No Class ~ Wed July 11th

July 4th class

What an amazing turnout at Anita's Classes on Wed, July 4th.  Thank you for the dancing fireworks!!!!

NEW TIME on WED 8:30 am - 9:45 am

We are dancing earlier on Wednesday from 8:30 am - 9:45 am.

A New Year ~ Renew your Body

We will hold classes at Anita's Studio every Wednesdays from 9 am - 10:15 am. Look forward to dancing in 2012 with all of you:)

Fall Class Schedule Oct 3rd

Hello All,

How is fall resonating with you?

For some, it is a time of clinging to the hot summer days of play.

For others, it is a time of cooling off and returning to a sense of

structure and schedule. For me, I always seem to have a burst of

energy as the seasons change.

The change of seasons reminds me how adaptable our

natural environment continues to be. Just when the natural

environment becomes to dry from the summer heat the rain

returns in the fall to nourish and replenish. The plants and

animals adapt and we begin the cycle again.

We are part of the cycle. We are incredibly adaptable. Just look

at adversity that you have overcome in your life ~ whether

physical, emotionally or mentally. You are still here. You are adaptable.

We will use this fall to discover more about our adaptability . As you

attend class, you have the opportunity to appreciate the changes you

have created or persevered through. I look forward to dancing through

this fall is you. I feel blessed to be part of such a growing community.

We are adjusting our class schedule:

Classes will be on Monday and Wednesday starting October 3rd.

9 am - 10:15 am

See you Monday morning::

Happy Dancing,

Anita

Anita's Classes

Fall 2011 Schedule

Summer has been absolutely beautiful. And fortunately we will continue to have it through September. Let's relish in the warmth and the beautiful end of summer flowers and breeze.

I want to ease into the schedule for the fall.

We will begin next week and through the end of September with classes starting on 9/14:

Wed 9:00 - 10:15 am

Fri 9:00 - 10:15 am

Our focus for the fall - Awareness of Emotion - Sensing the Vibration of Mood

As the seasons change so do our emotions and our bodies. When we can sync the two then we can tap into our the life-force energy. Every emotion you experience your body feels! And to your body, all emotions are good; they represent vital life-force energy and different levels of arousal. This fall we will use what we feel emotionally to heal, grow and change behaviours into healtheir more powerful ones!

Dancing in community is a wonderful way to bring Awareness of Emotion to SELF.

Spread the word and see you at the dojo:)

Love

Anita

July and August Focus and Schedule at Anita's Classes

Summer has finally arrived and it is a beauty.

July and August we will focus on "Through Movement We Find Health"

I am excited to share this focus with you. We will seek the benefits of finding true health in your movement.

Another opportunity to deepen our senses.

July 6 - July 22nd I will offer class on Wednesdays and Fridays only.

And no class 7/1 or 7/4.

Starting July 27nd - Sept 7th I will offer class on Wednesdays only.

No class Wed August 3rd.

Classes will return to the normal MWF schedule starting Sept 12th.

I decided to take this step because I will be traveling more than usual this summer.

And I am noticing many of you are as well.

Keep your practice going by attending class as often as you can.

I have great new music and fun new moves to find health in our movement.

Pleasure and Joy:)

Anita

May Schedule and Focus

Ahhhh! The radiant sun this past weekend was warm beyond the skin. I trust your were outside and playing in the rays:)

This month we will focus on "Developing Body Literacy".

You will learn how to

● Achieve balance by equalizing movement from left to right and top to bottom

● Integrate smooth, “soft” movement and explosive, “hard” movement

● LISTEN for your body’s feedback, which is experienced as either pleasure or pain.

● Practice Dynamic Ease to energize.

We will continue to energize the our practice as we continually unveil our body knowledge and choose PLEASURE.

AND, no class on Friday, April 29th or Monday, May 30th.

