Tru Essencia teaching at Sweet Water in the Bronx

Join Tru Essencia every Monday evening for a great hip hop dance workout at SWDY.. 

with amazing Music Compilations, Hip Hop Trivia and Wellness for your Mind, Body, Heart, Soul and Spirit..

Sign up for the Workshop workout Here
See the complete SWDY Schedule HERE

Price:  $15 When you RSVP online
$20 Walk - Ins

Monthly Specials
$5 Discount with Hip Hop Trivia 101
'How many elements in the Hip Hop Culture
and name them?'
(reply HERE with answer and receive discount code)

Dance Scholarship for 2 new students per month
Bartership available for Exchange of Services

Bartership with Tru Essencia Dance and Wellness, inc.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter 

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Bartership
'An equal exchange, swap, trade; Exchange of goods without involving money'

Tru Essencia barters with small businesses, students, clients and community for an exchange of our services of:

*Personal Training
*Nutritional Counseling (including herbs and essential oils)
*Yoga and Stillness
*Hip Hop Dance and Culture

In exchange for services, skills, talents or giving of your time for the support of our dance and wellness company, Tru Essencia.   Reply HERE with your information.
 

Services needed

Web Design

Public Relations

Photographer

Videographer

Graphic Artist

Seamstress

Acupuncture

Reiki

Massage Therapist

Social Media Promotions

Accountant

 Paz Amor Luz

Every Thursday Snap, Pop n' Rock Hip Hop Dance Fitness Workshops

Snap, Pop n' Lock OR Snap, Pop n' Rock

The name of our signature hip hop dance fitness class is created to honor one of our favorite childhood cereals 'Rice Crispy's tagline 'Snap, Crackle, Pop'.

The name was created before the structure of the class was formed.  The fact that the name 'Snap' coincides with my dance name SnapShot and 'Pop' with WandeePop is all divine rhythms.  So people can stop asking who is 'Lock'   LOL

Using 'Lock' was the perfect style to include in the name because it is the Funk Styles we teach in conjunction with our Freestyle Party Dancing and Rocking.  But we are NOT masters of Locking.  We learned Locking Basics from the Original Lockers and creator Don Campbellock and Don Campbellock Jr., as well as Skeeter Rabbit (RIP), Jazzy Jay and Sugar Pop.  

Our initial Locking influences are Mr. Wiggles and PopMaster Fable before we had the women's influences in Breakin 1 & 2 with Anna 'LoliPop' Sanchez and Toni Basil.  So for those who want to learn the Funk Style of Locking that was born in California please follow one of these instructors, as well as Shabba Doo, Original Lockers.

Locking is not a major part of our class structure, but we do perform Locking drills to help with Points, Wrist Rolls, Angles, Locks and Scoops.  It's a dope funky style, like popping, that paved the way for the Funk Styles explosion out of Cali that influenced the Hip Hop Culture on the East Coast.

WandeePop and I teach what we learned growing up in the Bronx too keep the authenticity of who we are, which is why we are officially changing the name to Snap, Pop n' Rock.  We are pioneer BGirls from the 80's representing Hip Hop Party Dancing Style with a taste of Rocking and Popping (Boogaloo and Electric Boogie).

Rocking is the official original Hip Hop style from the Bronx that we rocked in the jams.  We loved to get down.  It derives from Latin Inspired Dances such as: Rumba, Salsa, Samba, Boogaloo and Mambo.

PAZ AMOR LUZ

Deepak Chopra's 21-Day Meditation Challenge March 2013

Deepak Chopra's
21-Day Meditation Challenge for March 2013

Join Tru Essencia's Stillness Community on March 11 for a transformational three-week guided meditation journey toward the triad of whole wellness—mind, body, and spirit. In Deepak Chopra's interactive online program, we invite you to meditate and journal with us each day to embrace the vision of your best self, expand your understanding of your miraculous body, and achieve greater balance and wellbeing. 

