I am a Mom as well as a teacher of movement classes on Zoom called Nia. Most of my participants are moms, grandmas and persons who nurture others. These “Moms” follow my lead and guidance to engage in moving their bodies to soul-stirring, world music to receive all the benefits of fitness such as strength, flexibility, stability, agility, and mobility, both in their physical body as well as in their mind, emotions, and spirit. During this pandemic, moms have found a way to engage their bodies to feel less stress, feel more joy, release tension, and connect with a community online, releasing a sense of isolation. Science tells us that our bodies are made to move at any age and that it is Through Movement that We Find Health.
While climbing Mount Kilimanjaro just a few years short of 60, I realized what a strong body I had that carried me up and down that highest free-standing mountain in the world. I began to treasure the gift of my body and do whatever necessary to keep it in good shape. A couple of years later, I was introduced to a movement practice called Nia and immediately fell in love with it, so much so that I ventured on to become trained and certified to teach Nia. As a Black Belt Nia instructor, I have transitioned from teaching in person to teaching on Zoom, learning the new technology of streaming. Most of my students are moms, grandmas and individuals who care for and nurture others. They come in various shapes and sizes, ages, and abilities. What we all have in common is to move in our body’s way as it is today to achieve the desired level of fitness in our body, mind, spirit and emotions. Even through this new medium, we are able to connect on some level as a community of movers, eliminating a sense of isolation during the pandemic.