Nia Healing Dance Workshop with Stephanie
with Stephanie Parker

Explore the foundations of Nia, the low-impact barefoot movement practice inspired by Tai Chi, Modern & African dance. In this 2.5 hour workshop, we’ll go on a journey of self-discovery and reconnection, moving between gentle fluid motion, dynamic follow-along choreography, mat play, mindful meditation, and restorative rest. In addition to working up a sweat and releasing stagnant energy, we will learn somatic healing techniques you can take home and add to your own practice. Set to the vibration of rhythms from the Afro-Indigenous diaspora, this experience will leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed, and mentally clear. And because we focus so deeply on listening to each body's unique wisdom, Nia healing dance is adaptable to all needs and abilities. 

Date/Time:

Sunday, March 5, 2023 

2:00 PM - 4:30 PM 

Location: 656 Quinan St Pinole, CA (20 minute drive from Oakland)

Sliding Scale: $36-60 before February 25th, $45-81 after

The class will be conducted indoors and barefoot, with some floorwork on the mat as well. Please bring your own mat for the workshop; there will be a few extras available for those who don’t have one. Wear clothing you feel comfortable moving in, and make sure to bring water to stay hydrated! 

Bio

Stephanie Parker (she/her) is a Black intuitive somatic healer, licensed Nia movement instructor, and anti-oppression facilitator based in Oakland, California. She creates safe, affirming, sacred, decolonial spaces, guiding in a nonhierarchical way that allows collective wisdom to emerge from the group. Stephanie is initiated in Afro-Cuban spiritual practice, and weaves sacred ritual into all of her offerings. She was called to the path of ancestral healing by her own body’s divine act of refusal in the form of severe upper body nerve pain, a condition that led her to step away from her movement organizing and career in tech. Stephanie’s search for relief led her to Bethamie Wyatt’s Nia Dance class, where she experienced the physical release of trapped emotions, loving intergenerational community, and the embodied sensation of feeling both freedom and safety at the same time. It was this spirit-led encounter that served as a catalyst for her decision to walk in her purpose as a healer. You can learn more about Stephanie and her offerings on her website and follow her on Instagram at @catchlight27.