We encourage you to register now for this all-new 21-Day Meditation Challenge—Perfect Health. It’s free to participate and Deepak will be your guides each day as together we discover how to recognize our body’s natural perfection and leverage its inherent wisdom. 

Please give yourself this gift with infinite benefits and sign up today HERE. We look forward to an amazing three weeks together!

For those participating please share your experiences with Tru Essencia on our Blog.

Tru Essencia invites you to join our Stillness Community where we will share these and more Stillness experiences Together.  If this is something you have never tried before and you are curious to give it a go please send us an Email.  Or if you are skeptical and have attempted Stillness before and it just did nothing for you please send us an Email and share your thoughts.  We are here for anyone and everyone who may have questions, comments or concerns.

Stillness is not a Religion.  It's a Powerful Practice of spending quality time with yourself: Mind Body Heart Soul Spirit

Please Share your Thoughts on your Meditations with Tru Essencia Below.  We would love to share with you;-)

Releasing the past ~ Appreciating the Present ~ Dream Seeding the Future

Love Angel Journey
Wandee 'WandeePop' Candelario

My spiritual awakening has helped me realize the potential I have in every aspect of my life. I'm making better decisions in my personal life, business, and I've been blessed to tap into a whole other level of creativity. Since I started my journey... the enlightenment of my awakening has me thinking more on how the cause and effect of my energy and attitude affects others. It's all up to me to send the positive energy out into the universe, so in turn I can receive the same magical energy.

I can truly say at this point in my life my heart, mind, body and soul are connected the lightness I feel is like no other. I used to feel angry all the time, used to feel such heaviness like I was carrying the weight of the world on my back. This no longer is so!! Each day is a learning experience a blessed day. It allows me to drop off a little of that luggage each day.
The load is lighter and my energy is calmer more loving and open. Opened to a new way of life a new beginning, loving caring giving non-judgmental life.

I wake up each morning thanking creator for the beautiful blessings of the day. The glorious wondrous day that is ahead for me.

So I take a few steps to help protect and conserve my positive energy.
When I wake up in the morning I take 3 deep cleansing breathes.
Say a prayer of gratitude.
Send positive energy out to my family, friends, and community.
Make sure to smile before I get out of bed.
Connecting with like minded individuals
Visualizing everything in the light with clarity.
Whenever something feels heavy taking deep breaths inhaling through your nose and exhaling out the mouth helps to ground you, it may vary you may at times need to take 3 or 4 deep breaths, or you may feel like you need more. There is no wrong way; the point is to be mindful and take the time out to breathe.For tips on Breathing Techniques read January's Newsletter Article,                              Balance Your Energy Wellbeing

The steps are very easy like everything… you need to practice and make it a part of your everyday life. That is the key factor to continue to work that power; the power of our energy spirit… doing this will ensure the exercise if feeding our spirit, is what you choose to do. We all get so busy trying to take care of others, and sometimes just our physical outer shell, we often forget to feed the soul and our spirit. Making the connections for Mind, Body, Heart, Soul, Spirit with health and wellness is one of the most amazing transformations I am witnessing and going through.

This formula has helped me heal negative energy, allowed me to remove the toxins right out of my system. It hasn’t been easy but it’s been well worth it. The journey took me through a very long hibernation period, and sometimes even the feeling of being silent and still.

Some folks didn’t understand. Those I thought were my friends, so I lost a few. I am totally okay with that cause I am not judging them for not understanding my journey. It was and still is a very necessary path I need to continue on.

Others embraced me and allowed the space and the room to do what was necessary at the time. These are the folks that I have bonded with on a whole other level spiritually.
These are the folks I am happy to have in my life and for their non-stop support and LOVE! They’ve allowed me the space to transition into the real me. A more approachable, less standoffish, non-judgmental human-being, I am a woman that is thriving to help support, encourage, empowerment and honor the newfound way of light!

