Have you noticed the vibrant murals and street art that adorn our city? Traffic boxes and brick walls are transformed into beautiful canvases for expression and imagination, becoming part of H-town culture. I am excited to announce Studio NiaMoves will contribute its own mural to our city’s colorful and electrifying art scene!
 
Our Nia community has invested its own energy into partially funding the long awaited mural which will take shape beginning Dec. 31. 
 
The mural design has been a dream of mine for the last several months, but finally took shape when I found the artist Emily while exploring the latest additions to Houston’s mural landscape during the 2017 Mural Festival.  
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NiaMoves Mural design - the Elephant
Half of the world’s populations venerate the elephant as a symbol of luck, wisdom and great intelligence. The Elephant is a majestic figure of great size living in harmony with its surroundings. Nowadays it is even used on various coats of arms and crests as a symbol of strength and resilience. 
 
In the sketch that Emily created the ears of two elephants form the shape of a heart, giving the illusion of a single heart and one head, in turn symbolizing peace, love, and oneness. It takes a great talent to interpret an idea to this level of perfection. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw the sketch!
 
Emily is the co-creator behind the famous "The Birds Always Come Back," a mural inspired by stories of Hurricane Harvey survivors. In her depiction, a girl clasps her hair to her face with eyes and lips closed, as if she'll never find her happiness again. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and the birds eventually return. And happiness comes back too. Hearing Emily explain how she came up with the theme was a treat itself.

In the days following Hurricane Harvey we offered complimentary classes to help people cope with the aftermath of the storm.  All of our regular class offerings and events are devoted to helping people tap into their inner wisdom,  strength and resiliency to live a harmonious life.
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The work for our mural at Studio NiaMoves is scheduled to begin December 31 and will take about a week or so to complete. During this time, the seven parking spots adjacent to the wall will be unavailable.
 
Give yourself a few extra minutes when arriving for classes and events to find parking. Use street parking whenever possible. Stop by for a quick chat with our talented artist Emily and watch this beautiful mural unfold in front of your eyes. You can also follow the progress online at @mleeding, @niamoves and #elephantwall. Once it is completed, bring your family, friends and neighbors by to take a photo! 

Angela Mestre
Studio NiaMoves owner

Long before I found SuryaSoul®, a conscious, embodied dance practice, I found its creators, Philippe Beaufour and Sabine Zweig. As one-time Nia trainers, they had come to Houston to present Nia workshops and dance classes. Upon meeting them, I was instantly drawn to their open friendliness, warmth, generosity, compassion and absolute, iron-clad passion for dance. They radiated enthusiasm, peace and internal joy. 

Months later, I journeyed to Auroville, India, to attend their signature retreat based on the Chakra system, sustainable living, unity and group dance. I returned home with new knowledge, a happy heart and life-long friends!

Five years on, Sabine and Philippe have found a way to bring into form the philosophies, life lessons and practices that define them. They gave this new system a name, SuryaSoul®. In September 2017, I became one of two U.S. based, SuryaSoul soma certified teachers.

Surya means sun in Sanskrit. Grounded in the Chakra system (the body’s seven energy fields), and the philosophies of integral Yoga and Tao, SuryaSoul is a dance practice that features music from around the world, designed to resonate deeply with each individual. Each SuryaSoul experience for me is a unique expression of both my symbolic heart and the group’s collective spirit. It replenishes me and activates my body even as I connect energetically to those around me.

It is in that spirit that I joyfully invite you to experience SuryaSoul® event first hand as I bring this beautiful practice to Houston, monthly at Studio NiaMoves. SuryaSoul® is perfect for all movement practitioners - Nia, Yoga, Martial Arts, ecstatic dancers. No experience needed!  Anyone can do it! ​

​Let your soul shine at Studio NiaMoves! 
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                                                   - Blog post by Yvonne Myles, Nia Black Belt Instructor, SuryaSoul® Soma Teacher

12 years ago, I stepped into my first Intensive Training ever. I wanted to teach Nia. To be clear, I felt called to teach Nia and the White Belt Certification was my first necessary step. Feb 2005, I began that course with Helen Terry in Houston, TX. On Day 7 of the 7 day intensive, a knowing arose in me, I'd be training this curriculum one day . But, first things first, I needed to learn how to teach. More than 8000 classes into that endeavor, I've discovered along the way a well-spring of curiosity that fuels my desire to 'be the best person, partner, friend, relative, neighbor, and teacher I can be' .

