Archive for February, 2014
Posted by terrepruitt on February 27, 2014
I am aware that lunch meat is not one of the healthiest of things to be eating. But I LOVE sandwiches. I also love that my husband will eat a sandwich that I make and send to work with him instead of eating out every day. He does eat lunch out on occasion. A sandwich with lunch meat is healthier than what he eats when he eats out. But this post is not REALLY about lunch meat. It is about prices. It is about paying attention. It is about packaging. It is about knowing what you are buying. In my opinion, food manufacturers are tricky. I was in the store not too long ago buying lunch meat. I prefer the meat that my husband gets at Costco, but he has not made that trip in a bit so I am buying lunch meat from the grocery store. It is a good idea to look at the per ounce prices on things.
I looked at the package of lunch meat that I normally buy and decided upon a really quick glance that there was another brand that was less expensive and to my delight tastier. I was trying to decide which turkey to buy when I saw the roast beef. My hubby gets turkey ALL THE TIME so I thought, “Oh, I will get the roast beef instead. It is the same price.” But as I picked it up I happened to look at the per ounce price on this brand. I didn’t really expect it to be different, in fact I was confused at first because the package was the same, but there was a 12¢ difference. That is when I look at the weight. The WEIGHT was not the same. The turkey was 9 oz and the roast beef was 7 oz. So even though I would be paying the same amount I would be getting two ounces less.
I don’t know for certain, but I can imagine that I bought this roast beef before. And I bet that I didn’t even notice the weight difference because the package is the same. Exactly the same. So I bet I didn’t even look at the weight because I thought I was getting the same amount of roast beef as I was turkey for the same price.
Now, really, if you want roast beef you are probably going to get it. I just think this is tricky. But — yes, it is clearly labeled as different amounts. I just really like that little “price per unit” amount the put on shelf labels. It really helps. Sometimes things LOOK more expensive because the price on the package might be more, but when you really look and compare it could be that the price of what you are buying is really less. I say “price per unit” because sometimes it is ounce and sometimes it is something else, just depends on what you are buying. So I use this information often. But usually between different brands.
It is so small and so many of us are in a hurry — especially at the grocery store — I thought I would share. Actually, I thought I would share because this annoyed me. I felt like I would have been duped if I bought the roast beef. And that really would have just been ME . . . I mean I was the one that thought they were the same size for the same price. I know about the “price per . . .” information, but since the packages are the same I ASSUMED (uh-oh!) 🙂 Since I was comparing lunch meat prices I happened to look at the per ounce price on this brand. I was shocked and annoyed.
I have also been paying attention to the prices at the store near my Nia class because although it is really convenient, I think it might be more expensive than the one closer to my house. So I have been really looking close!
Anyway . . . I guess I am just saying if you have the time and the inkling – really LOOK at what you are buying and use the “price per unit” portion of the shelf label!
Do you compare prices when you shop? Do you stick to your particular brands? Are you like me and you just really want to get in the store and get out?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: brown bag lunch, Costco, lunch meat, Nia, Nia class, price per unit, roast beef lunch meat, sandwiches, turkey lunch meat | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 25, 2014
I love my students. They are a great source to me; they teach me and they make me laugh. Recently one of my students happen to mention a policy that was told to her – a facility stated she could try the class for 10 minutes without charge, but would have to sign up for the class to stay longer. The comments from those that she was sharing this with was that 10 minutes was not really long enough to get a sense of the class and if they would like it. She said, “I know, if I would have only stayed 10 minutes I would have missed the nap time at the end!” That was the best. She, of course, was kidding . . . sort of. She was talking about Shavasana. A very important part, yet for many, one of the most difficult times in yoga.
She was kidding in the sense that we all know it is not nap time, but not having been familiar with yoga she would have missed seeing that part of the class if she had only been allowed to stay for 10 minutes. Shavasana is a pose of total relaxation. It is where you allow your body to rest and relax from the workout it just participated in. In some classes this is a necessary time for recuperation of the body, but in others it might not be so much about the body. In a Gentle Yoga class it could be more about the mind. In Nia we have BMES – Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit. We could say that shavasana is a time for those four things. So after a nice gentle class it could be more a time more for the mind, emotion, and spirit to relax. While the inner dialog should be kept to a minimum while practicing the asanas it is even more important to do so during shavasana. This is the time when the body absorbs all the goodness from the poses it just performed.
