the questions below.

introduction

•Describe two ways in which consciously working

with Principle 8, The Core of the Body has changed

your body and life.

•How has a deeper understanding the three body

weights enriched the health and well-being of your

body and life?

•What is the most dramatic shift in your movement

that has taken place since consciously working with

your three body weights?

principle 8: the core of the Body

•How often do you acknowledge the amazing

healing and conditioning powers your core provides

your body?

•What can you do to make activating and moving

your three body weights a part of your daily life?

•When you are not moving all three body weights,

how do you recognize this disconnection and what

do you do to consciously reconnect?

•What main techniques does Nia provide to help

you stay connected to your core?

Voice of the core of the Body

•Describe what this voice has inspired, motivated and

educated you to do.

•What self-healing wisdom from the three body

weights has revealed itself to you?

science

•Describe how and why Nia’s approach to the core of

the body is The Body’s Way.

•How does moving your spine and three body weights

affect your nervous system?

• How does moving your core promote self-healing in

your whole body? In your mind, emotions and spirit?

craft

•Teach one person who is fit and one person

who is unfit how to move the pelvis, chest and

head independently (one at a time), and then

simultaneously.

•Using the triad of Principle 8, create an affirmation

that helps you self-heal your pelvis, chest, head, neck

and spine. Make this self-healing act a part of your

Nia classes and lifestyle practice.

Example: Before you get out of bed in the morning, say:

“Today, I will circulate the healing energy of Universal

Joy throughout my body, moving my spine like a string of

pearls, swishing my tailbone like a cat and wobbling my

head as if I have a feather on top that rises up to tickle the

belly of the clouds. This morning, I will give 100% of my

attention to wagging my tail, enjoying the movement of my

pelvis and awakening the power I hold inside. After lunch,

I will give 100% of my attention to engaging my chest,

finding inspiration to laugh for 60 seconds to feel energy

flowing through me. Tonight before bed, I will walk through

the house while consciously relaxing my neck and spine,

using my eyes to move my head and guide me through

the world around me. Before bed, I will practice the Nia 5

Stages, spending one minute in each stage, and then one

minute moving up and down from the floor slowly. I will

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end by humming for one minute to prepare for sleep—15

seconds lying on my back, 15 seconds on my belly, 15

seconds sitting upright, and finally: 15 seconds standing.

I will re-commit to living in pleasure and comfort by

listening to the voice of my body.”

Art

Write your personal story about discovering your pelvis,

chest and head (3 - 5 paragraphs). Share how you are able

to increase pleasure, comfort and self-healing in your life

by activating and moving your entire spine and all three

body weights. We invite you to share your story on the Nia

Forum!

recall

Celebrate what you know! Use Recall to strengthen your

competency in this principle. For any questions you

cannot answer, enjoy the process of learning something

new—go onto the Nia Forum and discuss Principle 8,

The Core of the Body, with your Nia community.

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embodiment

•Practice movement exercises 1- 6 from your Embody

and Share book.

• Journal about your experience and answer the

questions below.

how did principle 8 help you...

•Physically change the way you move?

•Mentally affect how you make movement choices?

•Emotionally connect to yourself and the world

around you?

•Spiritually increase self-love?

the nia 52 Moves

•Practice all 52 Moves to Nia’s Learn the Move and

Move the Move DVD, focusing on name recognition

and the specific language used to model and master

the core moves.

•Once you can physically respond to the name of

each move and model it with dynamic ease, dance

to the 52 Moves voice-prompted CD. Self-assess and

observe what you learned from your practice with

Learn the Move and Move the Move. Pay attention

to how easily you can respond to the moves’

names and verbally share the language of the core

techniques.

•Using the process of “Show” (moving without

speaking) and “Tell” (saying the name of the move

with the phrase “I sense my...”), dance to the 52

Moves Energize the Move workout DVD. Focus on

conditioning the core of your body using the Five

Sensations (Flexibility, Agility, Mobility, Strength and

Stability—FAMSS).

