Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now

A writer takes a minute for a closer look

recent posts

  • My “yesterday body”

    Day 44 of 52 Nia dance

    Today’s photo shows a little embroidery project I designed and sewed about a year ago. It didn’t turn out exactly as I had imagined so I tucked it away as a learning experience. But I dug it out this morning as I pondered what it means to have danced every day for six weeks.

    In Nia we talk about dancing our “today body.” The words acknowledge that on any given day, I might have energy or I might be tired or something may be hurting from an injury or condition (I have some arthritis in my hands, for example, that sometimes limits my movements). But there is this. All my accumulated yesterdays have helped build my today body.

    My body today has energy reserves because of the last six weeks of dancing every day. My mind today is better at following choreography and anticipating changes as the music changes. I feel that I am better at self calming today because of an enhanced emotional awareness that I attribute to Nia.

    What I have done influences what I can do. So today I’m thanking my “yesterday body” for bringing me here.

    I’m looking forward to dancing today with the wonderful and lively Val Wetmore, who teaches at our Eugene YMCA.

  • Take a breath

    It’s the air that holds these gliders up. They get towed by engine-propelled craft into the sky, then ride the wind.

    Day 43 of 52 Nia dance

    We are back from four days in Colorado. Among the places we visited: the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Here’s a thing I didn’t know about this four-year college that focuses on engineering and the sciences: All the students learn to be glider pilots and the program there is the largest glider operation in the world. We spent a fine part of a sunny afternoon watching small powered aircraft tow the sleek gliders into the sky and release them. They would soar and then turn and glide slowly down to the grassy airstrip. It’s a program run by the students. With the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, these lovely human-built craft seemed more like graceful birds.

    It was unexpected and inspiring.

    Going out and then coming home we had to run the gantlet of Denver traffic and the massive airport. Bulky commercial airplanes are a completely different species than the gliders. And maybe that’s why, when I got home, I wanted something soothing for my Nia routine.

    I chose “Shine” online with Kristin Schmitz, a routine focused on both movement and stillness. It was a perfect follow to a busy hectic morning of travel.

  • Short and sweet

    Day 42 of 52 Nia dance

    This morning I tried a 7-minute dance break with Meredith Amato on Nia on Demand. It was perfect for my today body. Yesterday we hiked the North Ridge Trail in the Wet Mountains (part of the Sangre de Cristo range in Colorado). It wasn’t a particularly long hike, just under three miles. But we were hiking at 6500 feet and for a coastal person living at just 400 feet above sea level, it was aerobically challenging. We also gained about 850 feet of elevation. Not a lot but it was not nuthin’. The rocky trail made me glad I’d brought hiking boots.

    The views were grand. There were just a few folks on the trail. It was a quiet beautiful day in the mountains. This morning I woke up a little stiffer than usual, so chose a routine that fit with the way I felt.

    The bonus: after dancing, the joint stiffness was all gone. You can find the routine here: https://niaondemand.com/programs/stealdrums-with-meredith.