I had once thought that you DID shavasana IN the corpse pose, but the name comes from the Sanskrit words Shava meaning “corpse” or dead body and Asana meaning “posture”.*
One of the reasons shavasana is so difficult is because there is not supposed to be any inner dialog going on (as I just mentioned). This is not the time where you begin making your shopping list for your trip to the store after class, or where you decide what you are going to say to your boss/friend/spouse. This is a time of quiet, a time of reflection, a time where you do a “body check”. Check in with each body part or area of your body to see if it needs any attention, see if it needs to be relaxed and focus on allowing it to relax. Sometimes because of this relaxation one might fall asleep. When I first started every time I did shavasana I fell asleep. Now I don’t, I am better at being mindfully relaxed. It is a practice though. This might not be something that comes easy to you, it might be a challenge, but it is something worth practicing.
I’ve heard different ideas on how to hold shavasana in a class. Some say that a guided meditation is the way it should be done. Some say that total silence is the only right way. Some say some music or nature sounds should accompany this pose. In my classes I usually softly lead the participants into a relaxed state. Then I allow them quiet time with this pose — I do have sounds playing during class and I don’t turn that off, but sometimes I turn it down. Then after the time allowed I talk them back to awakening their bodies and moving again.
If this pose and time is not something that you include in your yoga practice, I encourage you to give it a go. Try it. If you fall asleep that is ok. But keep doing it and when you are able to achieve that relaxed state while staying awake you will see how powerful this simple pose is.
Do you practice shavasana? Have you ever fallen asleep during shavasana? How long do you stay in this pose?
*Wiki and Jaisiyaram
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: asana, BMES, body check, corpse pose, inner dialog, Jaisiyaram, naptime, nature sounds, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Practice, relaxation pose, sanskrit, savasana, shavasana, Yoga, yoga poses, Yoga Practice, yoga students | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 22, 2014
Sometimes I feel as if I am so “behind” on “knowing things”. Do you ever feel like that? Sometimes I feel as if I am the last to know. I feel as if everyone knew it but me. But then I remember there are a lot of people in the world AND there are a lot of things to know and not everyone knows everything. So sometimes even though I think “everyone knows” when I post about it I am always happy to receive comments that what I shared is new to at least one person. But . . . this might be one of those things that everyone knows. I mean, I would bet that all of you have heard of a race or “run” where people who participate get colored corn starch thrown on them, right? I mean, even if you haven’t been to one, or seen one, or participated, you have probably seen at least one person in your social media circle post about one. I am not a runner nor am I a person that just likes to be dirty even if it is with bright and beautiful colors. So you won’t find me participating in one. But I see my Facebook feed FULL of stuff related to it. I thought it was just a way for people promoting running events to get more participants . . . . because a lot of people — unlike me — think it is fun to get colors thrown on them. I thought it was just something that race producers did to make it fun and different. I didn’t know that it is an actual religious festival. I do know that many things start out as religious festivals or customs of races and people, but I would have never thought that a run with colors was more than just something promoters came up with. There is something called Holi from which these events might have been borrowed.
Since I have never participated in runs or races it could very well be that the promotional materials talk the Holi Festival. I don’t know. But in looking at the Color Run website they do state “event is all about having fun, we also focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle.” According to Wiki Holi “is a spring festival also known as festival of colors, and sometimes festival of love.” One website states, “Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally known as ‘Holika’.” As with many beliefs there are different stories associated with the festival.
The common thread is that it is a celebration of spring. As with many celebrations regarding spring there is more to it than just the weather; it is about new, about renewal, about starting over, about forgiveness. And for some, love. There is also the element of good triumphing over evil.
Holi is like Easter in that it is not on the same day every year as it is based on the full moon and is either in February or March. The start of the festival is usually signified with a bonfire. This is a symbol of the good triumphing over evil as one of the legends has to do with a HUGE bonfire. The next day is when the colors are poured, thrown, and/or disbursed. It is a day of fun and celebration. The colors have to do with one wanting to make his lover’s skin that same as his.
I can see why the race promoters borrowed this tradition. It stems from joy and love so adding it to a run just adds to the fun of the run. It sets the tone for an event that is a celebration. This type of race — or run — is done all over the United States. Holi Festivals take place all over the world. I was intrigued to learn the throwing of colors started off as religious event. I thought I would share because it is cool to learn things and maybe you didn’t know either.