Part of the LIGHT path journey is accepting all that comes along with transformations, changes, and the different levels energy that all come into play. So where there is light, there is darkness and sometimes even the gray side. So please be mindful of this and always make your way back to the LIGHT!

Using the balance of it all combined the light the dark and even the gray area is needed too. Understanding and knowing not to stay in the dark or heavy area for to long will take some time but it is doable cause we are given some many blessings on a day-to-day basis. It is very important to show gratitude and give thanks.

So I am continuing to work on the following: Releasing the past ~ Appreciating the Present ~ Dream Seeding the Future

Sending Blessing Peace Love and Light!
To be continued
Wandee

Share Your Thoughts Below;-)

Tru Essencia's Love Angel Journey and New Beginnings

Tru Essencia Dance and Wellness, Inc
Choreographers ~ Wellness Professionals ~ Teaching Artist ~ Lightworkers
Deena 'SnapShot' Clemente ~ Wandee 'WandeePop' Candelario

Tru Essencia's New Beginnings
Love Angel Journey

It's been two years since Tru Essencia created a newsletter for our past, present and future clients, students and networking contacts. It's a tool we use to share our dance schedule, services and our favorite things.  Within these two years Deena and Wandee have been on an awakening journey.  I am sure many of you have seen the words 'Awakening' or 'Enlightenment' and thought to yourself, what does that mean?  I know we did.  I thought I was awake being raised in the Catholic tradition most of my life. Keeping God first in my life, Loving my family and friends, Going to school, getting a great job and then becoming an entrepreneur.

When we started our grassroots company in 2007 we understood development was needed to ensure what we share with the world was clear and our focused intent strong.
Anything you build from the ground up will change through the course of the development and change is necessary.  You learn what you want, don't want and make the necessary mistakes along the way.  What we found to be true is.. Truth.. your truth.. our truth.  It's challenging to build something that is the collaborative vision of other people weather it's your mentors or those you admire.  What works for others may not work for you.  You try to fit in to the mold only to discover that is not your purpose.  Then comes the frustration of 'Why am i here?'  'Why am i still doing this?'  What do I do now?  Start over.. Start Fresh.. No way, it's scary.. But How?

We were teaching classes at three of the top 5 major commercial dance studios.  We had students coming in.  We were developing our signature Snap, Pop n' Rock hip hop fitness workshops.  All was well.. But then the inevitable.  Our teaching schedule became a burden, the enjoyment of teaching was dwindling, one day we have 30 plus student the other day a handful.  We started feeling under appreciated for what we were offering.  Why?  because our fears, insecurities, programming and listening to critics who expected our downfall took over our purpose.. because we let it.  We hit a wall.

Something was not working and it was killing our spirit.  Killing who we thought we were and we became bitter, depressed, afraid and blaming the world.  The strong support system we thought we had weakened.  So we decided to retract, step back, hibernate and figure it out or let it go entirely.   The decision was emotionally, mentally, physically and financially challenging.  We let go of everything.  Our teaching schedule and contacts we were working with at the time.  The old paradigms of competition, there's no room for everyone, survival of the fittest, relevancy is not our mindset or the mission statement of our company, but when the majority around you are living those paradigms it becomes more challenging to defy the status quo without Truth, Purpose, Strength and Courage.

During this time one thing remained clear.  We were searching for something.  There was a void.  Yes, we have great families and friends, but there was a void. The Calling.. of our spirit.  We ignored the calling long enough and the strength of our spirit was shining through the death of what we knew our life to be.

Tru Essencia had great intentions at the beginning.  We thought we had it figured out.  But great intentions is not what shows up when you have emotional and spiritual wounds that are not celebrated, healed and balanced as Spirit living a Human Existence.  How can we develop anything without further introspection and development of ourselves.  How can we have a tagline that states 'Mind, Body, Heart, Soul and Spirit' without connecting with the real meanings of the words.

