Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now

A writer takes a minute for a closer look

recent posts

  • Wait, why?

    Day 38 of 52 Nia dance

    The religion of my family has a profound scripture: “Men are that they might have joy.” I grew up hearing that, and perhaps it’s among the most meaningful legacies for me of that faith, right up there with loving kindness as a guiding principle.

    So when I think about the reasons behind my decision to commit to a daily practice for more than seven weeks, part of it was simple curiosity about experiencing joy in a physical way every day. Nia is all about joy of movement. It’s about learning to love how I feel in my body. What would it be like to feel that every day?

    Here’s what it’s like: Every day, I have an interlude — any where from five minutes to 65 minutes, depending on my mood and the routine — where I am joyful.

    Honestly, every day. So far, anyway. Joy takes different shapes. Some days it’s calming. Some days it’s exuberant and childlike. Some days it’s a kind of loving acceptance of whatever is going on that I am powerless over. And some days it’s simple joy, like being warmed by sunshine, like a friend I adore smiling my way.

    I have invited friends to dance Nia with me and some have come. Not everybody experiences the enchantment that I’ve found. And I think that is how life works. There are many many ways to bring joy.

    My hope is that everyone finds their path to joy. And not just fleeting glimpses. But a path, marked by their experience and enhanced by the experience of those with whom they resonate.

    Find a way to joy. And find a way back to joy when it’s needed.

    Today I danced “Alchemy.” Again! I’m loving it.

  • My own magic

    Day 37 of 52 Nia dance

    Today I pulled six songs, three each, from the middle of “Bloom” and “Alchemy.” A couple of them — “Shake Down Hold Up” from “Bloom” and “Byzantine” from “Alchemy” — brought such joy, I danced them twice. When trainer Debbie-Lee van Ginkel said, “It’s your journey, it’s your magic,” I heard it and also felt it.

    I wrapped up by doing the five stages, a floor exercise that got me thinking about my own magic.

    The picture with today’s blog is from my playroom window, the maple tree outside going red, inside my small stone diffuser with its tea light and tiny bowl of water and aromatic oil. And, of course, a hefty mug of pens, pencils, paint brushes, etc. It’s my magic space. And by magic, I mean there’s no anticipating what might emerge — alchemize? — here.

  • The little things

    Trainer Nitzan Gantz dancing “Connecting”

    Day 36 of 52 Nia dance

    So good to be back in the studio with Dael Parsons and my Nia dance pals. We danced to “Connecting,” which today felt sumptuous, like a tasty meal for muscles, joints, bones, etc — oh, and the mind — to enjoy.

    I like how Dael (and all the teachers, really) call out suggestions that I wouldn’t necessarily think of. Today, she reminded us to notice our toes. I liked that because it helped me direct attention to what is the foundation of every movement.

    This is a benefit of dancing daily. I can hear and respond, not only to the guidance on next steps, but also these more nuanced things.

    The music in “Connecting” has many many textures. I haven’t yet chosen it when I’m dancing online routines, but today reminded me that it’s worth spending more time with. The lead song, “Connecting” Nadav Dagon & Orka, is especially fine.