Have you participated in a race/run where they throw colors at you? Have you heard of an event like this? Did you know it was (more than likely) borrowed from the Hindu tradition of Holi?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: celebrations of love and joy, Color Run, colored corn starch, Facebook feeds, good over evil, Hindu Festival, Hindu religion, Holi, Holi Celebrations, Holi Festival, Indian Holiday, joyful celebration, race promoters, religions celebrations, social media, Wiki | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 20, 2014
The various surprising health benefits of wine
For centuries, people have derived pleasure from drinking many different varieties of wine. Whether it’s a sensuously versatile Pinot Noir or a divine Chardonnay, drinking wine in moderate amounts has proven to be one of the more effective ways to unwind, relax and allow the stresses of the day to just slowly fade away into the ether. Various studies have emerged throughout the years espousing the health benefits of drinking a glass or two of high-quality wine.
Experts from the world-renowned Mayo Clinic have stated that there are certain substances in red wine called phytochemicals (specifically, flavonoids and resveratrol) that may help prevent heart disease and failure by performing two critical functions: increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (also known as the “good” cholesterol) and protecting against artery damage. It is worth noting that both resveratrol and flavonoids are also recognized as antioxidants (not all phytochemicals are antioxidants, though).
Resveratrol, in particular, is markedly more prevalent in red wine than in white wine; after all, red wine is fermented with grape skins for a longer period of time compared to white wine. Additionally, resveratrol has gotten a lot of attention due to possibly playing an important part in maintaining healthy cardiovascular function. Some of the existing research has linked resveratrol to reduced blood vessel damage, prevention of blood clots, and a decreased amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol). Dr. Eric Crampton, a highly respected University of Canterbury academic, has also opined that based on his interpretation of the current studies available, moderate drinking reduces mortality risk. Furthermore, according to Paul Jaminet of the Perfect Health Diet, animal studies have shown that the harmful effects of alcohol on the liver – fatty liver disease that inevitably leads to a scarred and damaged liver (cirrhosis) – occur only when it is combined with excessive intake of polyunsaturated fats.
Clearly, judicious consumption of red wine not only calms the senses; it’s also a healthful habit in moderation.
Image courtesy of M&S
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This post is a guest post. The conclusion reached is that of the guest author. My approach would be more from a “COULD be” healthful. Many things we eat, drink, and do have the appearance of being healthful, but it always boils down to moderation AND the individual, so to me it is not so clear.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: antioxidants, cardio dance, cardiovascular function, Chardonnay, cholesterol, dance exercise, Dance Workout, Dr. Eric Crampton, exercise, fatty liver, flavonoids, guest post, HDL, health benefits, health studies, heart disease, high-density lipoprotein, high-quality wine, LDL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, M&S Wine, Marks and Spencer, Mayo Clinic, Nia, Nia Blue Belt, Nia class, Nia Teacher, Paul Jaminet, phytochemicals, Pinot Noir, polyunsaturated fats, red wine, resversatrol, San Jose exercise classes, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose Nia Teacher, San Jose Workout, sponsored post, Terre Pruitt, the Perfect Health Diet, University of Canterbury, wine, workout, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 18, 2014
I really thought I had posted about these before. I probably decided against it because it is not the healthiest of desserts and certainly will be frowned upon by many. But . . . this is also not one of the unhealthiest desserts – as far as desserts go. It IS one of the yummiest desserts and sooooo easy. This one has a lot more calories, fat, and processed ingredients than the blended bananas, but it is pretty much just as easy. Since it is just my husband and I that are usually eating them my recipe is for two, but it is so easy to adjust you can make it for one, three, ten, or more it is up to you. I first saw this recipe in a magazine, I think it was Taste of Home. What they called them I don’t remember because my husband quickly named them Banana Boats.
.
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Recipe for two:
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Banana Boats
Two less than ripe bananas*
Aluminum foil
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup mini-marshmallows
Put your oven rack on the lowest position. Turn oven to 450° F. While the oven is heating up slice the banana down the inside-of-the-curve middle. Do not cut all the way through the skin on the outside-of-the-curve, but do cut all the way through the banana. Situate the banana in a “boat” made of aluminum foil, with the slice facing up. Use a spoon or something to open the banana a little bit so you have room to fill it. Then put half of the chocolate chips in the slice. Top the chips with half of the marshmallows. Repeat with the other banana.