Through synchronicity we connected with kindred spirits, medicine men and women, healers that helped guide our journey of true self discovery.  Beyond Religion or anything we ever experienced or remember experiencing.  We learned how to balance our egos and let our spirit light shine, face our fears, insecurities and programming to be free from the illusion of the linear world that has been created many years ago.  To fully express yourself you must look into your mirror without looking away, love and accept all aspects of who you are, speak your truth with no fears, heal what no longer serves you and is holding you back so you can move forward.

It's a journey, not a destination.  It's an everyday flowing process and divine timing is everything. You have to be ready to receive the information needed to shift your life and if you are not ready that's ok to.  We live in a duality of darkness and light.  As you do your work and develop your sense of purpose, you have what you need to dispel the darkness and natures medicine to help you and the world around you shift perceptions into an expanded consciousness.

It's a new glorious year and a new glorious dimension we are entering that will change to course of our lives on Mother Earth.  As of 12-21-12, end of the Mayan calendar marked the end of the world as we know it to be and creates the start of a new world, which will help change the old paradigm into a new way of thinking.  It is and always will be about Love, Peace, Unity, Connectedness, Cooperation and the Manifestation of Abundance for all on the planet, not just the 1%.

TruEssencia is reinvented, revamped and creates services that help guide our clients and students on their journey of self expression and freedom through our Integrated Wellness programs.  This newsletter is created to share some of our favorite things that inspire us.  Information we learn along our Love Angel journey with the intention to ignite the fire in your spirit.  Everything  and everyone on Mother Earth is important and has special talents to share.  Our journey is a testament and our purpose is to teach, share, encourage, motivate, inspire and shift our healing medicine forward to all who will listen or in this case read our story.   We awaken to who we truly are more and more each day like a thousand petaled lotus in a field of infinite possibilities so we are aware there is much for Tru Essencia to develop within our services to offer:

how to face your mirror
acknowledge your fears
celebrate your insecurities
honor your linear programming

To develop new Beginning techniques to:

cleanse your energy centers
balance your ego/shadow with your light
heal your mind, body, heart, soul and spirit 

To walk your walk, talk your talk and express your truth:

to love with an open heart
to forgive with an open mind
to give back to mother earth and all our relations with a pure open connected spirit.

We'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of our students, clients and networking contacts past, present and future for all the support through the years.  For believing in us and our vision and for reminding us that our passion for what we do and who we are is needed and important to the community and the world.  The energy we share in our services is bigger than us; our mission is bigger than what we can imagine.  But that's what makes the Great Mystery of life.  We Dream Big and start our days with gratitude for living during this very important time of 2013.

There is so much to share and we are excited to share our story with you.  It's through trust, truth and faith that we are taking this step to open our doors and let our lights shine.  Everything you read is based on our personal beliefs and what we use today for our personal use and recommendations to our students and clients.  Most of the information is gathered through years of research and experience.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to connect with Tru Essencia Dance and Wellness, Inc.
We look forward to connecting with you every month sharing our journey, insights and info on our services.  We will have a NEW funky fresh Hip Hop Dance Foundation teaching schedule for 2013 soon to share.  Please share this Newsletter with anyone who would benefit from the info.  If would be much appreciated.  We are here to connect share and love with one another because we are ONE and the same Life Force Energy.

PAZ AMOR LUZ

Herbs for Health and Wellbeing

Aromatherapy and Smudging                                                                                                         SAGE

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Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials - essential oils - and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering one's mind, mood, health or cognitive function. Some essential oils, such as tea tree oil, have demonstrated anti-microbial effects.

Some of the materials used in Aromatherapy include:

Absolutes - Fragrant oils, such as rose absolute, extracted primarily from flowers or delicate plant tissues through solvent or super-critical fluid extraction.Carrier Oils - Usually oily plant based triglycerides, such

as sweet almond oil, that dilute essential oils for use on the skin.Essential Oils - Fragrant oils extracted from plants primarily through steam distillation or expression.Hydro-sols or Herbal Distillates - the aqueous by-products, such as rosewater, of the distillation process.