•To support your learning process, consciously

personally train yourself (CPT) using the catch

phrase, the language of this principle’s triad and the

language of the Five Sensations, as described in the

Nia Technique book.

create your Kata

“Kata” is a Japanese word for choreographed patterns of

movements, used in theater, tea ceremonies and martial

arts. In Nia, “kata” refers to a move or a series of moves

in a pattern, used to strengthen your skill and technique.

1. Choose any song from the NiaSounds library or

follow the suggested song list below.

2. Create your own kata using one move from the

base, one move from the core, and one move from

the upper extremities (refer to the 52 Moves list in

the Nia Technique book and to the Learn the Move

and Move the Move DVD), or follow the movement

suggestions below.

3. Listen to a variety of music and put the same Nia

moves to the sounds you hear.

For this lesson, pay close attention to the choices you

make to guide your three body weights. Consciously

tweak your movement in ways that create a supportive

foundation for mobility in your spine, breathing deeply

and efficiently as you isolate and integrate all three

body weights.

Kata Examples

For this lesson, Debbie recommends working with the

routine Amethyst. Pay attention to your body’s way of

moving your pelvis, chest and head. Play with spine

movements and focus on mobility and stability as you

explore Principle 8, The Core of the Body.

Move

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Music: Amethyst – One Good Dub 8:26

Lesson: Warm up the Base of the Body using the set

choreography of this song and moving your pelvis in

A-Stance / Engage the Core by moving the joints of your

spine / Web Spaces to create your kata.

Music: Amethyst – Elementary Particles (Re-dit) 8:12

•Lesson: Get Moving the Base of the Body using the

set choreography of this song and practice aligning

your three body weights while maintaining the flow

of movement at your waist and neck / Engage the

Core by sounding “O” as you step out and “Ah” as

you balance / Catching Flies to create your kata.

Music: Amethyst – Ice Forming On Glass 5:50

•Lesson: Get Moving the Base of the Body using

the set choreography of this song and moving your

pelvis by sensing “aliveness” in the balls of your hip

joints / Engage the Core by moving through the three

planes / Palm Directions to create your kata.

Music: Amethyst – Ayahuasca Deep Fall 5:35

•Lesson: Get Moving the Base of the Body using

the set choreography of this song, aligning your

three body weights and using your eyes to establish

dynamic ease / Create Core Stability using breath

and sound / Touch—slapping the space around you

and touching your body to create your kata.

Music: Amethyst – Isla De La Piedra 5:06

•Lesson: Cool Down the Base of the Body using

the set choreography of this song, sensing the

spiral and rotational movement of your three

body weights and spine / Engage the Core with

the sensations of Mobility and Flexibility / Spear

Fingers to create your kata.

Music: Amethyst – Onflow 4:28

•Lesson: Create your own FloorPlay with the Base

of the Body, consciously “placing” your three

body weights to sense flexibility in your hip joints /

Engage the Core by sensing energy flowing up and

out with Spinal Twists / Adding eyes, touch and

sounding to create your kata.

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Using the chart below, assess your skill in modeling the

52 Moves while focusing on Principle 8, The Core of the

Body. Pay close attention to which moves you can perform

with grace and power, sensing support from the ground all

the way up through your feet, pelvis, chest and head. Seek

the sensations of mobility and stability, using repetition to

develop balance and ease in your entire spine. Seek the

sensation of systemic movement and play with planes,

intensity levels and speeds to develop equal power and

fluidity throughout your spine, regardless of the body weight

you focus on. Seek the sensations of comfort and dynamic

ease, voices that confirm you are moving The Body’s Way

while respecting your body’s way. Develop freedom in your

spine by noticing areas where you tend to “lock up,” and

then tweaking the movement of the body weight directly

under this area to better support your spine.

