Posted by terrepruitt on October 11, 2014
In Nia there is something called “the beginner’s mind”. Since learning about it associated with Nia, I have heard about it in association with other things. It might not always be called “beginner’s mind”, but it is the same concept, the same idea. It is the idea of stepping into something – anything, even if is something you are well familiar with – with a mind as if you are a beginner. Step into it as if you are hearing it, doing it, seeing it, or learning it for the first time. Step in as if you are a beginner.
This is a wonderful tool. When you walk into a situation with an empty cup, when it is not full of knowledge on the subject, it is able to be filled with all the information, new stuff is easy to learn, stuff you already “know” can be learned in a new way, and your cup gets filled again.
There are many reasons why you might want to practice the “beginner’s mind”. It could be because you are required – perhaps through your company, your certifying board, or any number of things – to take a particular class. It could be because – even though you know you don’t know everything there is to know . . . the timing of the class has you thinking it will be a waste of time. It could be — as just mentioned — you know you don’t know everything, but the length of the class has you thinking you will only get two hours worth of information out of the twelve hours you are being required to attend.
When I take a Nia class I always step in with a beginner’s mind. I know that no matter what routine is going to be taught it is going to be different. Which is not to say that the teacher will not do it correctly or will not do it the way it was taught on the DVD, but it does allow me to easily accept. I accept the way the teacher is teaching it. It flows so much better if I am just receiving as opposed to trying to inject my knowledge and the way the routine is supposed to be done. I accept that the teacher might not teach it exactly as I teach it. The teacher might use different pearls. The teacher use different cues. She might have found that a slight change in the choreography works better for her students or even something for her. And . . . with the idea that I am doing it as a beginner . . . instead of an expert who knows the routine . . . I can learn something. If I just do as I am being instructed I might sense that the move she does is actually good for a particular audience. Or the pearls that the teacher uses really matches well with the movements. Instead of my inner dialog being the moves or worse something like, “Well, here I say, ‘XXX'” or here we move like XXX, with my beginner’s mind I am listening instead of “talking” over what is happening. All of this could lead to discover of a new movement pattern.
In regards to a training where you are required to be, it could just make it be less dreadful than you thought it would. If you accept the fact that it is a requirement and decide to walk in with a beginner’s mind being told stuff you already know is not such a waster of time. Keeping the beginner’s mind and not telling your entire story to prove what you know gives you time to listen to what others know and learn about them. And — as stated before — possibly hear the same information but in a new way. Allowing yourself to let go and not be the expert is freeing and lets you relax into the learning process.
I was grumpy this past week because I knew I had to spend my Friday night (FRIDAY NIGHT) and all day Saturday in a training. I was afraid that my grumpiness would keep me from learning and be recognized by others. So I asked for help and was reminded of the beginner’s mind. I was able to step into the class not as grumpy. Of course, I did mention the fact to the trainer that it was a long training and the trainer – being an EXPERT trainer and pretty awesome – agreed, gave me the sympathy I wanted and boom! I got over it. 🙂 With my “cup” empty . . . I learned some cool things!
Do you every have the opportunity to practice the “beginner’s mind”? Have you every practice the “beginner’s mind”? How did practicing the “beginner’s mind” work for you?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: begiiner's mind, Expert trainer, movement pattern, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia DVD, Nia pearls, Nia routine, Nia student, Nia Teacher, required training, training | 14 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 9, 2014
This week I met with a friend and she asked me, “So how do you come up with things to post on your blog?” It was very funny that she asked me that on that day because that day I was struggling to come up with something. It is funny how some days it is as if something to write about is RIGHT there and other days I can think about it from the moment I get up until the last minute and still be struggling. I am very particular about my posting schedule. There are blogs that I like to read and I will go to them and there is nothing. I will continue to go and there is nothing and after a week or two I forget to keep checking. I like to post on a schedule so if you come to my blog you know something will be here. But that is not always easy. Especially since my idea was to post something about health and fitness. There are so many blogs and websites about that. The magazines all have both and you know how many magazines there are so the market is inundated with the same stuff. And it is like the cooking shows. If one is cooking with eggplant that week, they all are. They are all talking about the latest fad, the latest exercise, the latest study. Sugar is bad, eggs are bad — eggs are good, sugar is the devil — eggs might be ok, sugar is crack. Just as examples. And, for me, sometimes there is so much going on that I don’t have time to do the research and check the latest facts. Life is busy. Sometimes I have to concentrate on teaching. Sometimes I have so much other stuff going on (you know in the last year I’ve had a lot of “stuff). Sometimes I feel my blog suffers. But I also think that when I just sit down and write . . . tell you what is going on (ya know when I don’t have time to research and fact check) . . . you guys seem to like that. How about a nice share today? You know I love to share.
