“Plié is the first thing you learn and the last thing you master.” - Suzanne Farrell, noted American ballerina

It’s one of the most amazing things to me that in ballet, as with other highly-sophisticated techniques, you can continue to learn new things in practicing the technique and artistry your whole life long! The training never ends, no matter how “advanced” or masterful you become.

On the one hand, it’s just one of many steps a ballet dancer must learn, but it is also integral to modern dance and mastery of movement in general. All athletes could benefit from a little plié in their lives, as pliés are a powerhouse, like a coiled spring full of potential for changing level, direction, and path through rising, sinking,  jumping, turning, and landing with integrity and quiet control. 

Half- or Demi Plié begins with equal distribution of the weight through the soles of both feet, with approximately a third of the weight over the big and small toe joints and heel. Length is maintained through the spine, with the pelvis in neutral alignment, the core engaged to allow a flow of energy through the spine, similar to the Uddiyana Bandha in yoga. The knees slowly bend until reaching the limit keeping the heels on the floor, then knees slowly extend to return to the starting position.

As the knees bend, they track over the middle toe, so whether the dancer is in a parallel or turned-out position, the angle of rotation in the hip, knee, and foot matches. This means the dancer is not twisting in the knee or ankle joint, but stabilizing a rotation from the hip joint, the safest technique for producing turnout. Full- or Grand Plié bends the knees further bringing the pelvis lower, possibly between the knees with the thighs parallel to the floor at the lowest point, with spinal alignment and neutral pelvic alignment intact.

In yogic philosophy, the action of plié is centered around the 1st Chakra in the legs and pelvis. From a solid foundation and proper alignment, energy can flow throughout the Nadis, and engagement our deep core musculature is important to maintaining posture and balance.

How does this all relate to coaching and our larger experience of life? If we don’t continue to practice the basics, of whatever technique we specialize in, we won’t improve as artists and we must attend to our fundamental needs first before further learning and accomplishment can take place.

Here are some of my favorite sources for more:

Dictionary and Technical Manual of Classical Ballet by Gail Grant

Basic Principles of Classical Ballet: Russian Ballet Technique by Agrippina Vaganova

The Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet Theory and Technique by Cyril W. Beaumont and Stanislas Idzikowski

Ballet Pedagogy: The Art of Teaching by Rory Foster

The Ballet Companion by Eliza Gaynor Minden

For more information about my classes and videos about ballet technique, dance, yoga, and coaching, please visit my website at ablythecoach.com 

In Yogic Philosophy, there is also extensive description of 72,000 Nadis or energetic channels via which prana flows through the chakras or subtle energy centers of the body. In Chapter 6:13 of the classical text of yogic philosophy the Bhagavad Gita, we are instructed in meditation to “Keep the body, head, and neck erect without looking about; gaze instead toward the tip of the nose.”

Satchidananda’s commentary continues that “The head, neck, and body should be in a straight line...a crooked spine may hinder the process when the consciousness rises up. It should flow easily through the spine through the ida, pingala and sushumna. These are important nadis passing through all the chakras.”

In dance and yoga, we can sense a dynamic length in the spine allowing the energy to move throughout the body, noticing the flow from fingertips to heels or toes as we reach, through both arms, legs, from crown of the head to tail, and in all 3 dimensions, every direction. These techniques share kinesthetic principles of proper alignment, which allow ease in balancing, stability, and poise or readiness to move in a variety of ways.

To learn more about my approach to dance, education, and life, to join a yoga or dance class, and for many more free videos and tools, visit my website at ablythecoach.com

In Yoga philosophy, my favorite translation of the “Namaste” greeting is: “The light/highest in me salutes/acknowledges the light/highest in you.” This means that coming from my own place of light and goodness, I acknowledge the same in you. My practices are to come from this place consistently, and to see others, ALL others. Practicing seeing the light in all connects us to our true Self, and ultimately Samadhi, or bliss.

In the classical dance tradition of Ballet, we also have special ways of greeting and expressing respect for one another. We may enter the dancing space and greet our teacher with a bow, and we also dance a “Révérence” at the end of our class to express reverence, respect, and acknowledgement for the ballet teaching lineage, our own teachers and choreographers, our fellow dancers and classmates, the musicians, our audience, and our own efforts. 

