Nia is a low-impact, low-pressure movement practice rooted in ancient forms of energetic healing and release including Tai Chi, Yoga, and African dance. Whether you’re an experienced mover or beginner, or need some modifications, this somatically attuned workshop is for you. With Nia, we move at the speed of the nervous system, devoting ample time to warm-up, cool-down & stretching. We also learn somatic nervous system regulation techniques you can take home to add to your own practice. Nia with Stephanie will leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed, and mentally clear. Stephanie Parker (she/her) is a Black Queer somatic practitioner and licensed Nia instructor based in Oakland, California. She is a graduate of Stanford University (B.A., M.A.), and worked at Google for 9 years before being called to the path of ancestral healing. Stephanie creates safe, affirming, sacred, decolonial spaces, guiding in a nonhierarchical way that allows collective wisdom to emerge from the group. Stephanie's journey as a healer began with her own body’s divine act of refusal in the form of severe upper body-wide nerve pain, a condition that led her to step away from both her social justice organizing work and decade-long career in the tech industry. Stephanie’s search for relief led her to her first 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. You can learn more about Stephanie and her offerings on her website, and on Instagram at @catchlight27.