This month, repeat two moves each day, paying attention

to which moves need more mobility or stability to establish

freedom in all of your three body weights. When you sense

effort or tension, stop! Slow down and direct more attention

to your base, core and spine. Place your feet underneath you

and step at a speed and in a range of motion that allows your

joints, muscles, spine and three body weights the time they

need to interact and simultaneously respond. Practice each

move in all three intensity levels until you can model the

correct form and maintain proper technique, regardless of

the speed or range of motion.

Self-Assess

Observe which moves ask you to slow down or

reduce your range of motion. A sense of effort or

imbalance may mean:

•Your feet are not directly underneath you, causing

you to throw and “whiplash” your three body

weights from front to back or side to side.

•Your stance and/or range of motion is too broad,

causing your feet to tense up and contract, which

prevents your base from supporting your three body

weights from the ground up.

•One of your base joints (ankles, knees, hips) is locked,

interrupting the flow of energy into your core.

•You are holding your breath, rather than blending

your body with your breath. Focus on the exhale

as you move, to integrate your core movements

with your breath and efficiently support the flow of

energy through your body. When you focus on the

exhale, the inhale will naturally take care of itself.

•Your hands are clenched and/or not engaged with

your space. Use your hands to touch and interact

with the space around you as if it is tangible—the

core of your body will naturally support your hands

and arms. When your hands are energetically

connected, your upper body can relax and sense

where it is in relationship to the space around it.

•You are “holding” one or more of your three body

weights (pelvis, chest or head). Consciously release

your pelvis, chest and head to give your spine the

freedom it needs to activate your movement and

move energy freely throughout your whole body.

•You are emotionally and energetically “flat.”

Consciously shift your emotions and your movement

from time to time, to bring a sense of “aliveness” and

expression to a move. This conditions your nervous

system, keeping your mind and body energetically

agile, adaptable and inspired.

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BASE

feet - 8 Moves

Heel Lead

◻�My Pelvis—Using the balls of my hip joints and

my tailbone

◻My Chest—Using more breath, sound and emotion

◻My Head—Using my eyes and relaxing my lower jaw

Whole Foot


my tailbone



Ball of the Foot


my tailbone



Relevé


my tailbone



Rock Around the Clock


my tailbone



Squish Walk


my tailbone



Duck Walk


my tailbone



Toes In, Out and Parallel


my tailbone



The 52 Moves: Exploring the Core of the Body As you practice the 52 Moves for this lesson plan, refer to the following downloads from NiaNow.com:

•Nia White Belt 52 Moves Movement Analysis—FAMSS

•Nia White Belt 52 Moves Anatomical Analysis—Muscle and Joints

* To integrate and activate the core of my body and move energy from bottom to top, I need more movement in:

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stances - 6 stances

Closed Stance


my tailbone



Open Stance


my tailbone



A-Stance


my tailbone



Riding or Sumo Stance


my tailbone



Bow Stance


my tailbone



Cat Stance


my tailbone



steps - 9 Moves

Sink and Pivot Table Wipe


my tailbone



Stepping Back Onto the Ball of Your Foot


my tailbone



Cross Front


my tailbone



Cross Behind


my tailbone



Traveling in Directions


my tailbone



Lateral Traveling


my tailbone



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Cha Cha Cha


my tailbone



Slow Clock


my tailbone



Fast Clock


my tailbone



Kicks - 4 Moves

Front Kick


my tailbone



Side Kick


my tailbone



Back Kick


my tailbone



Knee Sweep


my tailbone



CORE

pelvis - 2 Moves

Pelvic Circles


my tailbone



Hip Bumps


my tailbone



chest - 4 Moves

Chest Isolations


my tailbone



Shimmy


my tailbone



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Undulations


my tailbone



Spinal Roll


my tailbone



head - 1 Move

Head and Eye Movement


my tailbone



UPPER ExTREMITIES

Blocks - 4 Moves

Upward Block


my tailbone



Outward Block


my tailbone



Inward Block


my tailbone



Downward Block


my tailbone



punches - 4 Moves

Upward Punches


my tailbone



Outward Punches


my tailbone



Across Punches


my tailbone



Downward Punches


my tailbone



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elbow strikes - 3 Moves

Elbow Strikes Down


my tailbone



Elbow Strikes Back


my tailbone



Elbow Strikes Out


my tailbone



hands - 7 Moves

Touching


my tailbone



Fist


my tailbone



Pumps


my tailbone



Strikes


my tailbone



Chop-Cut


my tailbone



Web Spaces


my tailbone



Palm Directions


my tailbone



fingers - 8 Moves

Finger Extensions


my tailbone



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Finger Flicks


my tailbone



Creepy Crawlers


my tailbone



Spear Fingers


my tailbone



Catching Flies


my tailbone



Claw Hand


my tailbone



Power Finger Crossover


my tailbone



Balance Finger


my tailbone



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Exploring The Body’s WayExplore all Nia principles with awareness. Awareness is the

body’s ability to pay attention to detail and respond without

intellectual judgment or reasoning. Physical awareness

helps you develop flexibility, agility, mobility, strength,

stability, comfort and alignment. Mental awareness helps

you craft the life you desire. Emotional awareness guides

you to internal peace. Spiritual awareness connects you to

your higher self, keeping you aligned with your purpose.

Activate Awareness

• As you receive information, consciously create a

sensory relationship between your body and the

experience you are having.

• Slow down, sense and observe your body’s responses.

establish Awareness

• Pay attention to what you sense in your body. Notice

if the information you are receiving increases Joy and

pleasure.

• Seek sensations in your body that either clarify or

challenge what your mind believes to be true.

• Confirm what you believe to be true through

sensation. Use the triad Listen, Think, Test to validate

and embody the Nia White Belt Principles for yourself.

research triad

Listen Think

Test

listen

Seek information from resources you find motivating

and inspiring.

think

Apply a Nia principle or concept to your new information.

test

Pay attention to what you sense in your body to confirm

what you believe to be true.

“The triad is the form of the completion of all things.”

- Nichomachus of Gerasa (c. 100 A.D., Greek noe-Pythagorean philosopher and mathematician)

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“What scientists call ‘light, energy and mass’ are the

traditional ‘spirit, soul and body’ described by Plutarch as

nous (divine intellect), psych (soul), and soma (body). To

the Hindus, the principles within light, energy and mass

are the three gunas (“qualities”) of purity, activity and

inertia that blend in different proportions in all processes

and events outside and within us. Our ‘spirit’ may be

thought of as direct light, the wisdom and beauty of our

deeper Self, whose knowing is reflected on the waters of

our psyche as our ability to think. What is deeper within

us as delight is reflected as emotion. What is deepest

within us as the most mysterious ‘Will to Be’ manifests as

our most explicit structure, the body with which we act.”

—Michael S., Schneider ,

A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing

the Universe: the Mathematical

Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science

Body

“Our bodies are made up of four primary tissues:

epithelium, muscle, nervous tissue and connective

tissue. Epithelia form coverings, linings, and most of the

internal organs. Muscle is responsible for movement

and nervous tissue is responsible for communication.

That leaves connective tissue—the one that binds all

the others together. If you were able to remove all the

connective tissue from the body, what was left would

flatten down on the floor like a hairy, lumpy pancake.

You would have no bones, cartilage, joints, fat or blood,

and nothing would be left of your skin except the

epidermis, hair and sweat glands. Muscles and nerves,

without connective tissue, would have the consistency

of mush. Internal organs would fall apart.”

—A. Cassan

Essential Atlas of Physiology

Debbie says: It wasn’t until I actually saw the connective

tissue for myself, in a real cadaver, that I fully understood

the word “integration.” Everything about the body is

integrated. It is the most magical representation of oneness

imaginable. In witnessing the connection of the pelvis,

chest and head via the spine, one can literally sense the

connection and power of oneness. I can only imagine the

delight my bones, organs and tissues feel as I dance and

move my pelvis, chest and head up, down and through

space. My awareness of how the connective tissue is

responsible for communication has shifted the way I

relate to my pelvis, chest and head—I now understand

these body weights are literally “bound in the arms” of

connective tissue. When I move in comfort and ease, I am

able to listen to the voice of my connective tissue naturally

guiding healthy movements of my pelvis, chest and head.