Blessings from the heart to you all:)

Anita

April Focus - Energizing the 5 senses with the Breath

It's Spring and let us taste the fresh air in our mouths and feel the coolness of our inhale in our lungs. We will invite the outside in opening the windows and smelling the sweet scents of the new blooms and listening to the sounds of spring as we experience dancing BLISS! mmmmmm Happy April:)

As we continue the course "Becoming a Sensation Scientist", we will use breath to energize each of the 5 senses. Because we find health through movement and we come to our practice to create fitness in all 4 rhealms ~ body, mind, emotion and soul, breath is the internal source to energize our health and fitness. As a sensation scientist we will utilize each sense ~ touch, taste, hearing, seeing and smelling through the use of breath. The goal to leave each practice fully energized!

See you in class this month! If you are interested in an extra class this month pick a Saturday and let me know. If we have a natural consensus of the same Saturday then so be it and we will have a April Saturday class!

Love to you all ~

Anita

The only way to grow in your practice is to practice - come to class:)

A Special Saturday NIA Class - for the fun of it!

Time	Saturday, March 5 · 9:00am - 10:30am
Location	Anita's Studio
Created By	Anita Stark
More Info	I feel inspired to offer a special NIA class this Saturday morning March 5th from 9 - 10:15 AM at Anita's Studio. Our intention is to return to a place of a Relaxed mind Alert body Waiting for the sensory experience to arrive when we dance NIA ~ unlimited PLEASURE. Come and dance our usual 75 minutes to the NIA routine OPAL. This class is open to all beings of all levels. Just come ~ Relaxed, Alert and Waiting and BE ready to boogie in your sensory body! The cost for this Sat am class is $12 or a card punch if you have one at my studio. Please RSVP by 5 pm on Friday. Much love Anita:) Anita's Studio offers classes MWF from 9 - 10:15 AM and Saturday morning classes on occasion. $12 per class. More information to follow about the upcomng NIA trunk show. Thank you for all your interest.

Anita is guest teaching at StudioNia in November

Hi all

I wanted to let you know that I will be teaching at StudioNia the following days in the month of November:

11/6 Sat 10:15 am

11/7 Sun 10:15 am

11/20 Sat 10:15 am

11/27 Sat 10:15am

StudioNia, the Nia International Training Center, is located on the fourth floor of the Pythian Building in downtown Portland, Oregon (918 SW Yamhill Street).

If you want that extra day or two of dance in then come and join me, if not I will see you at my home studio!

NIA

Hi all ~

October has been a wonderful month of dancing. Let's continue

radiating the light as we move into the darker months.

I will be in San Diego for a Water Polo Tournament on Oct 29th so

freedance that morning on your own ....

A note about the Wed evening yoga class ~ for now I am putting the

class on hold (no class this evening). My MAC teaching schedule is

expanding and my non-teaching work is expanding ~ all things that I

have been manifesting. If you have yoga credit please contact me.

As well, I have renewed my NIA license and we can legitimately refer

to AM classes as NIA or Anita's NIA. I am content, happy and feel

full circle about this decision and the organization is moving in a

direction that I have always desired for it to.

So we continue to dance and radiate light and love in community as we

love our bodies and love our lives.

Anita :)

Welcome the fall with the internal softness of the breath

Beautiful September Day ~

Let's welcome this fall with a breath of internal softness as we enter into a new cycle of nature - shorter days, soft windy days and cooler evening for peaceful rest.

Please start bringing a yoga mat to class if you have one. This will become an active tool in your practice

From this point on every class will be well rounded with a wave of cycles of effective and creative flows linked together through the breathwave. Using more yoga-like movements to create whole body transformation of strength and fluidity, circulation and centering.

Yoga is calling me more in more in our dance. Come and enjoy the free flowing movement - dance, giggle and jiggle followed by energizing our bodies with deep stretching utilizing free flowing yoga tools. Be prepared for more awakening and more challenges that your body will ask for.

I love hearing from you and knowing where your are in your longevity and devotion to movement.

Let the flow of the soul dance continue ....

Yoga update and July Schedule

Hi Yogi's and Dancers ~

I would like to switch the evening yoga class to one day a week either on a Mon or Wed.

Can you let me know what your evening yoga preference would be ~ MON OR WED?

Also, if you have a time preference other than 5:30 - 6:45 pm

let me know (a little earlier or later perhaps).

I notice sometimes that a few of you are rushing to get here.

I want to put everything into consideration.

I would like to make the switch beginning the week of July 12th.