When I was training with Accomplishment Coaching, I first practiced this distinction, and discovered that acknowledging others, and being acknowledged myself, is a powerful way to come into, and get back to, my BEING. Acknowledgement is an ontological tool, and a powerful part of us getting complete on a coaching session and approaching every action with purpose, from our Essence.

I approach teaching from the perspective that learning optimally occurs in a physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe community of Inquiry. It’s therefore important to our learning to create a space free of prejudice, instead encouraging exploration, tolerance, and trust. Being present to, and seeking to understand others is supported by listening to and acknowledging how they show up in the world.

We kindly acknowledge ourselves and others using the “Namaste” greeting in Yoga, through Révérence in ballet, and with spoken acknowledgement in coaching... what would it look like if you practiced coming from that place in the “in the wild” of the larger world? Who could you acknowledge today to bring them, and you, into being? I encourage you to practice acknowledgement today, for yourself and others!

To learn more about my dance education, yoga, and coaching offerings and see lots of free content and tools, head on over to my website at ablythecoach.com and subscribe to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel!

A Blythe Coach: Blythe Stephens

Dance Education & Coaching

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In the classic text of yogic philosophy, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra book 2.46-48 it states:

“The posture of yoga is steady and easy. It is realized by relaxing one’s effort and resting like the cosmic serpent in the waters of infinity.Then one is unconstrained by opposing dualities.” 

(Yoga Discipline of Freedom: The Yoga Sutra Attributed to Patanjali, translated by Barbara Stoler Miller)

I really love that image that Patanjali uses about the cosmic serpent, Ananta, or “the infinite,” resting afloat on a sea of milk, I imagine feeding on honey, and receiving a foot massage… it’s so luscious!

In their Yoga International article on these Sutras, Robert Svoboda & Scott Blossom explain that they are: “More literally translated as ‘resolutely abide in good space.’”They go on to define the Sanskrit terms: “The yoga term sukha means happy, good, joyful, delightful, easy, agreeable, gentle, mild, and virtuous... Sthira can mean ‘firm, compact, strong, steadfast, static, resolute, and courageous.” 

(https://yogainternational.com/article/view/sthira-and-sukha-steadiness-and-ease/ )

Doesn’t coming from that space sound like a great way to approach life’s challenges?

As a teacher and coach, I have seen that a space of physical and intellectual safety is required for optimal learning. I work to build an anti-bias community, expand access to learning, and support students and clients in self-awareness, with a strong sense of identity, respect for others, and justice.

Let’s ask ourselves today:

Thanks for joining me in “resolutely abiding in good space” today!

To learn more about my dance education, yoga, and coaching offerings and lots of free content and tools, head on over to my website at ablythecoach.com and subscribe to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel!

This late spring into summer, I’ve been participating in “The Artist’s Way” program by Julia Cameron. The process so far has been incredible! I already consider myself a creative person and have many exciting projects going, but I’ve become aware of, and have started to transform blocks that have stopped me in some areas. It is so empowering, and part of the work is connecting to the source of creativity, whatever you want to call it.

In response to one of the “Artist’s Way” prompts, I have composed my own prayer, and in so doing I realized that’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Finding the right words has been a journey, and I drew on a few favorite sources, such as Francis of Assisi, the Lord’s Prayer, and a favorite hymn, “Spirit of Life.”

As I shared in my podcast on Resilience, poetry and meditation or spiritual practice are two important tools that I use to persist through difficulty and to find inspiration to create new work and contribute to my community. It feels vulnerable, but part of my commitment is to transparency and honesty, so I’m sharing this to provide a window into some of the creative endeavors I’m pursuing alongside teaching, choreography, music, and so forth.

You don’t have to subscribe to any particular belief system in order to ask for support and listen for answers and inspiration. The energy that flows into your life in response might surprise you!

So here’s what I came up with as my own personal “Artist’s Prayer:”

Spirit of Life,

come unto me,

Make me a channel

of creativity.