I am lucky enough to be a part of a teacher rotation for a Nia class on Sunday. So this past Sunday I taught at they YMCA. It was the largest class I have taught there. It was really nice. The students were really into it. It is always such a moving experience to have twelve bodies enjoying the dance. Monday I am subbing for someone the month of October. That class was a joy.
My Tuesday/Thursday class is making me so proud and happy. Most of the people who attend Tuesday also attend Thursday. This group is really beginning to “get their Nia on”. They are actually sounding. It used to be that I could tell the area of the room where the “whoo” (or whatever) was coming from . . . but this week, I didn’t know. There were so many “whoos” and things I didn’t know who was making the noise. There were doing so well, that I said I was going to listen. So I was silent and they “ooed”! It was magical! I was so happy. I was silent a bit more just to hear them. And they kept going! It used to be they would stop after the first check. I would say, “I’m gonna do a sound check.” And the whole room would make noise, then the next time . . . . crickets! But not this week . . . they kept right on making noise!
One thing that happened, I already shared on Facebook, but I am going to share it here too, is the collective expression of dismay at our music being interrupted by lobby noise! There are a lot of lovely songs in our Nia music. We had just begun to get into the movement of the dance. And the majesty of the song was settling in over the room when there was this LOUD noise from the lobby. And the whole class went, “Awww!” Even though the noise would not have ruined the song or the dance, it just BURST into the sacredness of it. Two people went to shut the dance studio doors and I turned up the music and we danced on, but it was nice to see that other people appreciate the music and sacredness of it as well. We like to experience without BIG LOUD noise.
My Wednesday class was full of new students. And by full I mean, my “regulars” we not in attendance so it was just new students. Fun stuff!
Also, thanks to one of my Nia students I had the opportunity to share information about Nia to a club in the area. While it was understood prior to the meeting that nothing may become of it — as in, Nia may not be taught at the club — it was nice to be able to introduce people to Nia that had never heard of it before. I love to talk Nia so to be able to explain to people who might host it was awesome.
My yoga class turned into a private session of sorts. I was able to give one of my students some information that will assist her with something that she would like to improve upon specifically. It is one thing for me to do asanas that can help, but we were able to target some movement habits that she will be able to pay attention to. We both left feeling accomplished!
Then at the last minute when an instructor who became ill asked me to teach Nia for her students tomorrow, I said yes. So instead of teaching one Nia class, I am doing two . . which I have done before but at different facilities. Not two . . . back to back at the same place where I have already taught twice this week. So what that means is . . . I need to get my post up and get going on deciding on something to teach. So like I said in the beginning, sometimes I have to concentrate on teaching Nia!
So thank you for listening. It was a nice week. How was your week? Do share?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance exercise, dance studio, eggplant, Facebook, fitness blogs, fitness magazines, fitness websites, Nia, Nia class, Nia Music, Nia students, Nia Teacher, personal training, private Nia session, private yoga session, San Jose Fitness Club, sounding, YMCA, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 7, 2014
I often tell my students at the end of class that making them get up is the worst part of my job. I have posted blog posts about savasana. The restful period of time at the end of a yoga class where you take time to relax letting the body and mind absorb the benefits to be had from the asanas that were just practiced. Let the body remember the stability and strength. Give the body time to become accustom the space that was created. Allow the mind to reflect on the stillness. Well, in Nia we often end the routine in Floorplay. Floorplay is either playing with gravity to experience the muscles or stretching or . . . it can be a combination of both. There are a lot of ways to play on the floor. There are a lot of ways to end the class. Our Nia training DVDs have floorplay and ending movements, but they are not choreographed. So there is a lot of freedom in the last songs. Nia teachers can either duplicate what the trainer does on the DVD or they can create their own movements to the songs and end the class in their own way. I know I sometimes do what I sense the class needs so sometimes I lead the class through movements and sometimes I instruct them to do their own free dance. Often times we end by lying on the floor in a restful pose. Just like in my yoga classes I don’t like to have to make my students get up.
In the studio I rent, I think that I should rent an extra 30 minutes so we can just lie there. Sometimes I sense the class could easily just stay there for an extra 30 minutes beyond the one hour Nia class. In the classes I teach for the San Jose Park and Recs Department, I sense they could do that too, but we need to end on time. Sometimes there is a class right after us so our restful period is interrupted. But when it is not, it is a challenge to know when to interrupt the peace.
