Last Thursday evening I placed my intention on releasing some pain in a muscle in between my shoulder blades that I had been struggling with. I agitated the muscle the week before when I slipped on an icy patch and fell!
So during my Nia class in a few moments of freedance using Duncan Dance as inspiration, I carefully began undulating my spine. I gradually placed more focus on the chest, shoulders and neck area – sensing the upper half of my spine where the cervical and thoracic meet. Using head and eye movement, my hands and arms to dance my spine gently, breathing and relaxing into the movement I felt my upper back and shoulders open up and loosen. I reached into the air above me, explored space behind me. The movement got easier, and felt so good. By the end, I felt lighter, the tightness and pain was melting away. By the next morning, it was gone…
I could have decided that I was in too much pain to move – I could have decided to just take some Ibuprofen and hope it will go away.
In my last 3 years teaching Nia, studying and using movement as medicine, I have learned that stillness and ibuprofen have their uses certainly. In this case I did use them both wisely. However, movement often is avoided and yet it is a powerful step in healing physically, mentally and emotionally. If you “Fly Beyond” fear of it and begin with love and gentle kindness to yourself.
Here is the music that danced me through:
Earth Moves 