AND, I am really happy that the yoga community here at the dojo is growing. Thank you.

As always, we have morning class on Mon, Wed, Fri from 9am - 10:15am.

Come and Dance ~ we have been doing lots of leg lengthening and strengthening from the core.

I have not seen a few of you for a while. Time to re-adjust your schedule to fit time in

for the health and happiness of your mind and body.

Lastly, the Dojo will be closed on Monday, July 5th for our holiday independence weekend.

Go and play!

Pearl #17 Your Wellness Toolbox

As of late many student friends and I say student friends because I do share my teachings with my students and I also share my heart with my students ~ therefore we are student friends. And I am a student friend to them as well. The follower/leader relationship flows perfectly back and forth with ease because it comes from the heart. We are heart-centered beings.
That said, recently I have had new student friends join in on my classes. Often times in the new transition I hear "I used to do run or I use to lift weights and that kept my body svelte. I did the this diet and it worked. But it doesn't work anymore." And my first question is "are you still motivated to do those things for your wellness program". And the answer is "No not really but I want the results that I use to get".
So search for something more balanced. Chances are you were only utilizing the physical body to create pleasure and acceptance in life. There are 3 other realms that I would like for you to consider when developing your wellness program: mental
emotional
spiritual
When I approach my wellness program - nutrition and exercise - I touch on each realm - the physical, the emotional, the mental and the spiritual. I seek out a wellness program to feel clarity that my choices are bringing pleasure into my life at that moment and into the future. I can also look back into the past and say I am satisfied with the movement I just did and what I just ate to nourish my being. Your wellness program is not one thing like pilates or yoga or Nia or running or a diet. It is a toolbox that you go to on any given day to bring pleasure into your life. YOU create your toolbox by constantly learning and exploring new ways to take care of your body. You own your wellness toolbox and you have choices as to what goes in your toolbox. Keep adding to it all the time because the body at a cellular level is changing every moment. And the stimulation of learning is what keeps us alive and well!

Pearl #16 Learn to Heal

Thank you all for your kind words and healing thoughts. Yes, my knee hurts and it is a temporary state in my body. None-the-less the more I educate myself about my injury and how my body will heal the more connection I have in the process of MY healing.
My medical doctor is wonderful. He always appreciates that I come in with an investigative sense of what is happening in my body. And he knows his job is to teach me the best way to heal blending my healing modalities and his healing modalities. We both leave with a plan. A plan for healing.
What is your plan for your healing journey? Healing is a journey. Their are many routes we can take on our healing journey. For me, I have a team of healers that I call on depending on my need for healing. Some are alternative therapies others are medical therapies and most often I combine the two. There is a science, a craft and an art to healing. The science is what is happening scientifically to my body. Here is where you investigate, read, go to the doctor and try to understand your body, the symptoms and finally the diagnosis. Understanding your diagnosis allows you to apply your craft in healing. What modalities you will use in your healing and why. What team of healers can you call on to help you heal? Do the modalities offered make since to my body? The third is the art of healing - embracing the healing. This is the journey - the art of knowing your sacred SELF. How you manifest the healing in your journey is the art.
We all need healing ~ the world needs healing daily. At times the healing is outwardly noticeable and other times it is inward and deep inside and hidden. Just take notice and begin to heal physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Happy healing.

Pearl #15 Healing

Well lovely ones ~
From the time I started teaching 25 years ago in East Texas, then at Body Moves in Portland Oregon and then onto my own Home Studio many of you over the years
have said "Anita keep it real ~ you don't "guru" yourSELF, you help people connect to their bodies so they can heal and continue to learn about themSELVES, you raise your family, you work, you play, you take care of yourSELF and you continue to learn and grow".

Oh and one other ~ I also get injured. It's ok ~ I am REAL! Yesterday at Timberline I came off the lift and instead of running into the person standing at the bottom of the lift I decided to forsake my body instead of theirs and injured my medial collateral ligament (the inside ligament of my right knee). YES it really does hurt and YES I am hobbling. I am keeping it real.

BUT I did have fun yesterday. Was it worth it - yes it was because this injury is healable and temporary. It will only help me understand mySELF and YOU more.

So I need some time to re-coop. Get intervention from my healers and practice my latest healing triad - meditate, ice and re-organize.