Give me my daily bread,

May I be content

And work to forgive others,

Never to resent.

Savor every lovely thing

Encountered in this life,

Grow from every challenge,

Bring peace to any strife.

I trust you will lead me

And will to listen to your word,

Loving my neighbors,

Helping them to fly as birds.

Thank you for the blessing

That is this earth,

May I be deserving of it

And contribute all my worth.

[To learn more about how I support people to live their best, most creative lives, please visit ablythecoach.com If you’re interested in supporting my work, check out the new A Blythe Coach page on Patreon for membership information at a variety of levels with corresponding benefits such as early notification of new videos and podcasts, live online courses, and personal coaching!]

One of my favorite poets, Adrienne Rich, wrote:

“My heart is moved by all I cannot save:

so much has been destroyed

I have to cast my lot with those

who age after age, perversely,

with no extraordinary power,

reconstitute the world.”

Hi, this is Blythe Stephens of A Blythe Coach: dance education & coaching to move through life with balance, grace, & power. This podcast includes bite-sized insights on ballet, dance, yoga, well-being, creativity, and joy! In this episode, I talk about challenges I have faced in my life this far and the tools and resources that have supported me in getting through. Both reading and writing poetry has helped me process events and emotions in a healthy way, and I enjoy it during times of celebration and merriment as well.

In this episode, I also share a poem by Jane Hirschfield, “Optimism:”

“More and more I have come to admire resilience.

Not the simple resistance of a pillow, whose foam

returns over and over to the same shape, but the sinuous

tenacity of a tree: finding the light newly blocked on one side,

it turns in another. A blind intelligence, true.

But out of such persistence arose turtles, rivers,

mitochondria, figs -- all this resinous, unretractable earth.”

Both reading and writing poetry has helped me process events and emotions in a healthy way, and I enjoy it during times of celebration and merriment as well.

Being coached and using coaching tools has been also an incredible aid to my resilience. If you’re interested in learning more about my coaching services, I would be delighted to share more about these tools by appointment. Resilience, self-care, and thriving are ongoing themes in my yoga and dance education as well.  You can find out more on my website at ablythecoach.com

In my opinion, one of the ultimate expressions of resilience is the work of Maya Angelou, including the final poem I share on this edition of the podcast, “And Still I Rise.”

“The prayer of our souls is a petition for persistence; not for the one good deed, or single thought, but deed on deed, and thought on thought, until day calling unto day shall make a life worth living.” - W.E.B. DuBois

W.E.B. DuBois was an American sociologist, historian, author, editor, and activist who was an important black protest leader in the United States during the first half of the 20th century, and a co-founder of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

The fight for Social Justice continues, requiring community uprising, institutional and personal transformation. Persistent practice is required to accomplish our objectives in all of our work, from personal physical, creative, and spiritual practices to the work of social and political change. That persistence requires commitment, determination, and discipline.

Within yogic literature, verse 1:12 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra describes the discipline of the mind thus: “Cessation of the turnings of thought comes through practice and dispassion.” 

In our personal practices, such as yoga and dancing, taking responsibility for our well-being and finding the right shapes and movements for our own bodies on this particular day is critical to our persistence. I recommend listening to your body’s needs and utilizing supports such as a chair, a wall, props like yoga blocks, blankets, straps, and bolsters to adapt the stances and movements. This sort of self-awareness and self-care helps us persist with our yoga practice by assisting us to find the version of a pose that works best in this moment, and learning to modify each movement according to our evolving needs. Choosing our projects, practices, and causes based on our values and Purpose or dharma also supports our persistence.

In her book, Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life, Judith Hanson Lasater suggests the following practice for developing discipline:

“Make a list of things you have always wanted to do, but never seem to find the time to try, or things that you already do but have resistance to doing. You might choose meditating, writing a book, playing the piano, practicing poses or breathing techniques, reading a good book, or taking a daily walk. It could be something else. What is important is that you pick something and commit yourself to doing it for fifteen minutes a day...To support your commitment, set a timer. It is important to continue for the full fifteen minutes. It is also important to stop after fifteen minutes, so that you do not become obsessive about the activity. Some days you will want to do this exercise; other days, it may be difficult. In either case, do it anyway, acknowledging that it is something you have chosen...Carry on for one month, and then review your experience. At that time, you may want to continue the activity, change it, or drop it altogether. In any case, you will have had the opportunity to experience consistency and commitment without rigidity.”

