Super Fun
Posted by terrepruitt on August 19, 2016
Earlier this month I taught a yoga class. I was subbing for someone at a community center that I don’t teach at very often. In the past when I taught there I was usually subbing a Zumba class with Nia. I don’t care what class you are going to take, when you show up and it is not that class, it kinda is a bummer. Some people get very upset. Some people leave and even though they made all the effort to get to the class, they decide not to stay. Some people shrug their shoulders and say, “Well, I am here. I might as well give it a go.” I don’t blame anyone for being upset. As I said, it is kind of a bummer when you show up for one thing and there is another. Oh, I digress . . before the yoga class a woman asked me if I taught Nia. When I said yes she asked if I could do some Nia. I told her that I would be happy to lead her through a song AFTER the yoga class if she would like. The demo was awesome. I was amazed.
After the yoga class, I asked a few of the members that regularly come to Nia if they would mind dancing a song with me and the student who asked about Nia. So a few of the woman who dance with me regularly stayed to help out. But others stayed too. It was really cool. I did one song and they were so enthusiastic, I did another song. I bet I could have done an entire routine and they would have stayed for it.
It was really cool to have people who were new to Nia . . . who had never even heard of it . . . dance so enthusiastically. And, the most amazing part to me . . . they sounded. They shouted and whooped and hollered. That was really amazing. It is a challenge for so many of us to make noise while we exercise. So many of us were taught to be quiet. You weren’t supposed to grunt or huff-n-puff or even breathe loudly. So not a lot of people are used to making noise. These women jumped right in on it!
As I wrote in my post, One Person Making A Lot Of Noise, it only takes one person to help encourage the others. I think the members that were from the regular Nia classes helped a lot. It was really fun.
I am always happy and grateful when I get to introduce Nia to someone. So this really made me super happy and grateful because I was able to introduce it to a handful of woman. It helps a lot that the members that come to the Nia classes regularly talk about it to other students.
The members are really good and generous in talking about all the classes they like. They share with others all the information about each class and they encourage others to attend. Somewhat like the sounding . . . they make noise and others join in.
I was sitting here wondering what to write about. Needing to go make dinner and I thought of that class and it made me smile. And I thought I would share. While it might not make you smile . . . it will make me smile again, in the future when I read this post. You know most of this is for me anyway.
I’ve talked about Sounding in Nia before. Do you go to an exercise class where you make noise? Perhaps a yoga class where you chant? Perhaps another type of dance class where you hoot and holler?
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