Infusions - Aqueous extracts, such as infusion of chamomile, of various plant material

Some caveats. As with any bio-active substance, essential oils may pose hazards for pregnant and lactating women. Oils - both ingested and applied to the skin -  potentially can negatively interact with conventional medicines. Because essential oils are highly concentrated and can irritate the skin when undiluted, a carrier oil should be used for topical application.

Smudging
Smudging is a way of using the smoke from burning herbs as a way to cleanse the body, an object or an area of negative influences. A smudge stick is a bundle of dried herbs, most commonly White Sage (Salvia apiana). Often other herbs or botanicals are added, and the leaves are bound with string in a small bundle and dried.

Other herbs that may be used with or in place of white sage include common sage, rosemary, juniper, cilantro, cedar, lavender, sweetgrass and mugwort. Smudging sticks may be used in Stillness or meditation practices as psychologically and spiritually cleansing, and as a means of clearing negative energy, focusing your thoughts and relaxing your emotions.

You can smudge yourself or others by lighting a smudge herb bundle and, with your hand or a feather, fanning the smoke in the appropriate direction. Smudge your home for purification, and to repel and cleanse dark/evil influences.

For cleansing your home, first offer the smoke to each of the rooms, them go through each room, making sure the smoke penetrates every nook and cranny. Then light a white candle to - literally - light up your home.  Always perform smudging with care and reverence, and in an attitude of love. Honor the plants in the smudge bundle, and they will keep you well and free from disease and negative energy.

Sage is a native to Northern Mediterranean coastal areas of Europe. In many Native American traditions, Sage is considered a sacred herb and burning it is believed to release a purifying energy that can cleanse a space of negative energy, thoughts and feelings.  We all know this herb to be known for its wonderful fragrance and taste. There’s more to this herb then meets the eye.

In the 1800’s Americans thought this herb cured warts. They also claimed Sage cured epilepsy, insomnia, measles, seasickness, and worms.  This powerful herb can fight a variety of infections, killing bacteria as well as viruses, and fighting inflammation along the way.   In this day and age Sage is an herb than can be used for many different things… it can be used for cooking, aromatherapy, and for medical purposes. Some of the attributed medical properties go as follows:  

The oils in Sage contain antiseptic, astringent, and irritant properties.  Treating such ailments as sore throats, mouth irritations like canker sores, possibly cuts and bruises to heal.

In 1939 an experiment was conducted and showed Sage had estrogenic properties which may have some connection to the herb’s ability to dry tip milk?

The research also showed set herb to be very helpful in lowering blood sugar in diabetics.

Sage is great for easing the mind during a time when feeling mentally exhausted, soothing nerves, and strengthening concentration. Using this herb in lotion form is a good thing to do when treating sores, or skin eruptions.

Here are a few more helpful tips when using Sage:

*Tea – Great for all stomach troubles, diarrhea, gas, flu and colds.

*Mouth or Sore Throat – Chewing fresh Sage leaves helps to soothe sore mouth, and sore throat.

*In Combination with Sage – Peppermint, rosemary, and wood betony provide helpful remedies for headaches, regulating menstrual cycle.

*Essential Oil – in oil form Sage is great for aromatherapy to cleanse and purify the air.

*Cooking – Some people find the pungency of Sage to be overpowering, its astringent, “grease cutting” attributes make it a perfect accompaniment when preparing fatty food, and meats.  Sage goes well with foods like carbohydrates, butter beans, and vegetable soup.

So the next time you are putting to together your grocery list. Add Sage to the list not only is it good for you, it’s good in helping you heal and has a wonderful fragrance.

Share your feedback;-)

Herb Ready Nutritional Program

Food For Fuel Not Emotion.