“Every cell in the body needs to breathe—taking up

oxygen, burning fuel, generating energy and giving

off carbon dioxide. This process, known as cellular

respiration, depends on an exchange—moving oxygen

all the way from the atmosphere to lungs, to blood and

to cells, and at the same time moving carbon dioxide

from cells to blood, to lungs, to atmosphere.”

—A. Cassan


Debbie says: Through movement we find health: A

statement our body takes seriously, as the body relies on

movement to maintain health and well-being. Moving

the body in, out, up and down—just moving is the key.

The pelvis, chest and head contain vital parts of the body

for cellular respiration. Once any of these three body

weights begin moving, you can immediately sense your

body doing what it is designed to do—it breathes, moving

oxygen from the atmosphere to your lungs and then to

your blood and cells, while at the same time moving

carbon dioxide from your cells through your blood to your

lungs and back out to the atmosphere. The most efficient

way to stimulate and sense your breathing is to activate

your core.

P8 Quotes

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“This breathing center, formed by three nuclei, receives,

on the one hand, stimuli from the cerebral cortex and

on the other hand, from specific receptors distributed

in several tissues and organs that can detect chemical

parameters, such as the levels of blood gases, the

degree of stretching of the pulmonary tissue, or the

conditions of the inhaling muscles. When processing

all this information, the breathing center determines,

automatically, the best rhythm of breathing, according

to the needs of each moment.”

—A. Cassan


Debbie says: Constantly processing information, the

body’s breathing center automatically determines the

best rhythm, according to the needs of each moment.

This seems like magic, but for the body, it is merely

“what it does.” Not a bad day’s work for bag of bones.

“The circulatory system is also called the cardiovascular

system, because it is formed by the heart and a complex

network of blood vessels. Its function is to carry

blood continuously to all tissues in the body. Blood

provides the tissues with oxygen and nutrients needed

for functioning and it picks up metabolic residues for

transport of the organs in charge of eliminating them.”

—A. Cassan


Debbie says: When designing a cardiovascular program,

one often thinks of how to move the legs and arms. I

believe the core of the body is a more natural and organic

source for activating the heart and lungs. The Body’s

Way and the five stages of human development (Nia

5 Stages) have taught me how our movement begins

from the center. It is in the core that we most acutely

feel cardiovascular fitness growing—in the center of our

chest, in our moving spine, our beating heart. As we sink

and rise, we can sense our lungs expanding, filling and

emptying as we reach out and draw energy in. A dance

of circulation, the core—the pelvis, chest and head—is

the point of initiation, where the freedom and the flow of

movement begin.

Mind

“We overuse our ability to self-contract largely because

it gives us a sense of power. When we narrow ourselves

and restrict our pulsating, we interfere with our process.

We create ourselves, the illusion of having stopped

time, of having achieved a static reality. We believe

we’re safe in this static situation. And we believe that

we are saved—that we have clinched our immortality.”

—Stanley Keleman,

Your Body Speaks Its Mind

Debbie says: It is easy to sense “holding” in the core of

the body. Holding is a static sensation. The Body’s Way

continually reminds me that health and wellness rely on

freedom—freedom of movement, of all body parts to fully

express themselves. Learning to allow my pelvis, chest

and head to move freely and expressively required me to

undo old habits and let go of certain social beliefs. As a

woman, it took time to move my pelvis freely as I walked,

as I danced—without fear. At first, moving my spine and

especially my head felt somewhat demonstrative, but I did

it anyway. And guess what? My world shifted from a more

static experience to one that felt dynamic and expressive.

The more I moved my core, engaging my pelvis, chest and

head, the more I sensed my “try” power. I no longer have

to contract to feel safe. Instead, I let go, exhale, soften my

belly and release my pelvis, chest, head and heart.