Put the banana on the lowest oven rack (the one you remembered to lower BEFORE you turned the oven on) and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Check the banana. With the rack at the lowest possible point the chocolate should be melted and the banana warm. The marshmallows might be browning. You decide how brown you like your marshmallows. The banana skin will turn black and look rather not-pretty. But your banana will be fine. When the marshmallows are browned to your liking, take the bananas out of the oven. I like mine around 7 minutes.
How you serve them is up to you. We usually just put the banana on a plate and use a spoon to scoop out the chocolatey-marshmallowey-banana goodness.
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Usually my husband grills them. He grills them at a kinda low to medium temp. Then he watches them until they have black skin and melted/browned marshmallows. Of course every grill is different so the low to medium might not work on your grill. Basically just keep an eye on them.
*Regarding the ripeness of the bananas. We have found that ripe bananas do not work as well. I honestly can’t remember why. I just remember it was not as yummy. So they do work and it will still be a great dessert, but not as yummy as when the bananas are on the hard – less-than ripe side.
All of the pictures are courtesy of my hubby! Thanks, Hubby!
What do you think?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: 10 minute dessert, Banana Boats, Chocolate, dessert, easy dessert, fruit deassert, grilled banana, oven baked banana, Taste of Home | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 15, 2014
Well, I am not doing a weekly post to check in on your Goodie Jar, but I do hope you are still doing it or some variation there of. Are you? Are you taking time to recognize the good in life? I hope so. I am. I believe I mentioned that I wanted to us something else to hold my notes regarding the good things. I have a lot of beautiful bowls and plates. I decided to use this beautiful blue bowl shaped like a flower. I think it will be good for another month or so. I love having this little gem on the counter. I started off the year using Christmas wrapping paper scraps. I have other wrapping paper scraps to use and little pieces of paper. It all adds to the “goodness of the jar” to me. So far the year is a good one in which to focus on the good things. As with life there are good things and not-so-good things and that is why we have a good things jar.
I have been teaching Nia at a studio in San Jose where I rent the space. I have been renting there since January 2009. At first I rented an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. But after six months I decided to just rent Mondays and Wednesdays. Well, after five years, I have decided to just rent Wednesdays. So it has been five years of teaching on Mondays at the studio. Monday, February 24, 2014 will be the last one for now. Mondays are a great day to teach because on Holidays people who work are able to attend, but we don’t have enough holidays. It could be that something else will come up for Mondays or it could be that one day I start teaching there again on Mondays, but for now, we will not be dancing on Mondays.
The classes at the community center is growing. I love that more and more people are coming to Nia there. Also I enjoyed my short time substituting a Nia class at the YMCA in Mountain View. I am teaching a Gentle Yoga class on Thursday evenings. And have been asked to teach another Gentle Yoga class on Tuesday mornings. So while one class ends a new one begins.
We are going to have to move our after-Nia-Class-visits to Wednesday. We have one more Monday that we are going to meet. We have been going to Peet’s on the second to the last Monday of the month for about a year now. So we will have to move it to the second to the last Wednesday. I love that our little Nia community gathers after class. I need to get this type of gathering going with the community center Nia group.
So, I am still putting things in my goodie jar. Still looking for, finding, recognizing, seeing those good things. I hope that no matter what is going on in your life you are able to find something good. Something you want to make a note of so that you can read it later on. I really enjoyed reading my good things at the end of the year. Much of it was about Nia but not all of it. Most of it had to do with love. People showing ME love and that is MORE than a good thing, that is GREAT. I hope you have a lot of moments of love that you can jot down and put in your jar.
Well . . . . how is it going?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: Christmas wrapping paper, community center classes, gentle yoga, good life, good things, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Monday Nia class, Nia, Nia at the Community Centers, Nia at the YMCA, Nia community, Nia January 2009, Nia San Jose, Nia studio, Nia Teacher, Peet's, Peet's coffee, San Jose Nia, San Jose studio, studio rental, teaching Nia, YMCA, YMCA Nia | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 13, 2014
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. So today in the San Jose Nia Class we danced to a playlist of songs with Love in them. Our focus was Love. Self-love. Love with respect and non-judgment. We just moved and had fun. Also, since it is Valentine’s Day tomorrow I thought I would honor my valentine by sharing with you a story of his gallantry and bravery. This happened a very long time ago. Before Twitter and Facebook. It is kind of nice to have stories to be able to tell, huh? Now-a-days things are shared pretty-much instantly so it cuts down on the story telling. This is one of my favorites. If we have ever met in person, you probably have already heard this. And I really thought that I had posted it, but I cannot find it. If this happened now there would be pictures because it really could have gone in the The Guinness Book of World Records. My hubby is my hero, even before he was my hubby. He saved me from the biggest spider I have never seen!