Recently I taught a class and I really didn’t want to tell them to get up. The clock in the room was not working so I snuck up to check my phone and as I was returning to the circle I saw such peace and relaxation I didn’t want to bother them. I toyed with the idea of just letting them stay an extra 5 or 10 minutes. But without having planned that in advance, I didn’t want someone lying there past the hour and not knowing it. Many people workout on their breaks so they need to get back to work. Or they just need to get on with their day. So as much as I don’t like interrupting their peace and as much as I would like to just let them relax, I need to keep to our schedule. But it really is the worst part of my job when I feel they would love to just stay.
But, on the other hand, it really is a great part of my job when I can be in the presence of those that can just relax and let go. After dancing and getting all sweaty it is so nice that they can just take a deep breath and melt into the earth and relax. I get a huge sense of peace when I am in the presence of their stillness . . . . that is why it is so hard to disturb them.
Do you take moments out of your day to just relax and experience peace?
Posted in Nia, Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: asanas, body weight exercises, Body-mind, dance exercise, gravity exercises, Nia class, Nia DVDs, Nia flooplay, Nia Free Dance, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia routines, Nia songs, Nia students, Nia training, Nia workout, restful period, San Jose City Nia classes, San Jose Park and Recs Department, savasana, shavasana, Yoga class, Yoga Practice | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 4, 2014
Paint Nite. Have you heard of it? I have wanted to do it for a long time. But it was not in my budget. It is about $50 for two hours of painting. But the idea is to have a glass of wine or something and a little snack while painting so it would be . . . . like I said . . . not in my budget. I kept seeing friends post pictures of their paintings and I kept wanting to go. I have a friend or two who have done it multiple times. Then I received an e-mail from Groupon. The Groupon deal is for $25.00. Much more affordable . . . but I still hadn’t done it. Then along comes my birthday. I have a group of friends who always get together for each other’s birthdays. We have been doing it since we were eighteen years old. Well, one of the group moved too far away so not all four of us always make it, but sometimes we do if she is in town. But anyway . . . . the remaining three of us are always trying to find stuff to do and I thought a Paint Nite would be fun. But one problem is, it is Paint NITE as in NIGHT. And one of us three, lives too far to be out that late on a school night. But one of my friends still decided to give me a Groupon for Paint Nite for my birthday. I was so excited. I finally got to go to a Paint Nite.
Upon first hearing about Paint Nite I didn’t realize you can pick the night you go based on the painting that is going to be done that night. I don’t know if it was different when it first started, but I know when I first heard about it, I was told that you just paint whatever . . . could be there was some miscommunication. So when I actually looked into it and saw you could pick via painting I was excited. You can also pick based on artist, date, or location. So it is really nice.
I, of course, picked a blue painting. It had pink it in, but I would suffer the pink . . . because it was blue with FLOWERS. Now one reason I wanted to do it is because I wanted to paint. But another reason I wanted to do it is because there are things that I won’t do unless I can do them a certain way. But sometimes I do things that I consider practice at letting go and just embracing whatever it is I am doing. This was my plan for painting. I had faith in the process, but I didn’t think I would paint all that good. And I didn’t. My painting is not one that they would put on the website or even their Facebook page to advertise Paint Nite. But it is partially on purpose and partially not.
The painting is done in steps so at one point it was close to what the final project is supposed to look like. But I decided that I didn’t care for the pink and I wanted more blue so I covered most of the pink. So THAT is one aspect of it that was purposeful. The fact that my flowers are not white was semi-purposeful . . . but not really. I purposefully painted my bottom layers thick because I like the texture of thick paint in paintings. But with only two hours to paint you have to paint thin so the paint can dry and you can paint the other layers. So — ding, ding, ding! I learned something. So, in order to try to cover the bottom layer I used a lot of white . . . .which also translated to thick lines (petals) and so my flowers are more like star fish. But I learned. And my painting is blue and that is pretty much all I wanted. I let go any idea that it was going to be perfect or even good.
I had a great time. It was not so much about the painting as it was about the company and doing something together. Now I am on the lookout for another “blue painting”. The thing is, is they have to be on a night I am available and in my area. So . . . I am still looking.
I am booked to do a painting with a friend in the future, but the painting was her pick and is not blue. And with that one . . . I really have to let go of the idea of my painting looking anything like that painting. Ha! I am going for the company. It is going to be super fun!