Balance Your Energy Wellbeing

 Daily Breathing Techniques

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Our personal mission is to educate and inspire anyone who will listen and interested. If a person takes away one thing from something we say, or they use any of our services and are intrigued enough by a word or phrase to investigate it and make a change then we have done our part in the world.  Baby Steps are everything. Never minimize them. One small change leads to another and another and another. That is significant! And that is how happiness is achieved.

These ancient techniques have been passed down through our ancestors and helps to connect with the element Air, which is our healing life source.  Use your breath as your disinfectant to clean out the toxins that store in your body.  One of many things I have learned through working with personal training clients is we tend not to breath correctly or deep enough.  We have thousands of energy centers in our body and 7 main energy centers that run from the crown of our head to the base of our spine.  Each energy center requires all the Elements to survive; Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Spirit.  When one or more of these energy centers are not balanced or closed off we shut down that energy center and it's functions in our life.

There are many modalities and techniques available to help restore, charge and balance your energy centers.  Below are a few Tru Essencia uses to create wellbeing, grounding, centering, healing, focus and connection with our higher source, spirit.

Also, these techniques can be done anytime, anywhere and especially during your Stillness Time, which is accomplished through practice, time, patiencia y fey.  Patience and Faith.

Everything is Energy. What we see and don't see effects us.  What we do, say and think effects us on every level. Real change starts with YOU. You want the world to change but refuse to do the work yourself.  Be the change you want to see and watch your world expand.  Are you Ready for the Challenge?

Technique #1:  10 Second Breath
Can be done anywhere and at anytime; sitting or standing; walking etc..  Do this as many times as necessary; minimum 3 times to help create grounding, focus, clear thinking, helps with nausea, dizziness, vertigo, anxiety and much more as well.
Tip: Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach as a guide to make sure your breathing deep into your diaphragm and not shallow breathing into the chest.  If you are still do this with your eyes closed with no distractions.  If you find yourself yawning you are not breathing deep enough.  A yawn is an alert from your body that it requires more oxygen/air.

Take a 10 second Inhale through your nose; enough to see and feel the hand on your stomach rising; then your chest rising till you can not take it anymore air.
Take a 10 second Exhale through your mouth; enough to see and feel your chest release your breath; then your stomach till you have no more space for air.
On the Inhale Take In and Visualize the life you want to create filled with light, love, abundance, light and happiness.
On the Exhale Release what no longer serves you; any body aches, pains, wounds, energy that is trapped in your body, thoughts, emotions, people, place or thing.

Technique #2:  STOP
For those moments when you know your emotions are high, stress is evident and irrational thinking is occurring.  Maybe a disagreement at work or at home with the family or your commute home and you are comforted with a disgruntled commuter on the streets, subway, bus or aggressive driver.  You fear you may say the wrong thing or think destructively.  I urge you to remember to STOP!

Stop
Take 3 Deep Cleansing Breaths
Observe the Situation with an Open Heart, Mind and Spirit
Proceed with Words and Actions of Love, Kindness, Peace and Compassion

Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try...

 Tip:  Tru Essencia invites you to..
When You STOP this would be a great time for Journaling the experiences.
Ask yourself..

What am I feeling right now?  

Identify and Acknowledge the Emotions. Do not criticize or judge yourself
or ignore the emotions because they will surely be triggered again and again.
Be as specific and honest as possible.
Ask Yourself..

Where is this feeling coming from? 

Identify the Source of the feeling, not the trigger of the emotion.
For example, if your spouse triggers your anger, guilt, disappointment, frustrations, fears, insecurities from an action or words that he/she did to caused your effect.  Your anger stems from a source other than his/her action; maybe from childhood or maybe from a past life trauma that was not healed.  Once that is addressed you can do your healing work on that trauma.  It’s there but you must do the work instead of burying it so deep that you forget it’s there until its triggered again.  It will not just go away without your acknowledgment.

Share Your Thoughts and Comment Below;-)