7 years later, fulfilling a premonition, I stepped up to facilitate my first Intensive Training ever. The culmination of this personal accomplishment was the result of s ummoning courage again and again to face what often felt like many insurmountable fears: the fear of being seen, the fear to not being perfect, the fear of rejection, the fear of not being good enough, the fear of speaking up, the fear of not belonging, the fear of failure... shall I go on? because I could! Perhaps you can relate to this on some level, in ways that are unique to you of course yet shared in our humanity. I often felt like a little girl in a woman's body, looking out with relentless concern about what others thought of me.

I credit my perpetual practice of Nia's design system for completely alchemizing my internal environment. Learning to inhabit, love and live from every square inch of my body has been a path well worth dancing!

"We teach best what we need to learn" has been my truth and saving GRACE.Forever standing on the precipice ' What's new? ' I'm super excited to find myself preparing to facilitate a Nia White Belt Certification 9/25-10/1 in Houston, TX at Studio NiaMoves , with Helen Terry!

Join us Sept 25 - Oct 1 as a trainee, as an auditor, or as a student in public classes. Plan a spontaneous day trip to Houston to Dance Self, Soul and Spirit. Helen and I would love to see you there.
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To Your Health, Julie Wylie
JulieAnnWylie.com
(512) 791-6597

By Laura Burns

The Body Positive movement has created a shift in how we view the relationship between our bodies and our minds. Body positivity affirms that each of us deserves to love and respect ourselves regardless of our size, race, ability, and gender expression. For some who have been taught they’re less because of their body, this may be a complete reversal of thought! Yogis struggling to accept and love themselves can truly benefit from asana class steeped in body positivity. The change in perspective can help them reap the benefits of yoga to improve their mental and physical health for life-changing results in and out of the studio.

When I began to explore yoga I couldn’t find instructors trained in working with folks in bigger bodies like mine. I desperately wanted to improve my connection with my body, learn about yoga, and create a lasting practice to benefit my health and wellness. I attended class after class with instructors who didn’t know what to do with my body, so they either ignored my needs completely or over-highlighted me in a strange attempt at making me feel comfortable. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. These experiences were incredibly disheartening. I wanted the yoga high after class, the epiphanies my friends were having mid-down dog, the joy of experiencing alignment and strength in my body! Instead I had negative experiences time and again, ultimately deciding that I just wasn’t made for yoga and spending the next 10 years avoiding yoga completely.

I eventually found my way back into yoga class, teacher training, and created Radical Body Love Yoga to bring accessible body positive classes to people who don’t feel comfortable and safe in traditional yoga spaces. Radical Body Love Yoga combines body positive philosophy and accessible asana options to create a comprehensive practice that helps foster students’ love, respect, and acceptance for their bodies. Through body positive cues, sequences, and pose options, I encourage students to explore and honor what their bodies can do in each moment without comparing themselves to other people or their past selves. The following are 3 tips for incorporating body positivity into your yoga practice!

It’s about the benefit of the pose, not how it looks! Every pose is challenging for someone. Your pose doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You may easily slide into Child’s Pose and feel comfortable, safe, and happy while the student next to you is in pain, uncomfortable, or feeling anxious. There is always another option to reap the benefit of the pose. For example, Child’s Pose is a resting pose designed to help you feel calm, comfortable, and safe by creating a delicious C-shaped curve of the spine. Folding forward can be challenging for folks with larger bellies and feel unsafe for those dealing with trauma. That same C-shape can be achieved by sitting comfortably and gently tucking chin towards chest. For more support the forehead can come to a stack of yoga blocks to create a restorative posture that suits most bodies.

Props are your friend. It sounds simple, but many classes are not taught from a supported starting point. Try flipping the script and starting from the most supported version of the pose and then adjusting as you go. Start with a block, dial the height down, and let go when you’re ready. The important part is that you’re in control. For teachers, starting everyone with props means that people can try it with support and then continue or opt out. There’s no awkward walk across the room when you realize you really do need a strap for this Extended Big Toe, and many seasoned students find that they enjoy using props as well. Props are not for ‘those who can’t’, they’re a great tool to enrich everyone’s practice.

You’re the expert. Often there’s an emphasis on pushing through, working harder, or finding the full expression of the pose that can lead you past your edge and mean a physical injury or feeling like you’re not doing enough. Give yourself permission to recognize that you’re the expert on your body. You know when you’re at your edge, when you don’t need to push any harder, and when you need to not push at all. It doesn’t matter what the teacher says, if you trust yourself to know your own limits and needs you will gain more from class and have a better experience.

