I’m in New York, and I’ve decided to stay a bit longer than planned, as I will be leading a Nia White Belt Training in New Jersey with Caroline Kohles later this week.

In the mean time, I’ve been celebrating life with my husband Jeff, his daughter and his daughter’s boyfriend who recently experienced a heart attack (and he’s a med student)! That’ll stress you out. Thank god he knew the signs and was able to get the hospital to listen to him. Wow!

Part of the celebration and reason for the flowers is that it was my 13th anniversary being with Jeff–-our 13th anniversary. In many ways, it really feels that way. All that we’ve been through as people, parents, lovers, business partners, and just human beings on the road of life has been amazing. It’s been good, bad, pleasurable and excruciating, such is marriage and life when you’re committed to being in it. And I am. We are.

One day I counted up the number of complaints, the stuff we as a couple deal with on a daily basis, that affect us. We counted more than 60. I closed the computer and said, “We have to shift something.” Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s our job as leaders and owners of Nia to listen and hold space, but sometimes it’s too much. I’ve decided to take a time out on our anniversary and for Jeff’s upcoming birthday. So I’m going to ask for positive, loving emails. You missed our anniversary, but I’d love some love on Jeff’s special day (April 25th). Love is the only answer!

I often share how blessed I feel to be living a life fulfilled, doing what I love—teaching and sharing Nia. Sometimes I am given the gift of receiving the bounty of my creativity and passion in a unique way. Last night was one of those nights. I was asked to participate in Renee Tillotsen’s Still and Moving Center’s one-year birthday celebration in Hawaii. Renee’s dream, an international movement center, is one of the most beautiful facilities I have ever been in. It reflects a part of Nia’s philosophy, rooted in White Belt Principle 5 (Awareness) that defines the Nia lifestyle of dancing through life. It really taps into one of our concepts, Life As Art, the practice of perceiving life as art, meaning you, your body, your house… everything.  

[Winalee Zeeb, Renee Tillotsen and Caroline Kohles]

Renee has manifested an amazing piece of art. Her life, business, relationships… they are Life As Art. I can tell you Hawaii will never be the same. From the Mango floors to the international programming to the body work to the sacred altar in the dance space, it is not only a visual feast, but also a sheer divine delight for all the senses.

I was lucky enough to be part of the birthday celebration last night. It was an evening filled with recognizing the many movement forms we can use to get healthy and well, such as Aerial Yoga, Taiko Drumming, Aikido, Yoga and Hula. Throw in some Hawaiian songs, poetry and several sacred prayers embracing the uniqueness of Hindu, Buddhist and Hawaiian practices, and you’ll start to get an idea of what we did. Then top it off with Nia.

I ended the evening bringing everyone “into” their bodies by reading The Voice of Breath, poetry I use to connect us all to one source. I then brought us all “into” sensation by moving energy through the palms. Lastly, I brought everyone onto the dance floor to discover how–-like all of the performers we witnessed–-we too are masters. We each have a divine form: a body that moves in its own way. Everyone concluded the evening laughing, then moving into upright positions in a circle while holding hands. I then asked Renee to come into the center of the circle where we all honored her vision, her sacred livelihood, and her life as art!

I have a few more days here in this amazing space, with these amazing collaborators before I come home and get ready to go to Esalen in Northern California to co-create The Body’s Way Workshop with Karri Winn. I’ll also be visiting Marin County, the birthplace of Nia, to guest teach at Move Me Studio, a new studio created by Sarah Caveney. Stepping into the dreams of others is so much fun!

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Stacey Hall, who is a long-time Nia student and teacher. She also happens to be the creator of Chi-To-Be! Read on to learn about her wonderful book, program and movement.

Debbie Rosas) What is Chi-To-Be?

Stacey Hall) Chi-To-Be! is the process of aligning one’s intentions to activate one’s intuition to attract all one desires with velocity and ease!

Chi-To-Be! is more than a book, audio program and a coaching program - it is MOVEMENT away from the depression that has engulfed so many people who feel disappointed and let down by organizational systems that they expected would “take care” of them.

Chi-To-Be! is a MOVEMENT towards self-intentions, self-empowerment, self-upliftment and self-fulfillment.  

DR) What inspired you to create Chi-To-Be?

SH) Having reached a point of complete physical, emotional, and mental depletion in 2005, I declared, “I want to learn how to heal my heart and then help others to heal their hearts.” Those words launched a six-year journey of self-discovery. Today, having brought myself back from a life-threatening illness, I understand all too well the toll that dealing with financial and emotional stress takes in depleting one’s strength and diminishing one’s sense of personal power.  

Inside my book, you will discover the same tips and processes I used to regenerate my energy and wellness to bring my life back into balance. These simple, practical and economical tips (called “Energy Surges”) will support you in tapping deeper into your own abundant well of inner energy reserves to find a plentiful supply of personal power from which to continually re-generate and sustain your passion and drive for achieving your dreams and goals… especially the ONE goal that may seem the most out-of-reach and yet is the one most desired. I call this ultimate goal the “B-All” (as in the “Be-All, End-All”).

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I’ve had the joy of working with many personal coaches in my 30-year career. Each has allowed me to discover my personal areas of strengths and weaknesses, and has given me a new perspective and influenced who I am today. I’ve learned that working with a coach requires understanding your position, which entails sharing but also shutting up and listening. The coach knows things you do not. The coach is looking at the big picture and knows how to guide you to be your best. 

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