“The strength of our voice is based upon the degree

of involvement of our total organ system. A blockage

somewhere in our organs will be reflected in the quality

and intensity of our voice.”

—Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen,

Sensing, Feeling and Action

Debbie says: Using our voices—sounding—is one of the

most efficient ways of activating and engaging the core

of the body. The vibrations of sounding enliven the core,

helping us become aware of our organ systems and their

involvement in the whole body. I find that when most

people think about involving body parts, they think of

their hands, arms and legs, but they often do not consider

the involvement of their organs. Adding sounding to your

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Nia dance is a sure way to sense the aliveness of your

core and organ systems, to sense their dynamic activation,

which gives you the opportunity to sense your dance from

the inside out.

“A strong pelvic base will liberate your upper-body

motion. Once your arms and legs are connected to

a reliable center, tension decreases and flexibility

improves. In addition, it will be easier to discover

the relationship between your upper and lower

limbs.”

— Eric N. Franklin,

Dance Imagery for Technique

and Performance

Debbie says: I found my feet through Nia—

and I found another set of “feet” in my pelvis.

I understand that any moving part needs a

foundation. For my chest to move, I must establish

awareness of my pelvis as the foundation. For my

head to move, I must establish awareness of my

chest as the foundation. For my pelvis to move, I

must establish awareness of my feet, ankles, knees

and hip joints as the moving foundation. It’s a

dynamic relationship, one I can sense every time I

move my core and focus on the movement of my

three body weights. I love the idea of consciously

creating a reliable center. It is not that my body

does not naturally provide me with a reliable center,

but rather what I have done over the years to

diminish it. Today, I do sit-ups, twist, reach, coil and

uncoil, because I want to help my core be what it is

designed to be: a foundation I can rely on.

emotions

“We expand and contract. This pulsatory process is

the story of how we form ourselves, the history of

our image and identity. Our dream does not have

to be searched for inside. It presents itself without

our rummaging around in our psychological

graveyard. The dream expands upon us, into us, like

a wave swelling forth from the ocean. It engages us

physically and cognitively,seeking not interpretation

but further understanding through self-reflection

and through expressions in the social world of

friends and lovers. One soon learns that one’s

forming has a thousand tongues.”

— Stanley Keleman,


Debbie says: The development of who we are, the forming

of ourselves, is visible in the function and organization

of our pelvis, chest and head. These three body weights

pulse and wave as a unique expression of our “self”—the

ever-developing self. When you think, sense and feel, your

core expands and contracts, doing what it is designed to

do: respond. No other place in the body is so emotionally

alive and available, so ready to tell you what is going on

inside, than the core of your body. The core is a language

of a thousand tongues.

“A lot of forming goes on outside the purview of

self-awareness. I think of myself one way, and then

I discover that I’m quite something else—and this

happens whether I am conscious of my self-forming or

unconscious of my self-forming, whether I knowingly

participate in it. Even when I am actively involved in

shaping myself, I may suddenly realize that Hey, I’ve

been formed! I’m me! I am the unique expression of the

whole of my life, the particular quality that has emerged

and established itself as me.”

—Stanley Keleman,


Debbie says: Thinking of my body as an expression of

my whole life shifted the way I relate to my core. I now

perceive my three body weights as living matter that

expresses my life. I mold and emotionally form myself

by communicating with my pelvis, chest and head,

listening to the message of each part. I am privileged

to listen to these three centers, each with its own voice

and message, which I can use to understand myself

and to look at my life, exposed and unfolded. The

dance of my core is the dance of my life. When my

life is happy, so is the dance of my core. When my life

is fearful, so is the dance of my core. I can feel my life

and see it in the dancing of my body.

8lesson


“It is interesting to note that in spite of how it feels when

you inhale, you are not pulling air into the body. On

the contrary, air is pushed into the body by atmospheric

pressure that always surrounds you. The actual force

that gets air into the lungs is outside the body. The

energy you expend in breathing produces a shape

change that lowers the pressure in your chest cavity and

permits the air to be pushed into the body by the weight

of the planet’s atmosphere.”