Have you heard of Paint Nite? Have you done a Paint Nite? Will you share a photo of you painting with us?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Facebook, Groupon, Paint Nite, painting | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 2, 2014
Nia is a dance exercise . . . dare I say it? It is much more if you want it to be. Otherwise you can keep it just as that, an exercise class that you attend where you dance. That is fine. When you attend regularly you will more-than-likely experience more, but you do not have to take it any farther than that. But . . . since I love dance and I teach a dance exercise class, I am going to post AGAIN about dancing. I am not writing about dancing in an exercise class at the gym, community center, or dance studio, I am talking about dancing ON THE STREET! My last post was about dancing on the street. It was the fun idea of dancing while you are waiting for the crosswalk signal to change. You can check it out HERE! This post is highlighting yet another video about dancing on the street. This time it is about dancing WHILE you are crossing the street.
Now it did cross my mind that some of these people looked almost as if they were doing Free Dance in Nia as they were very absorbed in their dance. Some looked as if it might actually not be a safe thing to do. But then I remembered that many people don’t pay attention when they cross the street as it is. Many people have their face down and they are looking at their phone. So I don’t feel that dancing while crossing the street is any more dangerous than the “phone-walk”.
This looks just as fun as dancing while waiting. I think they should come up with a crosswalk sign that is ALL dance. Dance while you wait, then dance across the street.
I do love how so many people seemed to dance while crossing the street. So many people seemed to get into the moment and just go for it. So fun. I love the girl at the end. She was completely surprised. I was thinking that some of these people were “planted” and were dancing as part of the people filming the video. And that could be true, but that girl’s shoe flying off her foot was not planned. She was surprised.
Not everyone is into dancing or be what you might call a dancer. That is one great thing about Nia you don’t have to be experienced in dance you just have to be willing to move. Could be that you don’t have to dance while waiting for the crosswalk sign to change or you don’t have to dance while crossing the street, but you still could take a moment during your day to enjoy life. That really is what all of this dancing is about. The people who like to dance get enjoyment from it so they do so while waiting or crossing. If dancing is not your “thing” that is fine, take a moment to do something that is. Do something — if just for a moment — that brings you joy.
I love all this dancing! Thanks, SoulPancake! A friend of mine post this one on Facebook. Have you seen this video yet?
(click the pic to watch the video)
Posted in Misc | Tagged: community center, dance across the street, dance class, dance exercise, dance studio, dancer, dancing crosswalk signal, dancing on the street, exercise class, Facebook, gym, Nia, SoulPancake | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 30, 2014
One of my Facebook friends shared a link to a video. (See below. Watch video.) I LOVE this. The idea is so awesome, to me. I think it would be so cool if dancing on the street while waiting for a crosswalk light to change in your favor was acceptable and actually encouraged. I think this is so fun. I really love this idea. I was so happy to see that little red dancing figure, I was squealing while watching it. Then when I saw that it was NOT a computer program just set to play, I clapped with glee. People dancing while their moves are being reproduced onto the crosswalk signal in real time —- AWESOME.
How fun is that? It would be so much more fun to stand and wait. Also it would give you something to do. I always feel silly standing there waiting, not doing anything. Then I feel silly for feeling silly because I am supposed to wait. I shouldn’t feel silly. I am being courteous (and following the law) by waiting my turn and not darting out into traffic. It is rude when people walk out into the street against the crossing light hoping to can make it across the street before a car comes or worse yet, expecting the car to stop. GRRRRRRR. I get upset when I see people do that. Because if they get hit and die what will they care . . . they will be dead, but they will have ruined someone else’s day and perhaps their lives because they were too rude to just wait a minute or two. So this dancing would give them something to do.
I can see how it just might promote safety. The non-waiting people (that might normally cross against the light — jeopardizing their safety and the safety of others) might not dance, but they might be interested enough to stay and watch. To me it didn’t look as if that many people were dancing. The video said that 81% (THAT IS A LOT) more people actually followed the law (psstt . . . yes it is the law) while at the dancing crosswalk signal light. So, more people stopped from crossing the street when they did not have a signal to go, while at this signal. I did not see on the video a percentage given of how many people actually danced. But with the reported increase in the number of people that stopped it got people’s attention. I wonder how they measured that?
So fun. The title of where I saw the video said something about, “safe and happy!” Oh yeah. It would make me happy. I would be happy dancing while waiting at the light OR dancing to make the signal dance. Fun stuff. We could have a Nia crosswalk where we led people through Nia routines. Ha, that would be funny. The Nia Crosswalk Signal . . . .
The video is on Smart’s Youtube channel. Check out the video.
