June 19, 2020
I received many emails from you after my last newsletter -
My Relationship with Nia Going Forward. I deeply appreciate your replies and words of support and ally-ship. I also respect those who removed themselves from my mailing list. I knew that in speaking my truth I would likely lose some people and that is a fine price for honoring my feelings and my values. We should all feel free to be in alignment with people, places, experiences, services, companies and communities that feel right for us. I am immensely grateful to those of you still here and do not take you for granted.
A few of you asked me for details about what happened. Please know that those details are private, involve other people and explaining further reopens a wound. Many well-intentioned people may not realize that asking for further explanation is essentially asking me to demonstrate some validation of my decision, a decision that I did not take lightly and took me weeks of self-examination and inquiry to make. I do not wish to vilify, demonize or cause harm to Nia as a company. Over the past week, Nia leadership and several teachers and future trainers in the Nia community have begun to do the inner work that will hopefully lead to a more inclusive, diverse and welcoming space for people of color. That said, I spoke truthfully about my experience and I feel relieved and freer in my mind and heart from having removed myself from Nia, the company. Thank you for honoring my voice and decision.
The past few weeks have been emotionally complex - not just for me but for people I love, the nation, and the world. In a short span of time, like so many others, I have felt grief, fear, anger, sorrow, tenderness, uncertainty, anxiety and relief. It has taken everything in me to pull up emotional resilience...to come back to my Self - my center - after feeling knocked down and tossed around. I have dedicated my attention, intention and energy to softening each intense emotion with compassion, kindness, patience and care. I haven't been interested in rushing through this process. Like Aries Jordan says in the poem above
"Don't try and fix it, Let me feel my pain...Let me breathe through it...Let me be wild with emotion...Let me honor my pain...Let me feel it so that I can move forward."
The truth is that we can't move forward (and heal) in any sustained meaningful way until we give space, voice and felt experience to our emotions. I honor my personal experience through my soma, my body. I do it through movement. Movement, dance, music - these are part of my resiliency toolbox. Embodied grief has always been my greatest teacher. Last week, after I sent out my newsletter and felt the relief and release of standing in alignment with my truth, I put together a playlist devoted to Emotional Resilience.
In most dictionaries, resilience is defined as the ability to return to an "original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched." In other words, after life throws us off center, we are able to recover, bounce back and move forward.
Please join me this weekend as I share the playlist and first draft of the archetypal choreography with you.
This class is a tribute to the archetype of resilience, something we all experience in some form or shape in our lives. Adversity in all its guises calls us to navigate emotional, mental, physical and spiritual stressors with a set of inner tools and resources that are varied and that ultimately allow us to find the strength to remain standing and to keep moving in this life.
Join me for the Dance of Emotional Resilience
This one-hour class is Nia-inspired and also integrates my own work in archetypal embodiment and choreography.
Let’s come together on this Solstice, New Moon and Solar Eclipse weekend to explore ways emotional resilience emerges in the dance of life.
Saturday, June 20, 2020 AND Sunday, June 21, 2020
Time (both days): 10:30AM PDT, 11:30AM MDT, 12:30PM CDT, 1:30PM EDT
Register in advance for one or both classes:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqce6spzorHN3e7n6-MyH4qHJSmejXu3YZ
We dance barefoot. The choreography is easy to follow. If you’ve been a student of Nia, these classes will feel familiar to you. If you are new, welcome, my classes are inclusive of all people, movement abilities and beliefs.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the class/meeting.
*A portion of the donations made for these classes will go to
Black Emotional & Mental Health Collective:
www.beam.community
Pay what you can:
Here is the info to make a payment of your choice, in exchange for the class experience:
Venmo: Jennifer-Lucero-Earle or https://venmo.com/jennifer-lucero-earle
PayPal: https://paypal.me/jenniferluceroearle
Credit Card (Square): https://my-site-105290-108786.square.site/
Zelle: jenniferlucearle@gmail.com
What to wear and have with you: