One of the joys of doing any service oriented work is hearing the impact it has on the recipient. As a Nia Teacher, it has been important to me to hear the personal stories of my students over the years. I am so grateful when they are willing to share. While I know the value of fitness and health and Nia, knowing what specifically happened for an individual helps me be a better teacher. It tells me what is working and what to continue offering. It reminds me that there are people keen to learn and to experience a fitness practice that has literally moved and positively impacted the health of thousands of others.
Jane Markowitz, a wonderful woman and teacher in Toronto, with whom I shared the Nia Black Belt intensive and certification, recently shared a letter from one of her students. It is now on the Nia site.
Here is an excerpt:
I work for the Canadian Red Cross. I manage several of our major fundraising campaigns at the provincial level here in Ontario. Three years ago, I received a call from a Nia teacher in Barrie who held a Nia Jam to raise funds for relief work in Burma following a typhoon. Her explanation of Nia intrigued me and sounded like the perfect thing for me to try, which led me to attending my first class …
Always intertwined with my study of dance was my utter loathing of my body because it didn’t have the slender physique of professional dancers. I quit dancing at the end of high school, before going to university, but I often said, “ I wish there was a class for fat (how I saw myself) retired dancers that I could attend – in which I don’t have to wear spandex that makes me feel self-conscious, and I don’t have to perform, I can just dance.” Enter Nia. Read more
It is an honour when an individual is willing to tell their truth. It takes courage. The result, is liberation and growth. Thank you Teresa on sharing your story. And congratulations Jane on having such a powerful impact as a teacher.
