Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Of course not! But…I admit it, I have a thing for clothes. I like to study people and what they wear and I enjoy considering my own clothing. It’s not that it all has to be designer labels (although that stuff fits great) but I care about what I wear and I appreciate what clothing can do for me and how certain pieces make me feel. I understand what it means to conform to society’s norms without being a drone, to enjoy being me and celebrating my own sense of style. I think I miss going to an office mostly for the high heels I got to wear once in a while. There’s something about walking in high heels, brings to mind a poem by Maya Angelou, Phenomenal Woman. Okay, now I have to put the poem in, don’t I? See the next post for it!

The whole point of this is to say that sometimes a certain pair of jeans, or certain shoes just make us feel phenomenal! Nia pants are the perfect example (www.NiaNow.com). They are swishy. They act as an extension of the body, dancing and prancing and bringing out all kinds of sassiness. They are luscious.

I think my next cool Nia dance pant purchase will come from ActivewearUSA. Check out some of these original pants from Margarita!

http://www.activewearusa.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2084&idaffiliate=33

http://www.activewearusa.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2082&idaffiliate=33

ActivewearUSA has tons of other fun dance and everyday wear too.

http://www.activewearusa.com/default.asp?idaffiliate=33.

I love the concept of selling the entire outfit. Here is one from Tiempo Libre that looks cute and something one could wear to the gym, to a class, to a tennis match, or just about town: http://www.activewearusa.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=12351&idaffiliate=33.

And the colors!!! I’ll stop before this starts sounding like an advertisement. But I’ll post back later after I’ve had a chance to put my hands on some of this stuff, wear it around, sweat in it and wash it a couple times.

It has been a long time since I have last blogged. (Forgive me Father… I don’t even want to look at the date on the last blog. Every time I recommit to myself to at least put SOMETHING up once a week I wonder if the content is really worthy of the reader. And right now the only reader I’m certain of is my husband because he has set up an automatic notification of my posts.

One of the things that happened was that I started playing tennis again. It has been quite some time since I have hit and a long, long time since playing one game, nevermind a set or match. I have fallen in love again with the sport! I still hear my dad’s voice yelling, “Watch the ball!” and “Hustle!” and while I thought those comments were ridiculous in my younger days, now they make so much sense. My body has rediscovered a whole new joy in running, hitting and even the mental game, placement and that extreme focus that pulls every atom of the body into one moment.

When a friend and neighbor said to me one day, “Do you play tennis?”, I came up with every possible reason why I could not, should not, and it seems these all boiled down to fear, which is so sad, but probably a good representation of life in general for most of us. I would say especially women. I don’t want to limit this comment to mothers but motherhood does have a special way of focusing so much of our attention away from ourselves that it is hard to remember how to fit ourselves into the daily schedule.

And isn’t it funny how one comment or question can change your life? I have been teaching Nia at Riverside Tennis Club for a year now (wow!) and every time I’m there I watch a teeny bit of tennis and would think how much I’d love to whack that yellow ball again but did not even consider playing until Rachael asked that magic question. Now we are playing on a team, matches and clinics once a week.

I was so afraid that my body would not be able to handle the hard running and quick stops, hitting, twisting and turning. I was really afraid that pain would ensue. Then I remembered that now I have this wonderful healing practice in my life that will help me! But would it really? It has! Luckily, our matches are Monday morning and I teach a Nia class Monday night and Tuesday morning. Without it, I am sure my lower back would have seized up.

I would like to think that I would stretch on my own but even that would not have helped me maintain the sense of muscle health and flexibility that I’ve been able to manage in these last couple months. If I sound pleased with myself, I am! But it is more than that. More than ever I want to share Nia with people, people that sit at desks all day on computers, retired folks, athletes, dancers, everyone! and it is frustrating to feel that if only I could clearly communicate the benefits, so many people would simply feel better. And feeling better in the body can really affect a person’s life!

Why do we not strive more for physical comfort? Why do we strive for muscle mass and strength and how far we can run, killing ourselves to look good, wear a bikini, lose the muffin top in those low cut designer jeans, but we pay so little attention to finding body happiness? Where is the joy?

July Nia News

This morning I was working on learning a new routine called “Passion”. I listened to the focus then turned off the instructor’s voice on the DVD so I could just listen to the music and play. About half way through we’re doing this move that is so alive and vibrant that I thought for one split second that I was on stage, a dancer on fire with movement, just totally jamming out to the music. It was just a couple minutes ago while reading something completely unrelated that I remembered that the focus of this Passion routine is “Dancing to the Music”. Brilliant!

I am listening to SARK’s complimentary first Dream Boogie teleclass. I love SARK’s books. They are so life affirming and womanly. It’s perfect timing as she is asking what our belief in our dream is right now. Mine is a bit low as I received an email recently that made my long term goal seem a little silly, based on the requirement that were just determined and presented. When I’m ready I will reread the email and see where I am really. Sometimes we just have to give the dream some time to ripen. I do think I will get one of her workbooks this week, maybe put the dream in the hothouse to help it along.

Well, it has been a long time since I have written and how funny to sit on the couch watching Glee and get motivated. Sure it’s just a TV show but being a music and dance lover, I can’t help but like it. Plus I just love the word glee. Are there really still Glee Clubs? It’s such a joyful word, glee. So You Think You Can Dance has started again too although I have not seen one yet. The body is such an amazing vessel, holding us, protecting us and most importantly, bringing us that rush of good feeling when it moves just the right way, hits the perfect note. What we feel inside, throughout the body and the mind, bringing us happiness when something feels good, is not just passing whimsy! These feelings, sensations, are essential, vital to our being. So move your body. Wiggle your toes. Take a walk. Have a good stretch. Sense the power and grace of this magnificent gift.

http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410292927

Celebrate National Dance Day with MuvE Fitness in Motion. Join us for free Nia and Zumba demos and fantastic door prizes this Thursday, April 29, 6:00pm-7:00pm.

MuvE is located at 787 East Butler Road in Mauldin, just off I-385. Directions at http://www.muvefit.com/.

We will have a full class Nia demo on Saturday, May 1 from 9:00am-10:00am at Yellow Ball Yoga. Wear something comfy and bring a friend, a mom, a daughter.

Yellow Ball Yoga is at Riverside Tennis Club, 435 Hammett Bridge Road, Greer www.riversidetennisclub.com.