Inspiration

My Path to Nia Brown Belt

Curious Blessings

Back in 2011, almost to the day, I stepped into my final training practicum at Nia HQ to become a Brown and Black Belt Nia trainer. Minutes later I received a call from my family, my course changed dramatically and I was taken on a fabulous Healing Energy Ride….

The year before The Terry Family had declared Mummy would travel less and stay home more, spend less and earn more, to focus on the development of our newly acquired Ranch, then Carlos Aya Rosas, co-founder of Nia, announced his retirement and the Terry family flipped a 180! I felt called to attend all trainings with Carlos until he left, this required extensive traveling, increased spending and reduced earnings. Joe and Liliana graciously supported the decision, seeing it as a wise investment and something important for me both personally and professionally.

Then here I was, in Portland, finally stepping into my final practicum with one other training trainer to become the first Brown & Black Belt Nia trainers in the world (beyond the founders) and I receive a call from Joe, my husband. (I can hear Liliana screaming in the background) “Hi Buddy, Liliana’s injured her knee at the tennis tournament, we’re on our way to the emergency room, everything’s going to be OK, stay on your course, we’ve been working together as a team towards this week for 2 years, you’re almost there, we know how important this training is, you don’t need to come home….” I had minutes to make a decision… I chose to return to Houston and grabbed the next flight back. (I think it was the same plane I had landed on!)

We discovered Liliana had ruptured her ACL, this was devastating news to my teenager with aspiring dreams of going to College on a tennis scholarship and playing at Wimbledon.

We’ve been through a curious 4 years, personally I’ve questioned a lot about myself, my ability to teach, to train, thoughts about Nia, my relationship with Nia, etc. It’s been quite dark and depressing at times. I find it curious how the knee joint represents standing up for ourselves, “making a stand”, Louise Hay shares “Knee problems represent stuboborn ego and pride. Inability to bend. Fear. Inflexibility. Won’t give in.” The healing affirmation is “Forgiveness. Understanding Compassion. I bend and flow with ease and all is well”. Both Liliana and I have “grown up” through the process of her knee healing.

The good news is today I’m so super happy with my choices. Although my family could have coped well with me staying in Portland, my actions of coming home spoke volumes, it confirmed, other than God, my family is the most important thing to me. No matter how passionate I am about my Nia practice and all the wonderful possibilities, God and family come first. My soul searching inward time, my long term stall on developing as a brown belt trainer has been humbling and healing. I’m a much more patient, open, understanding, relaxed teacher and, more important, a more compassionate human being for the experience.

I’m left with gratitude for Nia Technique, Carlos Aya Rosas and Debbie Rosas who have provided me with an opportunity to create an amazing full time livelihood for over 2 decades, supporting my family financially, for making great life long friends, sustaining a fabulous business partnership with Kristie Bryant for over a decade, co-owning NiaMoves, a world class Nia Studio full of vibrant community with fantastic teachers, and also co-owning Soma Ranch, an amazing retreat center. I’ve been able to spend more time at home, be more present to enjoy my precious daughter’s transition from highschool transition into college.

When we look at Energy (the focus of the Nia Brown Belt) Everything is matter, in some ways we can say everything matters, and these days I sit back and smile, in awareness of all that REALLY matters in life. I’ve been able to let go of a lot more of stuff which simply doesn’t matter, at least it’s not worth worrying or getting bothered about.

I invite you to ponder what matters to you? what can you let go of TODAY that really doesn’t matter in the big picture? what would you DIVE IN to if you knew you couldn’t fail? are you scared about something? play with asking what’s the worse thing that could happen? and recognize how 80% of what we worry about never happens! let your worry bucket be light and your prayer bucket full :-)

Bodies as a Living and Holy Sacrifice to God

I hope this inspires you as much as me. No matter what our beliefs/religion, surely there is a beautiful message to be received in Romans 12 ~ The Voice (VOICE)

12 Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. 2 Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete……4 For in the same way that one body has so many different parts, each with different functions; 5 we, too—the many—are different parts that form one body in the Anointed One. Each one of us is joined with one another, and we become together what we could not be alone…..

9 Love others well, and don’t hide behind a mask; love authentically. Despise evil; pursue what is good as if your life depends on it. 10 Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers. Be first to honor others by putting them first. 11 Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord……

14 If people mistreat or malign you, bless them. Always speak blessings, not curses. 15 If some have cause to celebrate, join in the celebration. And if others are weeping, join in that as well. 16 Work toward unity, and live in harmony with one another. Avoid thinking you are better than others or wiser than the rest; instead, embrace common people and ordinary tasks. ] 21 Never let evil get the best of you; instead, overpower evil with the good.