A Passion for Sharing Movement
Posted: Mar 5, 06:01 PMWritten by Martha Randall from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I’ve always said that Nia gave me context and confirmation – a place to land with my passion for movement, teaching and community and a place that inspired me to grow in my own unique way and time with the gifts that I have to share with the world.
In 1996 I was teaching my own type of movement classes in Toronto, Canada, which I called Martha’s Mystery Gym. Yet, after a short period of time I found I wasn’t excited about the direction I was taking the classes. I literally said to the Universe, “I think there is already a technique out there that I am meant to teach… I recognize that creating it is not my forte and I don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
About a month later, I ran into an earlier dance connection of mine, Roberta Mohler, who had just started teaching Nia and she invited me to attend my first Nia class offered by visiting trainer Zeta Gaudet. Being curious about any dance form that put spirit and movement together, I had to go check it out. During the class a tear of recognition and gratitude ran down my cheek – I knew I had found my movement art for teaching. The combination of music, movement and spirit compelled me to register immediately for the next White Belt training with Zeta in British Columbia.
I taught Nia for five-and-a-half years, gaining skill as a teacher and going deeper into my own Nia practice. My daughter Dylann was two years old in March 2002 when I was invited to be a Nia Trainer. I remember sitting in Portland thinking, “Oh my…can I really manage adding another large aspect to my Nia business and raise a daughter with mindfulness?” In a moment I knew that I wanted my daughter to witness a woman living her dreams, living large in the world. It has been a dynamic experience with her. When she attends class she chooses the songs for the Freedance section, she also sends drawings to class for me to share with my students and loves to practice “Tae Kwon Toe” Nia with Daddy at home. I often hear, “Mommy, is this a Nia move? Is this? How about this?” “Yes, Dylann,” I tell her, “Every move is a Nia move!”
I’ve been teaching Nia for over 10 years now and training people in the Nia White Belt for three-and-a-half years. These have been the most rewarding years of my life. I knew that I was called to guide people into awareness and health through movement and Nia gave me the context to realize that vision.
I have always been committed to personal growth, and running my own Nia business while in relationship with a dynamic community of my Nia peers has provided many opportunities to step into roles of leadership, be part of cooperative initiatives, and accept and provide mentoring.
I have stretched my entrepreneurial muscles in all kinds of ways by being a Nia professional. From facilitating the Nia Technique book tour in Toronto in 2005, to connecting with local media for the tour and for other Nia events, to traveling to various cities and towns to introduce the work, to getting the word out about Nia by my sandwich board on the street or giving classes in the local park, I’ve stretched and grown as a professional with Nia.
I also have an amazing community of students who are committed to my classes week after week and even laugh at my jokes – with the occasional groan. Through my work as a teacher and Trainer I have created a web of people who lead me into many new and interesting teaching opportunities. From teaching a three-day course for the Expressive Arts Therapy program at Haliburton School of Fine Arts, to volunteering at the Gilda Radner Breast Cancer Support Centre, to presenting Nia to physicians at the University of Toronto, my Nia work and community is rich and diverse.
Being a Nia Trainer and guiding people through the White Belt training continues to nudge me gently in the direction of mastery. I appreciate the guidance I receive from Debbie and Carlos and Nia headquarters to refine my craft and be all that I can be in this work. I love watching my trainees awaken to the richness and depth of Nia, breaking through personal limitations and inhibitions, committing to live more fully in their bodies and sharing that experiential journey with others.
I believe that living well in our bodies requires a practice of awareness, fitness variety, and pleasure. And I think we really groove when we can do it in community with one another. Nia is a celebration of all of this and more. I feel so blessed to have this as my path!