I myself have seen transformation in my life from adopting habits aligned with my goals for as little as 5 minutes daily! To learn more about my approach to dance, education, and life, to join a yoga or dance class, and for many more free tools, subscribe to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel and visit my website at ablythecoach.com

It seems like my country is on fire over racial injustice this week. The police brutality, unrest, and murder is terrifying and particularly deadly for innocent people of color. I am sad for the pain people are feeling, but inspired by the action and response of caring folks.  I makes proud to see citizens are standing up against discrimination and violence.

As we move into Gay Pride Month, we are reminded of the demonstration-turned-riot at the Stonewall Inn that is credited with catalyzing the gay rights movement of the ‘70’s and beyond and to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and for intersectional racial, gender, and class equality.

I had been thinking of a nice message for my yoga sessions and teaching this week involving late spring and Pride and moving into my birthday month, which I will indeed be celebrating, but today I feel called to speak to the inherent value and dignity of every person.

In the classic text of yoga philosophy the Bhagavad Gita, verse 5:18-19, it states:

“Those who have realized the Self see that same self equally in a humble scholar, a cow, a dog or a dog-eater. When you see the stainless unity of God (Brahman) everywhere, you become established in Brahman and rise above the constant changes of this world.” (5:19, p. 75)

Many faiths share this sentiment, and Satchidananda's commentary continues, “This explains the Biblical commandment, [In Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, and Mark 12:31]  ‘Love your neighbor as your self.’ It doesn’t say, ‘Love only your good neighbor as yourself,’ or ‘Love your neighbor who has the same label. [...] And who is your neighbor? The one sitting next to you now, or in the next room, the next house, or the next town. Everyone close to you is your neighbor.” (The Living Gita) 

I would argue in our global society, EVERYONE is your neighbor.

Satchidananda goes on to state that, “True harmony can be experienced only by realizing the Spirit and seeing that spirit in everybody.” (p. 75)

Even from the distance of another continent, the news from the US comes through, and though it’s clear that our world is in pain, I am comforted to hear compassionate voices responding in solidarity. If we can see one another as worthy and equal, we will indeed change the world. May the compassionate consequences be felt in communities across the globe.

This week I am sharing resources for supporting Black Lives Matter and other Social Justice causes and organizations are up on the A Blythe Coach Facebook Page.

A Blythe Coach: Blythe Stephens

Dance Education & Coaching to move through life with balance, grace, & power

YouTube: A Blythe Coach

Facebook Page: A Blythe Coach

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PayPal: PayPal.Me/ablythecoach

In a recent survey of my students, I was pleased that one of the responses regarding what they particularly enjoy in my teaching is the imagery. One student noted:

“I love the food analogies and the language choices. The imagery really resonates.”

Hi, this is Blythe Stephens of A Blythe Coach: dance education & coaching to move through life with balance, grace, & power. This podcast includes bite-sized insights on ballet, dance, yoga, well-being, creativity, and joy! In this weekly series, I have been discussing resources for being present in the body, creating, and connecting with self and others.

Another resource I find incredibly useful in my dance, choreography, teaching and yoga practices, is the deliciousness of exploring visualization. Along with a solid technical foundation, imagery helps bring lush texture, and diverse qualities to movement, developing artistry. The imagination feeds us as humans and creators.

How important the life of the mind is to us these days, and any time we can’t explore the outside world as much as we might like or when we need to become present to our internal landscape. As mindfulness teacher Dandapani has stated, “Visualization is a big part of a meditation practice.”

As my aforementioned student noted, I use a lot of yummy food images in my teaching, like melty cheese fondu, smooth cake frosting, thick milkshakes, and gooey peanut butter. We also talk about weather patterns, physical elements and forces, electrical currents, and the magnificence of nature.

