Moving for the joy of movement is principle #1 in the Nia White Belt practice. I have loved to move and dance all of my life—only recently has this passionate part of me awoken. I remember grooving in the grocery store line with my Mom, and she said to me quietly, “Stop that.” Acts of pure joy were not well embraced in my family.
But I couldn’t forget about that love, a deep love inside me. When I first danced Nia, I was struck by the joy of movement, sensations in my body that the little girl Mary Lee knew long ago. It had so much depth. This music was so much fun. I felt so good when I did it. And some of the key phrases lit me up: through movement we find health. Nia is a dynamic practice that helps me live more fully who I am.
Photographs by Lori Eschweiler
