I'm Unstoppable

I’m UNSTOPPABLE!
A follow-up to “NIA = Exercise Broccoli”

Back in January, I wrote a blog called NIA = Exercise Broccoli—a love letter to a practice that, like broccoli, might not have always felt like a craving... but was exactly what my body, mind, emotions, and spirit needed. If you missed it, here’s the nutshell: After several years of health setbacks and recovery from Hashimoto’s, I finally felt strong enough to reintroduce movement into my life. And I didn’t want to just dip a toe back in—I wanted to dance my way forward.

In that post, I set three goals for 2025:

1.  Complete 200 30-minute (or longer) NIA workouts

2.  Retake and finish my White Belt Training

3.  Complete my Blue Belt Training

Well, here’s your official update—and spoiler alert: I am CRUSHING it.

250 Workouts? No Problem.

Not long after publishing the blog, I realized I had underestimated myself. So I raised my goal from 200 to 250 workouts. As of today, I’ve already completed 125 of them—each at least 30 minutes long, many stretching into 45 or 60 minutes as my endurance improved. I’m ahead of schedule, and more importantly, I feel strong, agile, and deeply connected to my body.

White Belt: Completed!

Last week, I proudly completed my NIA White Belt Training—16 weeks of two-hour classes plus an additional weekly 60-minute workout with classmates. The training dove deep into NIA’s philosophy: The Art of Sensation, The Joy of Movement, and the 13 foundational principles. I loved every minute of it.

Our instructor, Mia Steyn, guided us with such grace and wisdom, all the way from South Africa. Most of my classmates were also South African, adding a beautiful cultural depth to the journey. One classmate in Kenya even reported that a monkey touched her toe during floor play. Can your gym say that?

The curriculum also offered videos, articles, and booklets that expanded our understanding of movement as medicine. But the real magic was in the experience itself: connecting, sweating, laughing, reflecting, and growing.

Healing Through Movement

As a Hypnotist, I’ve long understood how powerful the mind is. It can change our perception of pain, rewrite old beliefs, and help us rewrite the stories we tell ourselves. But during my White Belt training, I encountered a truth that hit me not just intellectually, but viscerally:

Not all memories live in the mind. Some are stored in the body.

This isn’t just poetic—it’s backed by science and somatic psychology. Our nervous system holds onto experiences, especially those that were overwhelming, traumatic, or emotionally charged. The body becomes a kind of storage unit, holding onto unprocessed energy in the form of chronic tension, pain, shallow breathing, poor posture, or even illness.

Have you ever noticed that you clench your jaw when you’re stressed—even if you’re not thinking about what’s bothering you? Or that a certain smell, sound, or movement can bring on a wave of emotion or tears out of nowhere? That’s the body remembering.

During NIA classes, I found myself moving in ways that seemed simple at first—spirals, stances, shimmies—but as I moved, I could feel old energy releasing and working its way out of my body.  Some days I’d laugh. Some days I’d cry.  Some days, I’d feel a wave of unexpected peace. And none of this came from thinking—it just came from honoring those feelings.

It became clear to me: Hypnosis helps rewire the mind. But movement helps reset the nervous system. NIA doesn’t just give you a workout—it gives your body a way to finally speak. To release. To heal.

One of the most powerful concepts we learned in the White Belt training was that movement can be a form of emotional digestion. The same way the body digests food, it needs to process and metabolize experiences, and movement provides the pathway.

For me, it wasn’t just about increasing my stamina or flexibility—it was about reclaiming parts of myself I didn’t even realize I’d abandoned. Each session gave me a deeper sense of integration between my body, mind, emotions, and spirit. I wasn't just learning choreography—I was learning how to be at home in my body again.

And honestly? That’s the real goal. Not a six-pack. Not a perfect routine. Not some external measure of progress.

Just the deep, unshakable knowing that my body is not my enemy.  It’s my ally. My memory keeper. My messenger. My dance partner in healing.

The Song That Named My Blog

On the last day of training, each of us was assigned a song to dance to—selected by our instructor based on how she saw us showing up. When Mia cued up “Unstoppable” by Sia for me, I felt seen. Truly seen.

I danced. I wept. I smiled. I embodied the woman I’ve become: strong, whole, in motion—and yes, unstoppable.

What’s Next?

I’m registered for my Blue Belt training with Winalee Zeeb in Lansing, MI, this June. This level focuses on The Art of Communication, and is a favorite for many NIA practitioners. And because I’m clearly addicted (in the healthiest way possible), I’m already eyeing the Green and Brown Belts for fall.

It feels good to be dreaming again. Planning again. Dancing again.

Because NIA isn’t just broccoli anymore, it’s my superfood. My therapy. My joy. My celebration.

It is quite possible I’ll be teaching NIA in the very near future, because everyone can benefit from healing through movement.