Rocco Ragano

My Nia Sacred Livelihood

As I reflect back on my life and how I’ve moved through my life when I was younger, I realize how frozen and afraid I was. I was conditioned to hide from the world around me and even from myself.

Yet somehow my heart and spirit were strong enough to guide me into the art of dance. Even though I was trained in classical ballet, I did not understand the Body’s Way. Through Nia, I gained an understanding of the relationship between the body and the mind, realizing my heart is the bridge to both. This new found relationship has helped me explore my instrument (my body) with a childlike curiosity, an exploration that continually amazes me.

Through this exploration, I have been able to remove many misconceptions about my body and about my self in how I move in the world. Through Nia I have learned to treat my body with love and respect, a growing process nonetheless. As I continue on this journey I have been able to understand the body as a reflection of who I am in the current state and at any moment in time I have the power to change my body, thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.

Nia has taught me that there are more than five emotions to experience. I have learned that all emotions are healthy and to experience all of them is necessary for healthy living. Nia has taught me to allow emotions to surface, acknowledge them and allow them to move through me by keeping my vessel open and channeled to a higher vibration.

Nia has helped me to rediscover my spirit, my divine right to be me, through Nia. As I rediscovered spirit, I also reconnected to spirit which resulted in a reconnection to the real me, the essence of who I am. I have learned to be RAW – Relaxed, Alert, and Waiting – and in doing so I am able to listen to the great creator who gives me Good Orderly Direction.

Nia continues to help me become a stronger communicator through relationship building. I have learned to ask myself “What am I bringing to this relationship with….” This relationship can be between me and the other, which can be my computer, driving, my significant other, friends, family, EST. For example: “I am compassionate in my relationship” or “I bring compassion to my relationship.” I found the latter allows me to respond versus react. Nia has taught me to be responsible for my life and choices. Nia has helped me become conscious of my lack of awareness on a moment to moment basis.

Nia has created the joy of evolving and has clarified that joy is a process we seek out, not a state of perpetual enjoyment. It is the process of allowing all life experiences to move through my body. To be in joy is to be with sadness, anger, laughter, and all emotions simply because each moment is a chance to rediscover and learn from the current experience. From this, I have learned to dance through life and to use Nia’s tools as a guide, a teacher, a reminder to be the eye of the storm, a catalyst for change.

Finally, Nia has helped understand that I am energy and everything around me is energy. Nia has helped me tap into my energy being. In doing so, I have learned how to shift and move my physical, mental, emotional, and spirit energy to stay healthy and vital in all realms of being.

And it is my Joy to bring Nia into the lives of as many people as I can, setting the intention to create a space that allows others to self-explore and discover self empowerment, realizing we all have a choice, and to make our choice based in love.