These tips are just the beginning! There’s a whole world of body positivity and yoga out there for you. Remember to be kind to yourself and always give yourself permission to give your body what it truly needs.

This article is published in September 2017 issue of Natural Awakening magazine.  To learn more about Radical Body Love Yoga, visit radicalbodylove.com. Laura teaches four classes weekly at Studio NiaMoves in the Houston Heights. Register online at niamoves.com.  

Pictured from left: Cambrey, Marylou (seated), Angela, Sue and Yvonne

Currently, I volunteer as an art teacher at The Center for Success and Independence, a residential and outpatient treatment center offering adolescent trauma therapy and treatment for teen substance abuse and co-occurring mental health issues in Houston, Texas. Before that, I met Marylou Erbland, the co-founder of the center at a mutual friend’s home. At the time, I was volunteering with an organization that was preparing to open a residential treatment center for female minors who had been rescued from the sex trafficking industry. In discussing our opening and the girls who would be living there, I learned that four girls who were being successfully treated at TCSI were being considered for transfer to the new center.
              
Eventually, I began volunteering at TCSI as an art teacher. In reality, I'm more of an art project manager. I design a plan, collect needed supplies, instruct and encourage the young clients. My passion for living out my faith by serving motivates me to give my time. Plus, I love kids, young people and art so, this is a natural extension of who I am. I receive joy when I'm in the company of the clients.  It's not always easy but, I always leave feeling I've learned something from them. It is a privilege to see a reluctant client who doesn't feel they are "good" at art, complete a project with satisfaction and pride. 
              
In my time working with these kids I have observed that young people can become profoundly lost on their journey and lose their sense of self-worth. It takes time  but, with the intense level of support and therapy provided at TCSI, they slowly make their way back to believing in themselves again and realizing they have worth, and that it has value!
                             
These days, the sheer intensity and volume of life-threatening habits young people must be able to discern and make choices regarding is overwhelming. It saddens me how many children don't have a healthy and encouraging support system to lean on.
              
As for my connection to Nia, that began on May 21, 2011, when I picked up an airline magazine while traveling on American Airlines and read about it for the first time. When I returned home, I did some research and was surprised to learn Soma Ranch was 15 minutes down the road. On a Wednesday evening I phoned Helen Terry and two days later I became a registered trainee in the White Belt training! I have since completed both the White and Blue Belts, and I am an Ageless Grace instructor.
              
One day when visiting TCSI  I noticed the lack of exercise the clients received -- especially the girls.  It is widely known that conditioning the body also improves emotional wellbeing and cognitive functioning. What’s good for the body is good for the brain, leading to better results in recovery. I knew from my training as a nurse, camp leader, and missionary that Nia would be a perfect fit and could be accomplished by all fitness levels in a limited space. I affirm that dancing is good for the heart, mind and spirit....as well as being a ton of fun!
              
It is my hope that the Dare to Dream, Dare to Dance project with Studio NiaMoves will bring Nia to TCSI for one year, or maybe longer.  And my prayer is there will be an increased awareness of this wonderful center and its mission. I believe Nia will be wholeheartedly received by the clients and staff and positive changes will result because dancing is embraced and practiced regularly. I have already seen the results from just a few classes.  The participants love it, and the movement and excitement is contagious, moving couch-sitters to the dance floor!                                
              
Hopefully, the Nia community will also benefit from engaging with TCSI. Perhaps lifelong Nia students, instructors and educators are waiting for their own such time as this with TCSI to change their lives!

by Sue Korthauer, Nia student and TCSI volunteer

I have had the same dream my whole life. I see a large tsunami form in the distance. In panic, I wonder, should I run? Should I hide? Each time in my dream I am either engulfed and wake up, or I survive only to find another one starting to form. 
 
I have had depression from a very young age. Slowly, and only quite recently, have I learned how to manage it. One of the more difficult parts for me is the struggle for friendship and acceptance. Meeting new people can be hard when the voice of depression insists  "of course they won't like you" or  "they are just being nice to you because they feel sorry for you." To aid in my journey, I knew I needed a safe place to meet people.  That is how I found NiaMoves. 
 
I walked into my first class and wondered, why are people wearing costumes? Then, OMG, what is this teacher talking about? And then with free dance..."WHAT DO I DO WITH MY BODY?"  
 
