Building Community

Ask anyone who is a Nia aficionado, and they will tell you one of the most valuable gifts of Nia is the community that grows around it. In fact, community may be the greatest gift of all for our health and well-being and Nia delivers that. According to Susan Pinker, author of The Village Effect: How Face-to-Face Contact Can Make Us Healthier, Happier, and Smarter, close personal relationships and face-to-face interactions are the primary contributors to our health and longevity, even more than quitting smoking!
I am fortunate that every morning of the week I can look forward to seeing my friends and doing something incredibly beneficial for us all. We gather with small talk, checking in to connect, preparing for our practice. We circle together to talk of our collective focus for the day, seeing each other eye to eye. We comment and laugh as our feet begin to shift, eager to get dancing. The first breath draws us closer. The movement itself is our synchrony..bonding our bodies, minds and spirits with a healing collective consciousness and intent. We learn and grow with each new routine that stimulates us in our own unique ways, together. We see the greatness and possibility in each other by witnessing the joy and dedication that flows through us as we dance; each voice, each body, contributing to our Nia community regardless of skill or ability. We see and are seen.
It takes us all to build community. It starts with willingness, vulnerability and simply showing up. If you show up, Nia will do the rest!

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