Barefoot Buddha Studios

2008-01-29T11:37:00.000-08:00

Classes are cancelled tonight due the inclement weather. All other classes at Highland will be cancelled as well. Stay warm and drive safely home!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's that time of year already! I feel a sense of relief as I walk on the snow and ice knowing my feet, ankles and knees are stronger and more stable than ever. I contribute that to all the work we have been doing with Medicine Woman, our current routine. The long graceful, slow movements have been welcomed deep in my bones...I never would have guessed I could move so slow and powerful and still feel the cardiovascular benefits of this routine!

A special Thanks to all of you who have danced with me in 2007. We have created such a wonderful space in Eau Claire for Nia. This year also found us welcoming in a sister community in Menomonie...can anyone say road trip? I look forward to '08 with great anticipation. I am excited to share with you all our next routine, AO.

AO offers encourages us to explore the relationship between Stability and Mobility. To develop the skill to create stability that supports safe and expressive movement. This routine was designed for all levels and offers a powerful music set.

In AO establishing stability is essential before we can generate mobility. The grace and expression of all movement relies on the effectiveness of the stability, the foundation and root of all movement. This routine will guide us to the places of awareness needed to dance both dynamics simultaneously. Some of the motions are simple and unilateral, while others are more complex by design. The music ranges from fluid and melodic to sweet and trance-inducing to upbeat, highly rhythmic songs with exciting African and Latin percussive sounds.

The stability of AO allows us to increase our level of movement while maintaining safety and creative expression.

Please remember we will not be having class Christmas Eve but will be dancing New Years Day night as usual.

Merry Christmas Friends!

Ten Tips to Help You Begin Sounding

2007-10-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

1. Use your lower body, the feet and legs, to connect you to the Earth, to stay centered and relaxed. Vary the distance of your feet and play with your base to find the best support for making strong sounds.

2. Breathe to sound. Exhale with the conscious intent and awareness to maintain a soft belly. A soft belly makes it easy for you to push sound up and out. It makes room for you to take fresh air into your body. It releases the abdominal muscles and frees the diaphragm so that, together, these two muscles work like an accordion to easily move air and sound.

3. Use the imaginary mind. Visualize and see your sound as color. Connect different sounds to different colors and use the colors to cleanse your energy.

4. Use all parts of our body when making sound to add a quality of ease and effortlessness to your tone. Sounding requires relaxation and trust. Let go of pushing. Listen and feel for ease in your body and in your voice.

5. Be conscious and direct your sound. Conscious action will slow you down and help you blend movements with your sound; your actions with your voice.

6. Use your spirit and give personal identity and personality to your sounds. Add emotion to feel more power, texture, and dimension to your voice.

7. Vertically align your body keeping an upright posture to support a relaxed abdomen and the diaphragm. Let go. Relax your jaw and open your mouth to allow your sound space to flow without restricting it. Releasing your diaphragm and abdomen gives power to your voice.

8. Hum, grunt, make sounds or say words. Remember, it is not about being in tune, it is about making sounds with your voice. It is about finding your sound. It is about releasing any tone to feel the power coming from you.

9. Use your upper body, the arms and hands, to direct, cultivate, build, and move your sound energy. Be theatrical with the upper body as you sing and sound.

10. Feel your body as you move and listen to your voice as you sing and tone. If you are out of breath or feel rushed, your tone and voice will sound and feel stressed. Balance your physical effort with your sound and your tone will sound powerful and relaxed. Listen and feel.

October Class Times & Dates

2007-09-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

October Class times & dates are as follows:

Each Tuesday evening - 6:15-7:15 pm

Each Thursday evening - 5:45-6:45 - Except October 11th - Class will be held on Friday, October 12th @ 5:45 in place of our ususal Thursday evening class. Oct 11 only.

Our October focus will be Dream Walker. Dream Walker is a popular Nia routine that invites us to use each movement to make the body feel better, to seek the health within each motion, and to free ourselves of injury or illness. You will notice how each of the realms – spirit, physical, mental, emotional – finds healing each time you dance this routine. All healing can be initiated through the body and then be supported by images, feelings, and personal spirit energy. Remember, walking away from class with less mental stress than when class began is a form of healing. Always keep in mind the power of Joy, relaxation, and personal expression as healing energies. As you know from practicing the “Awareness” principle, healing expresses itself in more ways than simply reducing pain. Learn to discover healing in increased mobility, flexibility, stability, strength, agility, mental clarity, emotional balance, and spiritual fulfillment There is spontaneous healing that happens just by the mere fact that we move. Nia naturally creates the space for this kind of healing. However, Dream Walker invites us to devote focused and intentional awareness – pay attention – to find healing within each motion, to find the healing potential in the way we move and tweak our movements.