When my husband and I were dating I lived in a small apartment. The kitchen was tiny. It was a galley style kitchen, ya know, like a narrow hallway, but it was not a hallway, there was only one in and one out. If someone was at the stove cooking, someone else could not be at the counter preparing unless both persons stood off center. The fridge was super small. The stove was a four burner, but all four burners practically touched each other. Here is where I practiced deep squats because you could not bend over and look in the lower cupboards. There was not enough room to fold OVER, you HAD to squat.
One day . . . I don’t even know what I was looking for, I reached into one of the under the counter cupboards and I felt something odd. Something hairy. I drew my hand out with it in my hand. Now here is where it gets kind of fuzzy. I am not sure what I did with it. But I do know, I stood up, I shut the cupboard and I thought that it was the biggest spider leg I had ever seen. I decided to leave it for my boyfriend to take care of for me. Now . . . as I mentioned . . . it was a very small kitchen. From that cupboard in the corner to the end of the counter was probably two steps. I can say that by the time I took the third step out of the kitchen I had forgotten about the fist sized spider in my cupboard.
Did I see it? No. How did I know it was fist sized? Well, from the size of its leg . . . it was AT LEAST the size of my fist. How did I live in my apartment knowing it was there? Well, like I said, on my third step, I forgot about it. I chalk that up to my survival skills because seriously, if I’d have thought of the fact that there was a HUGE spider in my cupboard, I would have not been able to live there. My boyfriend was not coming over for a couple of days. I HAD to forget about it and move on!
Now at the time I didn’t know my boyfriend was afraid of spiders. I mean, really though, unless you LIKE spiders, there is going to be some wanting-to-avoid-them . . . especially if the leg is 3 inches long. I believe it was a long time after (probably a hundred spiders later) when my husband admitted to being “icked out” by spiders.
I don’t remember if I asked him on the phone if he would help me or if he was there. I kinda think I completely forgot until he was actually THERE. I think we were talking and it dawned on me that there was a spider in my cupboard. I do remember he put on a brave face. Now remember, my kitchen was SMALL. There was no way and no WHERE to run or move. To get the spider he had to get down on all fours — or at least a squat — and put his head practically IN the cupboard.
Being the supportive girlfriend I was, I left the room. (Don’t judge! It was the biggest spider leg EVER!!!!!!!!)
Now again, I am not sure exactly what happened next. If he reads this he might pipe in. All I know is that he got down on the kitchen floor and attempted to rescue his absent damsel in distress. I think he might have screamed. Then it was followed by laughter. Ok, I don’t remember except there eventually WAS laughter. He was so brave and kind and gallant. He rescued me from a petrified potato! We were both very relieved. And . . . he was the hero even though it was just a vegetable he saved me from.
He is still my hero.
(Happy Valentine’s Day, Love!)
What stories do you have to share? Any about your Valentine? Any that make you laugh?
Posted in Entertainment, Misc | Tagged: biggest spider EVER, brave boyfriend, damsel in distress, Facebook, hero, HUGE spider, Nia Classes, Nia playlist, Nia San Jose, rescue, San Jose Nia, small apartment, The Guinness Book of World Records, Twitter, Valentine, Valentine's Day | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 11, 2014
In Nia we have a base of 52 Moves. Not surprising they are called The 52 Moves of Nia. As I have stated before they are not unique to Nia. You have probably done some of them at one point in your life. If you have taken dance or you participate in a group exercise class that is dance oriented then you more than likely have done some of them. They are just gathered into a group for Nia because of their benefits and fun. So they are included in the Nia Routines. Not all of them are in every routine, but a good portion appear in each routine. Plus whenever there is Free Dance they might make an appearance. One of the base moves . . . . moves we do primarily with the base of our body . . . is Lateral Traveling.