— Leslie Kaminoff, Yoga Anatomy

Debbie says: Expression, the outward movement of what

is inside me, is naturally fueled when I fill and empty

my body with emotion. I can think of no better way

to activate breathing than to become emotionally

engaged, turned on in the core of my body. It is a

unique sensation to feel my body filling and emptying

with emotions. The Body’s Way reminds me that my

emotions are housed in my core. The more I move my

core, the more I move my emotions.

“As we compared our feeling states with the

physiological processes that occurred in the organs, we

began to observe congruency between physical function

and physiological function. Our perception of the

interrelationship opened up and deepened. We began to

be directly aware of how our emotions and our physical

embodiment of our organs reflected each other.”

— Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen,

Sensing, Feeling and Action

Debbie says: When you consider how our thoughts,

emotions and organs reflect each other, you become

motivated to feed all parts of your body—especially your

core—with good thoughts and the sensations of love. The

end result is a toned, healthy and dynamically responsive

body from the inside out. Understanding what it is you

are feeling, owning your feelings, helps you think with

the positive power to change. Ultimately, your thoughts

become choices and actions that shape your physical

body—your muscles, bones, hearts, lungs, kidneys, liver,

stomach, eyes, ears, mouth—all the parts of that function

for your enjoyment and survival.

spirit

“First we become more. Then we know more and we

express more; we live more.”

—Stanley Keleman,


Debbie says: Having an interactive relationship with the

core—with my pelvis, chest and head—teaches me a

great deal. Through my core, I get to engage in life directly

with my whole body. I get to witness first-hand the spirit

of Debbie making her choices and decisions. In the end,

I know more about me, my body, and the world I live in.

When I know more, I am in the presence of the body’s

wisdom shared with me.

“Being born means being severed from the umbilical

cord—the lifeline that sustains you for nine months.

Suddenly, for the first time, you need to engage in

actions that will ensure continued survival. The very

first of these actions declares your physical and

physiological independence. It is the first breath, and

it is the most important and forceful inhalation you

will ever take in your life. That first inhalation was the

most important one because the initial inflation of the

lungs causes essential changes to the entire circulatory

system, which had previously been geared toward

receiving oxygenated blood from the mother. The first

breath causes blood to surge into the lungs, the right

and left sides of the heart to separate into two pumps,

and the specialized vessels of the fetal circulation to

shut down and seal off. That first inhalation is the most

forceful one you will ever take...”

— Leslie Kaminoff, Yoga Anatomy

Debbie says: I am always reminded of the power of the

first breath when I begin to move my core. I sense an

aliveness in my body’s center, my spirit coming to life.

My hips begin to sway, my body comes to life and I feel

Debbie. I come to life from the inside out. Sensing my core

gives me the opportunity to feel my first breath each time

I step into class. This is how I come back to my “now”

body, to the moment, and to the sensation of Beginner’s

mind, body and spirit. Dancing my core, my spine alive, I

have the opportunity to connect to each breath as if it is

the very first—for it is the first of this moment.

8lesson


“Unity creates by dividing itself, and this can be

symbolized geometrically in several different ways,

depending upon how the original Unity is graphically

represented. Unity can be appropriately represented as

a circle, but the very incommensurability of the circle

indicates that this figure belongs to a level of symbols

beyond reasoning and measure. Unity can be restated

as the Square, which, with its perfect symmetry, also

represents wholeness and yields to comprehensible

measure. In geometrical philosophy the circle is the

symbol of unmanifest Unity, while the square represents

Unity poised, as it were, for manifestation.”

— Robert Lawlor, Sacred Geometry:

Philosophy and Practice

Debbie says: Each part of the core symbolizes sacred

geometry, a blend of matter, shape, form and spirit. Seeing

each part as a circle taps me into the magic of the sacred,

into something I feel beyond what my cognitive reasoning

understands. The union of three, my core, is the home

of my spirit’s heart. Regardless of shape or size, the body

organizes itself into perfect symmetry, into wholeness. The

core is a sacred manifestation of unity and wholeness.

