Bodyfulness — Seattle Nia with Dina

Caitlin is off to Cambodia for 3 years to work in human services for a non-profit organization. She had her last class with me on Wednesday morning.

Let’s imagine her and her partner Teia safety arriving, securing comfortable and convenient housing, and getting starting in their new life with ease.

Many blessings to Caitlin and Teia!

Here is the music I used for her goodbye class.
Song; Artist

Crazy; Seal
Fly Like An Eagle; Seal
Love will be your shelter; Nikka Costa
Golden; Jill Scott
SexyBack (feat. Timbaland); Justin Timberlake
Low (Feat. T-Pain); Flo Rida
One, Two Step; Ciara
Last Dance; Donna Summer
Starlight (BRS Remix); The Superman Lovers
Rock Your Body ; Justin Timberlake
Sunset; Nitin Sawhney
Last song; unknown title and artist

Friday Night…it’s ON!

This Friday night: 6:30 PM RockNia returns with another amazing set of music to kick off your weekend right!

Mollia and Dina co-teach the hottest RockNia EVER!

We are going to have a BLAST!

Fat Freddy’s Drop! Thanks to the heads-up from Rachael Red Millikan, it’s ON. I just booked my flights to go see the shows!

As far as I know, this is their first tour in the States. They are ONLY hitting California for two shows before they head to Europe.

I’ll be seeing both shows – in San Francisco on Nov. 19th, where I’ll be staying with my good friend, Taura (aka T-bone); and San Diego on Nov 21st, where I’ll be chillin’ with my awesome sissy, Chrissy.

Don’t worry, I’m planning on hooking you up with an AMAZING guest teacher – Ms. Mollia Jensen! More on this later…

MGMT, pictured here. The album Oracular Spectacular showed up as a gift from my cousin, Lenny. Very good stuff! Check it out when you get a chance. I’ll be using some tracks in Nia from time to time.

Last night’s sunset and this morning’s playlist. Sending love.

Get To Know Ya (Uncut); Maxwell
Used to Love U; John Legend
Back & Forth; Aaliyah
Wait a Minute (Just a Touch); Estelle
Love Like This; Faith Evans
The Way I Are; Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E.
Boom Boom Pow; Black Eyed Peas
Shake It; Metro Station
Change (feat. Wale); Daniel Merriweather
Still Not A Player (Clean); Big Pun featuring Joe
Deal With the Devil; Kohinoor
Over and Over; Tim McGraw ft. Nelly
Del Fuego; Fat Freddy’s Drop

Insert a bad ass guitar riff here

RockNia – this Friday night, 6:30 PM.

Guest staring Mollia Jensen, aided and abetted by Dina.

I wanna rock!

This week in the Deepen Your Niability workshop, we are moving from a Jazz focus, to emphasize T’ai Chi.

The Nia Technique describes T’ai Chi as ”the slow dance”.

The moments in class when we gently move are inspired by this ancient martial art.

Tonight, at the 6:30PM class, I am spinning my focus to include slow and quick movements, to exaggerate the difference.  I’m so glad Nia classes include both consciousness and enthusiasm.  

We can begin our practice with a slow music and form focus, and then alternate with up-tempo quickness. 

Here is my playlist for your listening pleasure:

Song Title; Artist

Bookstore; Jon Brion
War; Joan Osborne
The End; SugaRush Beat Company
Change (feat. Wale); Daniel Merriweather
Crabbuckit; K-OS
Little More Time; Stephanie McKay
Second Chapter; Blue Scholars
Stop Me (Kissy Sell Out Remix); Mark Ronson & Daniel Merriweather
Ganesh Is Fresh (feat. Jai Uttal); MC Yogi
She’s Got Me; Mark Ronson & Daniel Merriweather
Edge of Seventeen; Stevie Nicks
This Room; Fat Freddy’s Drop
Ladder; Akshara Weave

I was wondering what I was waiting on…

This week, I was trying to create the Jazz-inspired Nia dance class for this week’s Niability session and I kept getting distracted.

It was because I needed to wait unti the news of Michael Jackson’s death today in order to create a tribute dance. 
I’ll debut it at this Friday’s 9am and 6:30pm classes. 

Here’s the playlist:

Remember the Time; Michael Jackson
Brotha; Jill Scott
Train In Vain; Annie Lennox
Coast 2 Coast (Suavamente); Angie Martinez & Wyclef Jean
Adouma; Angelique Kidjo
I wish; Patti LaBelle
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’; Michael Jackson
Freedom; George Michael
Bad; Michael Jackson
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground); Michael Jackson
Bluey; Fat Freddy’s Drop

Let’s keep a fire burning for Michael through full body groovin’!

I love the creative process.  Good thing I have a deadline or I’d keep changing this set, I can just feel it.  Gotta know when to say, “enough is enough”…take it away from myself and call it good.

Here is the playlist for tomorrow as of 7:34pm…

Mad World; Adam Lambert
Everybody Loves The Sunshine; Roy Ayers Feat. Erykah Badu
Forgive Them Father; Lauryn Hill
Whatta Man; Salt-N-Pepa & En Vogue
Missionary Man; Eurythmics
Father of Mine; Everclear
Never Far Away; Chris Cornell
It’s Raining Men; The Weather Girls
Soul Man; Sam & Dave
Just the Two of Us; Will Smith
Father and Daughter; Paul Simon
Living Years; Mike + the Mechanics
Pull the Catch; Fat Freddy’s Drop