Lateral Traveling is specific and different from Traveling In Directions. Traveling in Directions is a move done in all directions . . . . Lateral Traveling is done to the side. The Nia Technique (have you gotten your copy yet? Click here to go to Amazon to order your copy.) describes Lateral Travel as a step together step or a grapevine. The specifics are to start in a closed stance, then take one step to the side, then place your feet together (moving the other leg to the first leg that stepped), then take one step to the side, then move the leg toward the other one, but instead of placing it next to your leg cross it back.
A grapevine is where you step one leg to the side then the next step is BEHIND, then step to the side, where the next step goes depends. Sometimes you can land on the heel or behind or with the knee up. Grapevines are a nice replacement for four point turns. There are many reasons why people don’t turn so using this lateral move, the grapevine, is perfect.
With both methods the instructions say to use your hands to lead you. Have them out in the direction you are going. The instructions also say, “When you step behind, step onto the back ball of the foot and keep your knees spring loaded and your spine vertical.” For clarification, the “back ball of the foot” is the foot that is in the back or behind.
This is a “two side” move. To practice you do to one side then the other. To the left, then to the right. (Or to the right, then the left.)
So this is the specific Lateral Travel: Step together step or grapevine. I have found my self using the phrase “travel laterally” at times when I am leading my San Jose Nia class (or any Nia class for that matter) and I am not instructing them to do the specific Lateral Travel. But I guess that is the difference. There is “travel laterally” and do the “Lateral Travel” move.
Many moves in Nia are good for the coordination. This is one. Step together step is not necessarily a difficult move but depending on the speed and what comes before it and after it, it can call upon your coordination. Although, I would say this is one of the easier 52 Moves of Nia.
Varying the speed and adding some movement to the body can change it up a bit and perhaps add a some challenge to it.
So there you have it another move in Nia’s 52 Moves.
You probably find yourself doing this one often, huh? Even when you are not on the dance floor?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: 52 Moves of Nia, Amazon, Ball of foot, Classes in San Jose, closed stance, dance exercise, dance mehtod, exercise method, four point turn, Free Dance, grapevine, group exercise, Lateral Travel, Nia, Nia Practice, Nia routines, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia Schedule, The Nia Technique, Travel in Directions, workout method | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 8, 2014
One of my Blue Belt Sisters (a woman I attended the Nia Blue Belt Intensive with) posted a link on Facebook to an article about 5 reasons to do a full squat. I love when I see information like that . . . information about why it is good to do “something”, something we do in Nia. I love that. I love when people confirm and promote Nia movement. As you know, if you have read some of my Nia posts, Nia is not new. Nia has been around for 30 years. Nia incorporates moves and ideals from different modalities so most of it is not new. HOW they incorporate it is often unique, but we use a lot of movements used in other exercise and workout programs. Which is a great thing. Not that just because something is done commonly makes it good, but since Nia is based on how the body was designed to move it makes sense that we do movements done in other practices and vice versa. So I was excited to see an article talk about something we do in Nia. Nia knows the benefits of squats.
I posted about the Garland Pose and I posted about what Nia 5 Stages calls “standing“. Here I am going to touch upon some benefits of doing full squats. A few of mine are different than the 5 mentioned, so check that out too. First, the article reminds us that children squat to reach for things on the ground and will get into that position when playing on the ground. Many things that children do we understand to be beneficial yet we no longer do them as adults. In addition to the many physical benefits of a full squat, it can possibly help us remember that child-like position of play. A Nia workout includes “exercising” the BMES (Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit) and many people claim that the play we do in Nia is great for their spirit. Squat like a kid!
Small children have all that yummy flexibility. Their bodies have not yet sat in chairs for years or worn shoes that either keep their ankles from moving in a full range of motion or even keep their foot in one position, possibly even shortening their calf muscles. So they can easily squat with both feet fully on the ground, and their legs folded, and their chest to their thighs with their bum low to the ground. So a squat allows for all of that. Mobility and flexibility in the ankles. Flexibility in the knee. And balance. Being able to squat with flat feet and stay stable is proof of good balance. Think of all those muscles you use to stay tush down and upright . . . (if you need help “thinking”, do it now and just sense all of that).
If you are doing the “Garland” type squat with the wide knees you are really opening the hips and groin area. It is important to have flexibility and mobility in the hips because those things help make walking more comfortable. A body is able to stand more upright when the hip flexors aren’t tight. So squatting can help the body allow for good posture. The squat also helps with stretching the back of the legs. Squats target the hamstrings and the glutes.
