Tips To Help You Move – Nia
Posted by terrepruitt on August 25, 2009
Here are the main points to the 12 tips to help you move with Nia. These tips are taken from The Nia Technique a book written by the creators of Nia, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. The book can help you better understand how Nia can be is a great workout and can be just a workout or practice, like yoga and Pilates are practices.
~Use visual imagery to make movements feel natural.
~Combine small movements with large movements.
~Use your Base, Core, Upper Extremities, breath and voice to add energy and power to your moves.
~Use a variety of speeds.
~Use your joints to move energy.
~Use breath to start and stop the flow of energy.
~Add intensity to your movements by sinking lower and rising higher.
~Shift your body weight–don’t drop it—
~Add emotion to every motion.
~Use your fingers and hands to express how movements make you feel.
~Use your voice as you move, to activate your abdominal muscles.
~Lead your head movements with your eye movements.
While nothing compares to the energy of a live class, the book is a great way to get started or to get you acquainted with Nia.
These are great tips to help you get more from your workout yet also help it feel less like exercise.
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
niachick said
Isn’t it nice to not have to re-create the wheel? All the information in the Nia Technique book is relevant NOW.
And how simple…we can also use those 12 tips in our every day life, too, which is even more magical.
Thanks so much for posting this Terre. I love your passion for sharing Nia!
Love,
Jill
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terrepruitt said
I try to come up with my own stuff, but I also like to share the “already there” information from Nia because I love it and it makes sense and like you said, it is simple. It amazes me how they put Nia together from so many simple things and made it wonderous. Nothing so new and shocking it doesn’t make sense, just more like, “Oh yeah, I hadn’t thought about it that way or in that combination.”
When I am running late or can’t think of anything to post, I turn to my Nia material for “out of the box stuff”. I like to post about Nia, but I don’t always like to copy the stuff. But sometimes I am in a rush. I plan on adding the rest of the information regarding the tips to my site. And link it, but last night my site was misbehaving. I typed the info five times and it kept erasing it. Finally, I got the clue that I needed to just let it be and do it some other day.
Let me warn you in advance when the day comes that we finally meet, you had better be wearing battle armor because I appreciate you and all your support so much I just might squeeze you till you burst! (The armour would protect you!) 🙂
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niachick said
HA!! You are so sweet Terre. No armor needed my dear…I’ll take a squeeze from you anyday and twice on Sundays!!!
I know what you mean about taking the info (perfect as it is in the Nia book) and wanting to add my own two cents into…and then realizing that I don’t need to do that. The way I can take the info and make it mine is by dancing and teaching with my own essence.
Hey, I’ve got a silly little video I made this afternoon of me walking through my property…I was going to post it on FB but it’s 3 minutes long and I thought that was a bit arrogant of me to expect people on FB to watch…can I send it to you? You might get a kick out of it…a laugh for sure.
Let me know how I can get it to you…for some reason I don’t have your e-mail address in my contacts.
I’m off with my little Flip cam again…this time hoping to capture some of my class tonight…
Jill
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terrepruitt said
Well, actually I like to add my own two cents because that is what I think my blog should be, but when I don’t have time, I just copy. Plus I also feel odd about just copying straight from our Nia information even though we have “used by permission” permission because we are spreading the word of Nia and I am giving FULL credit to Debbie and Carlos I still would rather write my own stuff. But I am hoping that by giving the information pretty much copied people will be inspired to attend a class and a playshop and/or buy the book and/or go to an intensive. I just don’t like to do that all the time. There is so much information regarding Nia, I could type it all up almost daily, but that is not what I want to do. I want people to read, experience, buy, research—-the whole enchilada! Because Nia is YUMMY!
You can send me your video. I would LOVE to see it. But evenutally what you want to do (yes, you want to) is post your vids on Youtube, then link your FB to it (and by “your vids” I mean the smashing Nia video that I know you have in you that you bought the camera for). (We can “talk” about that later elsewhere).
But . . . . HUGE gold start to you! You got your camera and you video-d AND you have it ready to upload (download?) out to the masses? NICE! I guess you like your new toy.
terre@helpyouwell.com
Let’s talk via e-mail regarding posting vids and such . . . . .
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Foodie McBody said
I almost got to do a Canadian Nia class last night! (I am on vacation and see how nuts I am, I even looked up a Nia in a different country) — I found a class just a mile from my hotel and I was sooooo excited after a day of traveling. It seemed like it would be perfect. I thought it started at 7:30 so I had a light dinner (sashimi) and then changed and started off for the class. I only had 15 minutes to get there so I had to run. I felt like an animal on a mission, running through crowded city streets and through crowds to get to this class. I was so happy to actually find the place (had to ask a few people, WHERE is X street?) but then the receptionist told me, “It just ended.” Wahhhhhh! I suck at military time. I was an hour off. Boooooooo. But at least I got a run in. I walked back and bought a new workout top at Lululemon on the way back to the hotel.
Now we are in the mountains where there is no Nia. 😦 I’ll be hiking, biking and maybe some fitness center stuff. MAYBE I’ll try a yoga class. But I can’t wait to get home so I can try these tips at a real Nia class!
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terrepruitt said
Oh, I am so sorry. I know how that is. I went to a class and didn’t know it had been cancelled. I was sooooo happy to be getting my Nia-student fix (it is different to do it as a student and not a teacher, as I am sure you can imagine), it had been cancelled but the information was still showing it as a class. I was bummed. Good for you looking at it that you at least got your run and walk in . . . and a new top!
If you are dying for Nia, I am sure you can find some vids on line and do a song or two!
Maybe by the time you get home I will have the rest of the tips on my site. These are the bullet points but there is a little explanation that goes along with it. My site was giving me problems. If not by the time you get home at one point. Maybe you can start with this and discover the rest yourself. I mean the tip might say use a variety of speeds, and the explanation might be to feel stronger . . . . but if you use a variety of speeds and feel stronger you will have discovered it yourself. Fun, huh?
I am so excited that you are so excited. It is soooo exciting. Nia might have to be regulated by the FDA, it makes you feel that good, huh? It is amazing!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your story with me. It makes me feel good to have you share with me.
Oh, I have a “military time” story for you too, one of these days. It involves Italian trains.
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iSpirit Dancer said
Hey Terre, can I post this on my website, adding your credit and linking to your websites?
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terrepruitt said
Yes, but, this is just the bullet points. I am going to put the rest on my website . . . .
These are from the Nia Technique Book.
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