I will not hold class from 2/4-2/8 at my home studio or at the MAC club.

I need one week to assess the movement and range of motion of my right knee and then learn how to teach with an injury while keeping it real.

YES, I know what I am doing I have been here before with other injuries.

I am keeping my head above water (not crying). Remaining positive will help me to heal for longevity. Life is moving along wonderfully in all of the classes I facilitate both morning, evening, at the MAC and the workshops. I am relishing the forward motion. Many of you have e-mailed me that you are bringing new people to class. Just asked them to wait til next Monday 2/11/2010 when we resume class.

Here is what I would like from you:

Keep your forward motion this week - walk, dust off old exercise videos, get some new ones, try a new class, stretch on your own, put some music on and dance, take out an exercise ball out play on it. Expand your movement option this week just like we do in class. Use your body intelligence to creatively move this week. And I welcome your healing thoughts. A person can never have to many!

You are your own sacred teacher and you are a sacred student.

AND I will see you next week starting 2/11/2010.

MAC Club members I will contact Valerie to see you she can facilitate your classes this Tues/Thurs. You will hear from me shortly.

love always
anita

More on healing on Wednesday weekly blogspot

Pearl #14 Fluidity

To let you know, I may miss a day of the week blogging but I will always be back. Things come up in life and the information doesn't always present itself easily. So I wait and remain fluid and when the information presents itself then I blog.
I use this concept in my daily movement practice. I encourage my clients to remain fluid about their bodies and to move fluidly in their bodies. I encourage my clients to do the same. I always ask my body to remain fluid no matter how much effort I am asking my body for. There are days when I walk into my class and the clients are bursting with energy. We harness the energy in our joints and stretch every movement as far as we can in the upward and the downward transitions and movements. And on the days when the energy is low we do the exact same ~ again we harness the energy that we have and move as deeply and fully as we can. So on both energy levels the movement is never forced or "blown out". The energy in YOUR body is consistently returned to a place of fluidity. This is how you listen to your body and create a constant flow of energy.

Pearl #13 Diet is not about elimination

I am going to change the subject today from the physical body to the emotional body. HOWEVER, reread Pearl #12 and allow those feet to OPEN and RELAX.
Last Saturday, I presented the cleansing workshop to a lovely group. I asked on Wednesday that they check in with me and let me know what they have learned in the first 5 days. I asked the participants to be gluten free and sugar free. I presented this FREE portion in such a way as replacing as opposed to taking away. i offered foods that can be eaten rather than what needs to be eliminated. Well the feedback has been wonderful! From I didn't realize how much sugar I was eating to sleep improvement to how limited I have been in my food choices to I love paying attention to myself on a deeper level.
That's it! Diet is not about elimination. But when I hear, especially in the new year - I am going on a diet. Such a dread and all the things I have to give up. Instead I look at it as a cleanse or a vacation from what I normally do - a change in my nourishment routine. It allows me to experiment with new foods. Expand my taste buds. Try a smorgasbord of yummy things to eat. Then when I end the cleansing my palette, my options, my choices for nourishment have opened up. I am re-energized. Just like taking a vacation!

Pearl #12 Openness of the foot

I want my feet to spread on the earth and feel their impression in the sand. Whether I roll in or out, have a high arch or flat foot I want to create as much contact and openness with my feet as I possibly can. My feet give me instant feedback WHEN I pay attention to them.
Feet can carry tension and clench just like your teeth can or your neck or your shoulders. Your feet are like a diagnostic tool for the body. If your toes are drawn in and clenching I can assure something else is drawn in and clenching in your body. When you sit at your computer do you draw your feet in at the arch as you think? Try to think and relax your feet. Unlock the sole of the feet my moving the spaces in between the bones of the feet. As you walk do you allow the feet to relax into the earth or do you drive the heels into the earth causing tension and forget to stretch and naturally roll through the center and up an away into the balls of the feet?
Feel your feet so that you can feel your body. This contact provides you with constant feedback. The majority of the day your feet are in contact with the earth. When you are at your desk or home or outside shed your shoes, wiggle your toes, flex the ball of your foot, lift your arches and free up your soles!