Florence to Norcross - Nia in Tucker

I have several strong memories of being stuck in stand-still traffic in the Atlanta metro area, so I was sure to allow lots of extra time on today's drive. It was one of my least favorite set-ups, where I havea  long drive and then an evening class. But it was a seven pm class, so I had plenty of time. 

The last time I went shopping, I got bread, lettuce, salami and cheese and I made up several sandwiches and put them in bags so that I could easily grab one and eat it when I stopped on the road.
Even after eating lunch, I noticed that I was scheduled to arrive at my destination several hours before class began. So I entered the address of my Motel 6 into Babe and we detoured so that I could check in.
Like yesterday, it was a nice surprise to be able to check in before class and super nice not to have to worry about it afterwards. I checked in and had time to take a shower and shave before heading to Nia at The Yoga Room.
This is my fourth time stopping to teach in Atlanta, and almost each time, I've been in a different space. This one was not my favorite as the floor was very hard. It felt like outdoor carpet over concrete and was very unforgiving to our joints. Since it was Nia, and we don't use a lot of impact, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but I did notice after class that my body was a little bit sore in ways that don't usually happen from doing Nia on a nice sprung floor.
Setting the Focus on "Moving Centers"

Centered over one foot




FloorPlay
Even though the building was unfamiliar when I first got there, when the students started showing up it all felt familiar. I am amazed at how many faces I recognize from the previous visits.

Over dinner a few days ago, we figured out that I meet about 250 people per month when I'm on these trips. So I'm surprised that I'm able to recognize any of them. But a large majority of the folks that came to tonights class were familiar. And I don't think I've ever gotten as many handshakes and hugs before class as I did tonight.

During class, the students were a joy to teach to as they were mostly a sea of smiling faces, with occasional looks of concentration. I endeavored to challenge them and amuse them and make them sweat and try some new things. I think I was able to do all of those things. There were several people who were brand new to Nia and I was glad to be able to give them their first experience. I hope they loved it and continue to come back to Sandy's class.

A student remarked at the end that she appreciated how connected and joyful we all become when we're doing Nia. And I couldn't agree more. That's exactly what keeps me coming back after 21 years.

When class was over, we were all surprised to hear the thunder storm going on outside. It had been a basically nice and clear day, but there was a hint of grey clouds. Apparently, while we danced, those grey clouds increased and released. It was POURING rain so hard that just running from the studio out to my car, River and I were soaking wet.
Neither of us really minded, though. 

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