But for some reason I stayed. At the end of my first Nia class with the loving and talented Yvonne, I felt alive and at peace. When I left that day all I could think about was that I wanted to be part of this community. I tried to understand...what made me feel so good? Was it the teacher's soothing voice? The music? The mind-body connection? Or the way that I was treated when I walked in, as well as the way everyone connects to each other?
 
Here I am, back from Puerto Rico with a Yoga teacher training under my belt, and I've started teaching Yoga at NiaMoves! I lean on Angela for support if I am having a bad day; I take Helen's upbeat and energetic Nia classes if I am feeling lazy; I pull myself into Laura's Radical body love class when I am feeling sad. Then of course there is Yvonne's class and whatever secret magic she sprinkles on the senses when I am feeling out of touch. I give my yogis the gentle reminders of self-love, and tenderness towards our body and soul.  And the best part of walking into a class is knowing that someone is there for the same reason as me, for community, support and friendship. I am a part of a loving community and that feels so good. 
 
Last night I had a dream. There was an approaching tsunami like always, but this time it was different! Yes, it was still coming, still looming larger than life and unstoppable. But the panic I usually feel wasn't there! I knew I was supposed to be afraid, but I wasn't. For some reason I knew however hard the wave hit I could handle it. 
 
For me, NiaMoves is a powerful step on the way to self-love and acceptance. It is different for everyone, but expect to find something you may not even know you needed.....that and a lot of genuine hugs. 
 
- Esther Tell (Yoga Teacher at NiaMoves)

Seventeen years ago I stepped into my first Nia white belt training, and my life has never been the same. As a Nia white belt graduate, I am connected to a beautiful web of people around the world who share my passion for dance and speak the same language of sensation and healing movement. Because of Nia, I have traveled to and danced in India, Germany, Scotland and Wales and never failed to make new friends.
 
Stepping into a Nia training is like peeling an onion -- without the tears! The White Belt training teaches you practical tools for living life in your body with joy, ease, grace, power, fascination, pleasure and balance. With every training I take, I leave with a deeper understanding of the philosophy and tools of Nia and greater appreciation for the moveable structure that is my body. And yet, there is always more!
 
In late September, Studio NiaMoves will host its first Nia White Belt training in many years, featuring two incredible Nia faculty members, international Nia Black Belt Trainer Helen Terry and Austin-based Trainer Julie Wylie.  Nia has continued to evolve over the last 17 years, which is why there is always something new to learn!
 
Many of our longstanding students at Studio NiaMoves are themselves White Belt trainees.  Like me, some have even gone on to teach. Others simply use what they’ve learned to enrich their own in-class experience and their lives. Whether you plan to teach or not, or have even taken a Nia class, this is an incredible opportunity to learn what Nia truly is. You’ll also learn about your body, and how by moving it you can find joy, create conditioning and heal.  Nia is so much more than a fitness technique. It’s an enriching educational system and lifestyle practice. 
 
Maybe I'll even step in again to  begin my journey anew. Won’t you come too?

Yvonne Myles, Nia Black Belt teacher at Studio NiaMoves

I am the founder of Chakra Body Dance, but in a way, I could almost say that Chakra Body Dance found me, bit by bit. 

​What is Chakra Body Dance? It’s a practice combining movement and music that allows you, your physical body and your unseen, yet vital energy body to flow through life with greater ease and awareness. Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel or disk. From a body perspective, chakras are wheels of swirling, invisible life force energy, seven of which align along the spine from top to bottom. It is our life force energy that keeps us feeling vibrant, healthy and alive.

Having been on my own spiritual, healing journey, I was naturally open to new ways of stimulating healing. In Chakra Body Dance, I use essential oils, music and intuitive energy healing to guide my students in peeling away stagnate energies that may be keeping them from fulfilling what they hope to achieve.  I call it, “jumping into your juiciness!”  Each move is presented to move energy through or around a particular chakra that may need clearing or may just need some attention.  Energy and healing follow attention.

It was in Bali that I first envisioned the five beautiful dancers that are highlighted on the Chakra Body Dance logo.  I feel their presence in every class. I offer weekly classes and private healing sessions. I am able to provide a more in-depth experience during the private sessions.  

Are you feeling stuck mentally, emotionally or physically? Or do you just want to move your body in a relaxing, yet stimulating way? Join me for an hour of music and intuitive movement.  No previous dance experience is required.  Please feel free to email me with questions or inquiries about the classes and/or private sessions. 

JoAnn Scott, Chakra Body Dance Founder