DANCING THROUGH LIFE WITH AWARENESS

Dancing Through Life With Awareness

One morning in 1980, I (Carlos) woke up and was extremely aware of the sensation of touching a box of cereal while the cereal was coming out of the box. As a kid, I was always into what was happening and having fun in life as it happens. I’ve picked up lots of boxes of cereal in life as an adult, so how was it this time was different? I was sensing and noticing.
Three days went by where I was completely unaware of what I was touching. I realized I had been touching, but not noticing. So I began to pay attention again and sense. The process of awareness of my body sensation turning on and off happened over and over again for over five months.
In 1991, I was walking to class and paying attention to my body, thinking about my class, and I reached to open the door. At that moment, everything slowed down. I knew enough to just observe so I would not break the magic. I had an observation that opening the door was the same movement we did in Nia. I sensed it as the same as dancing in class. As my hand wrapped around the door handle I
felt again, and I noticed this was the same sensation as one of the moves I love in Nia. I love the swiveling of my shoulders, the caressing of my hand closing and holding. As I was doing this I turned my hand to push the door and again, the sensation was amazing – just like in class. The movement of my forearm was a great sensation. How come I never noticed this before? My shoulders were turning and I noticed: Jazz! As I stepped, I noticed thighs crossing, a move I love. As I took the next step everything went back into real time. In a brief moment my life changed. I knew it was possible to feel my life as a dance everyday.
In a brief moment my life changed. I knew it was possible to feel my life as a dance everyday.
Principle 5 - Awareness | 16
For ten years I had been carrying a card given to me from a dancer, Joy Berta. On this card was the phrase, Dancing Through Life. Now, I understood everything this card meant. For years I carried this card and pulled it out, wishing I knew what it meant. I carried this card like a treasure waiting to be discovered. Now, I was doing life and it felt like I was dancing. I got it: I was Dancing Through Life.
Eventually I cut the card up into tiny pieces and threw it up into the air, watching the pieces slowly fall to earth. Living life is now a sensation, a pleasurable sensation that feels like a dance. My awareness is turned on and stays on!
I owe my awareness to Nia, as this was the forum that allowed me to keep dancing, to keep moving and seeking pleasure. Eventually I could sense my hands, arms and fingertips; and sustain the awareness of sensation and of pleasure, aware of my body and of my pleasure.
Your body is dancing when you go to the floor, get up, walk, wash your hands, say hello to your child or a loved one; when you garden, shop or try on clothes. Dancing is life, living. Skin, joints, environment and measuring are all sensations you can use to tap into and dance through life.
From this moment on, you can be in Dancing Through Life. In the beginning, you may have to isolate sensing from thinking. Over time you will be able to sense all the time.
Carlos AyaRosas, Co-Founder, Nia Technique