“As children, we express excitement impulsively. Then,

as we start to develop boundaries and become capable

of containing our excitation, we begin to experience:

‘Here am I, and there is the not-I. This is my self, and

that is the not-myself. Here is my world, and there is the

outer world.’ Our sense of distancing and discriminating

and focusing is formed in the embodying of our

excitement.”



Debbie says: To feel your spirit engaged in everything you

do means allowing excitement to flow; it means allowing

what you feel inside to shape your body, life and dance.

The more we embody the excitement we feel, the more

our core comes to life. Excitement is good medicine

the core, as it strengthens the body by adding dynamic

movements and rhythms to the pelvis, chest and head.

Owning the excitement we feel and expressing it through

our life and dance builds a sense of strength and ease—

physically, mentally and emotionally. A strong core creates

a strong home for our spirit.

“Our formative process is mother to our experiencing,

just as experience sires forming. Experience directly

expresses three aspects of our formative process: (1)

the quantity of excitation we are able to contain and

release, (2) the qualities of this excitement (hard or

gentle, weak or strong), and (3) the rhythmicity of

our excitement (its ebb and flow, its contracting and

expanding).”



Debbie says: When you think about it, maintaining health

is really rather simple. Experience life as a sensation—

for life is sensation—and move from your core, your

spirit, freely and fully. Express life honestly, lovingly and

passionately. Commit to living in pleasure, listen to your

spirit, and in your body’s way, move and follow your heart.

Love what you do and feel self-love growing in the core

of your body. Transform anything that does not serve the

expression of your greatness and potential into something

that does. Move and be still. Above all, experience life in

your core fully, as this experience is forming your body

and life.

8lesson


resources

Barlow, Wilfred. The Alexander Technique: How to Use

Your Body without Stress. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts,

1990. Print.

Cassan, A. Essential Atlas of Physiology. Hauppauge, NY:

Barron’s, 2005. Print.

Cohen, Bonnie Bainbridge. Sensing Feeling and Action:

The Experiental Anatomy of Body-mind Centering. 1980-

1992. Berkeley, CA, USA: North Atlantic, 1993. Print.

Coulter, H. David. Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: a Manual

for Students, Teachers, and Practitioners. Honesdale, PA:

Body and Breath, 2001. Print.

Franklin, Eric N. Dance Imagery for Technique and

Performance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1996.

Print.

Holeman, Dona. Centering Down. Firenza.: Tipografia

Giuntina., 1981. Print.

Kaminoff, Leslie, Amy Matthews, and Sharon Ellis. Yoga

Anatomy. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007. Print.

Keleman, Stanley. Your Body Speaks Its Mind. Berkeley,

Calif.: Center, 1981. Print.

Lawlor, Robert. Sacred Geometry: Philosophy and

Practice. London: Thames and Hudson, 1982. Print.

Schneider, Michael S. A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing

the Universe: the Mathematical Archetypes of Nature,

Art, and Science. New York, NY: HarperPerennial,

1995. Print.

debbie’s recommended reading list:

Calais-Germain, Blandine, and Stephen Anderson.

Anatomy of Movement. Seattle: Eastland, 1993. Print.

Hogarth, Burne. Dynamic Anatomy. New York: Watson-

Guptill Publications, 2003. Print.

Myers, Thomas W. Anatomy Trains: Myofascial

Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists.

Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 2001. Print.

Rolf, Ida P. Rolfing: The Integration of Human

Structures. Santa Monica, CA: Dennis-Landman, 1977.

Print.

Schultz, R. Louis, and Rosemary Feitis. The Endless

Web: Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality. Berkeley,

Calif.: North Atlantic, 1996. Print.

Todd, Mabel E. Thinking Body. Hightstown, N.J.:

Princeton Book Company, 1991. Print.

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