This week I’ve been sharing a poem I recently discovered and have found personally inspiring, called Fragile and Rooted, by Carolyn S. Owen-Towle:

“See a blossom in your mind’s eye.

Allow it to fill the interior of your

imagination.

Greater perfection of form in

Nature cannot be imagined.

With inward gaze absorb each

Wondrous fluted petal.

Slide down its humid surface

Until you drop as dew into

Its velvety core.

Such fragile beauty gives impulse

to weep.

Slowly reverse the journey;

As you ascend the shaft toward

Wider light, turn your

Imagination around and around

To see its many facets.

Stored within is the memory of

All flowers.

Marvel that this creation, while

Utterly fragile--yet undaunted,

Boldly buds forth turning

Resolutely toward the sun.

We, too, shimmer with

Expectation, exuding our own

Illumination, color, pulse, and

Scent.

Vulnerable, still we venture our

Lives courageously toward hope

And light, at once fragile and

Rooted.”

I hope that you enjoy this poem as I did, and if you’d like to explore these images in your yoga practice, you’re invited to try the free yoga sequence on the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel, which was filmed and uploaded May 28, 2020. To learn more about my approach to dance, education, and life, to join a yoga or dance class, and for many more free tools, visit my website at ablythecoach.com

A Blythe Coach: Blythe Stephens

Dance Education & Coaching to move through life with balance, grace, & power

YouTube: A Blythe Coach

Facebook Page: A Blythe Coach

Instagram: blythely

PayPal: PayPal.Me/ablythecoach

Relating is connecting with others, nurturing relationships, building community, developing leadership, balancing exertion-recuperation, phrasing, and navigating personal uniqueness and diversity.

Hello, this is Blythe Stephens of A Blythe Coach: dance education and coaching to move through life with balance, grace, and power. This podcast includes bite-sized insights on ballet, dance, yoga, well-being, creativity, and joy! This is the fifth and final part of a series about being present in the body and living mindfully. Of course I’ll be re-visiting these topics many times in the future, but this is my first stab at distilling key points that underpin all of my work. They are all connected!

If you haven’t yet heard the sections on Grounding, Centering, and Orienting, and Creating, you may wish to go back and check out those episodes as well. Here I’ll discuss the next critical element, finding a Related State of Being. Of course my discussion here is just the tip of the iceberg- truly this introduction is just a tiny taste of the philosophy behind my work, and it draws on many sources.

Many faiths share a basic premise of treating those around you well. In his translation of the classic text of yoga philosophy, The Bhagavad Gita, Sri Swami Satchidananda provides this interpretation of how we are to relate to others: “This explains the Bible commandment, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ It doesn’t say, ‘Love only your good neighbor as yourself,’ or ‘Love your neighbor who has the same label. [...] And who is your neighbor? The one sitting next to you now, or in the next room, the next house, the next town. Everyone close to you is your neighbor. But how do you love your neighbor as your own Self? You have to see your Self in that person.” (The Living Gita ) We find that “Golden Rule” in the Bible, in the books of Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, & Mark 12:31, and other belief systems do share in this core value.

While I was training with Accomplishment Coaching, we started from the premise that you are already fully related to everyone! In coaching, we can nurture healthy relationships by tending to the Four Corners of Relationship, which are Relatedness, Responsibility, Integrity, and Communication.

Key to our connection with others is our relationship with ourselves, so I invite you to start there. In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron suggests the following simple practice: “Several times a day, just take a beat, and ask yourself how you are feeling. Listen to your answer. Respond kindly.” 

Then from a foundation of self-love, we can share our care and respect for others, providing ourselves and our community with physical and intellectual safety, and we can even work to promote social justice for all.

Of course, this is NOT a linear path! It is spiralic, and there are lots of stops and starts and overlap and intersection between themes. In yoga, we seek to connect to Self, spirit, and others.In dance, we relate to one another continuously and in an embodied way. In life, may we greet one another with respect and love.

I leave you today with a gesture from the yoga tradition, with my palms together before the heart center, the highest in me greets the highest in you. Namaste!

For more information about all of these themes and the work I do, and for lots more free resources, please visit me at www.ablythecoach.com