The Joy of Being In Relationship With The Nia Blue Belt Principles
Posted by terrepruitt on November 27, 2012
The Nia Blue Belt has 13 principles as does the Nia White Belt, Nia Brown Belt, and Nia Black Belt. The principles for the Blue Belt were created to layer onto or weave through the Nia White Belt Principles. The 13 Nia Blue Belt Principles are:
1. The Joy of Being In Relationship
2. The Power of Two
3. Awareness, Insight, Clarity
4. Developmental Anatomy
5. The Power of Three
6. Split, Ellipt, Blend
7. Nia Class Format
8. The Power of Silence & Sound
9. Form and Freedom
10. FloorPlay
11. Music, Movement, Magic
12. Observe, Listen, Guide
13. Vertical Routines
Even though I have been introduced to 13 new principles, I can still work with the 13 Nia White Belt Principles. I still have a lot I can learn through them. Nia actually made practicing them easy by creating the Blue Belt principles to weave into the White Belt Principles. The Nia White Belt Principle #1 is The Joy of Movement. 
When Nia creates the principles they create catch phrases and other things to help explain what the principle is about and help people remember the principle and what it is about. One of the things they use as a tool is a triad with words or phrases. The triad for principle #1 in the Nia White Belt is the same as the triad for principle #1 in the Nia Blue Belt. The triad is choose, sensation, and universal joy.
The Nia Blue Belt Principle #1, The Joy of Being In Relationship, the catch phrase is “with”, so you choose, sense the sensation, experience universal joy. You are in relationship with all three in addition to “the other” you are in relationship with. The “other” does not have to be a person, it can be a movement, a body part, a person, a thought, an idea . . . . anything. As an example, you can be in relationship with your hips as they move when you walk. You are not just aware of them, but you are in relationship with. There is communication going on. It is not just you moving them, you are listening, sensing, aware . . . in relationship with. They move and you receive information from them. Maybe you sense them tilting forward. Why? What is that the result of? Can you move them so they are not tilting forward? You ask. They say yes. You move in a way that adjust them. You move on. Energy and information going back and forth between you and “the other”. This is applied to dancing Nia. This is applied to teaching Nia. This is applied to everything. This is applied to life. We choose. We sense. We have the opportunity to experience Universal Joy. We have the opportunity to be in relationship with.
So this is a new idea for me. This is how I am perceiving it today. This is how I am understanding it today. I welcome others who have taken the Blue Belt Intensive to comment. I believe this principle is one of the things that takes practice. It is something that can be played with and experienced. And I actually feel as if my relationship with this principle changes. So, yeah, there will probably more on this as I explore the Joy of Being In Relationship With!
Do you somewhat understand how you can be in relationship with?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
Gilia said
Thank you Terre for puting all that here. I will add from myself later…but first Thanks much for sharing.
Yes being ‘with’ relationship is much deep then just sense. This is a dialoge.This is communication.
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terrepruitt said
THANK YOU! Do come back and comment more. I would love to hear from you! Hugs!
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Angelia Sims said
It is interesting how Nia is not just a dance or exercise, but truly, a whole body change from within.
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terrepruitt said
DING, DING, DING, DING! You got it! Just like with yoga . . . . yoga is NOT just strength and stretching, it is a practice and a lifestyle IF you choose to make it so. Just like with Nia. Nia is a GREAT cardio dance workout, but if you want to learn more about it and how you can apply it to your life, than you can. You can dance through life!
I know you would love it because it is a lot of common sense stuff that would fit right in with you and how you live your life!
HUGS to you my friend!
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niachick said
This is truly how we learn to dance through life … It IS the dance of life — the joy of being in relationship with ANYTHING! I love the joy of being in relationship with my Nia peeps!!! YOU!!
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terrepruitt said
Muah.
I believe I had an insight last night on this. I am going to think about it and probably blog about it next week.
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Form & Freedom, Yin & Yang « Terre Pruitt's Blog said
[…] writing posts somewhat off the top of my head as to what my initial thoughts are in regards to the 13 Nia Blue Belt Principles. After I get through all 13, I want to go back and write more as I read about each one and live […]
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