And if you push up to standing you are using your glutes, so standing up from a squat is a good bum strengthener/toner. Sometimes we move into a deep squat position in Nia as part of a Nia routine. We do squats as part of the Nia 5 Stages and we push up into a walk. So as I said Nia knows the benefits of squatting. What about you?
Are you a squatter? Do you find yourself squatting during the day? Is the squat something your body needs practice doing?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: BMES, child play, Facebook, flexibility, Garland Pose, good posture, Mobility, Nia, Nia 30 year anniversary, Nia 5 Stages, Nia Benefits, Nia Blue Belt, Nia Blue Belt Intensive, Nia exercise, Nia Movement, Nia posts, Nia Practice, Nia sister, Nia workout, squat, workout programs, Yoga Pose | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 6, 2014
My last post was about the Garland Pose or Malasana. That is a yoga pose. The Garland Pose post was long enough so I didn’t talk about the advanced positions of that pose. In Nia the pose could be compared to “Standing” which is the fourth stage in Nia’s 5 Stages. In Nia it is also a little different. Nia’s 5 Stages is a movement practice through the five stages of human development. While I have mentioned Nia’s 5 Stages before in my blog I have not written about them in depth and this post will not be in depth either. I am just touching upon the fourth stage, including it in my little series about squatting. Squatting is important and Nia knows that. Nia recognizes it as a stage of human development. Although Nia does not believe it should be abandoned and that is why we have the 5 Stages as a movement practice and why we include squatting in many of our routines. As I said standing is the fourth stage and it is somewhat like a squat.
The Nia 5 Stages are the stages we go through in development. Stage one is Embryonic. Stage two is Creeping. Stage three is Crawling. Stage four is Standing. Stage five is Walking. First we are in the womb, then most of us creep, then we crawl, we stand (squat), then walk. Stages of human development. Stage four, “Standing”, is a low or full squat.
I have posted about squats before. In fact when I did I mentioned that we don’t do them in Nia. And we don’t — or I hadn’t done the type of squats I was writing about. I was writing about squats done in a way that is more in line with weight training. Using weights and other equipment. I believe there are weight lifting competitions where people do really low squats with weights, but . . . I am not going to go there. There are a lot of things that elite athletes do that I would STRONGLY recommend the average person NOT do . . . . EVER.
I DO recommend full squats (without weights) . . . providing your body is able to do them I believe you should. And by able I mean there is no medical reason you can’t, you have joints and body parts that will allow you to do them. Doing squats will help you in so many ways.
With Nia’s fourth stage – standing – we are coming from a crawling position. The way we move from crawling to “standing” is we open our feet wider than our knees while our knees are still on the ground. Then curl our toes then push back onto our feet. Since the 5 stages of human development are based on the way the body was designed to move and how we develop ideally, the idea is to push back onto feet that are flat on the ground. However, Nia is a practice done in YOUR OWN BODY’S WAY so it is possible that both feet cannot be flat on the ground. So we take the stages in stages. What works for many is to have ONE foot flat on the ground while the other one has a heel up. Then we just alternate. This allows for each foot to engage in ankle flexibility.
The next stage in this stage is to raise the torso up, have the chest facing forward and not down . . . if you are doing the alternating of the feet. If both feet are flat on the earth the chest is probably already facing mostly forward because the buttocks are lowered and the legs are folded over so the chest is somewhat up against the thighs. In both positions lift the chest up further, sternum to the sky. When ready the arms also come up, reaching to the sky.
We stay in this stage as long as the present workout dictates. Could be just a second or two . . . could be a bar (of a song) . . . whatever is appropriate for the moment. Then we rise up – nose leading the way – onto our toes and into the fifth stage which is walking.
Squatting is important because of the benefits it provides. Being able to come up from a squat provides even more benefits. Like push-ups and/or planks, squats could easily be one of the “must haves” in ANY workout or exercise program. Nia understands the benefits. So when I said we didn’t do squats in Nia, I wasn’t talking about this type of squat or what Nia’s 5 stages calls standing.
What benefits can your body receive from Nia’s standing/squatting?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: advanced poses, Creeping, deep squat, Embryonic, exercise program, five stages of human development, full squat, Garland Pose, Malasana, movement practice, Nia, Nia Practice, Nia standing, Nia's 5 Stages, planks, push-ups, squat, squatting, the body's way, weight lifting competitions, weight training, workout, Yoga Pose, Yoga Practice | Leave a Comment »
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