So what do you think? Would you watch? Would you dance if you were waiting at the crosswalk? Would you dance in the signal (the room they had set up) and be the dancing crosswalk signal? Do you think this is cool?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: crosswalk signal, Dancing, dancing on the street, Facebook, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia routines, pedestrian law, pedestrian safety, Smart cars, Youtube | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 27, 2014
I teach a cardio dance exercise called Nia. But it is more than that. At one point in its history Nia was NIA and stood for Neuromuscular Integrative Action. I have mentioned this before. I have also mentioned that I am not sure why the name has gone through many changes. I personally think that Nia has changed its name trying to find a wide audience. Trying to become more popular. It is sometimes the way with things that there has to be a catchy name or something in order to get people’s attention. Sometimes the name that best describes something is not catchy or marketable enough to attract people. Neuromuscular Integrative Action is really a great name. It describes Nia very well. But I don’t think it is very catching. It is difficult for some to remember, perhaps, and it might not come easy to understand to many people. But it really is a perfect name for Nia.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary states:
Full Definition of NEUROMUSCULAR:
of or relating to nerves and muscles; especially : jointly involving or affecting nervous and muscular elements
A Google search shows the following:
integrative:
serving or intending to unify separate things.
[In] • Medicine — combining allopathic and complementary therapies.
So the actions during the workout will have to do with nerves and muscles. The movements, in addition to moving the entire body, also bring together the Body, Mind, Emotions, and Spirit (BMES). So it truly is Neuromuscular Integrative Action. But that truly is a mouthful. Even though it is a great, descriptive name, I think it might have been decided it was too difficult. I don’t know. I am just speculating.
I mentioned in my post about Knee Sweeps how it is beneficial to the brain for our limbs to cross over the midline of the body. I want to write a little more on that . . . . imagine you have a string that starts at the top of your forehead and it fall down the middle of your forehead, down the middle of your nose, in between your breast down the middle of your chest, over your belly button, continuing down in between your legs. That is the MIDLINE of your body. So when your cross your left hand/arm or foot/leg over to the right side of that line you are crossing the midline. And vice-versa. This type of action is good for your brain. This type of action is good for your nervous system. It is action relating to nerves and muscles. You use your muscles in action and this stimulates your nervous system.
I often remind my class how we are “working” the brain when we cross the midline of the body, when it really is so much more than that. Because, as you know, each side of the body is controlled by opposite sides of the brain so when you cross the midline both sides of the brain are forced into working. Both sides must communicate with each other. This communication with the nerve-cell pathways linking both sides, but strengthening them.
Many exercise classes do this. That is because it is important (I believe I have said this before.) Even yoga does it in some of its asanas. So the crossing does not have to happen in a cardio class or during a cardio exercise. Crossing the midline in stretches also helps “stretch” the brain. So even if you don’t participate in Nia, you can do things to help your brain. But I just wanted to share again – I know I’ve mentioned some of this a few times – how Nia is a lot more than a dance exercise, it really is neuromuscular integrative action.
So, with the reminder that it is good for your brain and nervous system, are you gonna cross that line?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: BMES, Body Mind Emotions Spirit, cardio, cardio class, cardio dance exercise, cross the midline, dance, dance exercise class, exercise, exercise the brain, exercise the nervous system, exercises, Knee Sweeps, marketable, midline, Neuromuscular Integrative Action, Nia, Nia class | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 25, 2014
I have asked on Twitter time and time again. I have received no reply. Perhaps people thought it was a rhetorical question. Perhaps no one else has experienced this. Perhaps they thought I was joking. Perhaps it was such a “No duh!” to them no one has bothered to answer. But my question is: Do people . . . owners of websites . . . pay other people, primarily those who do not speak English as their first language, to go onto other people’s blogs and leave comments? I get the weirdest comments. I get comments that have NOTHING to do with the post. I get comments where the person posting states their name is Samantha Garblygook, with an e-mail of habeebsrab@xxx.com, and the web address will be for Youtube. Odd stuff like that. I have received comments FIVE paragraphs long about washing machines or some computer part. And the way they type the comments is obvious that they are typing them in a way so they can search for them. With every “the” spelled tthe, with every “are” spelled arre . . . stuff like that. I cannot imagine people just doing this on their own. I can’t imagine Samantha or Habeeb (whatever their real name might be) going onto the internet to leave a comment to promote an appliance repair site or a lawyer’s site just to be nice. Just because. So the site owners must be paying these people, right? They are having people go out and comment on a lot of blogs to try to get traffic back to their site, right?
Sometimes the comments make sense, but they have the mismatched name and e-mail, as I have mentioned. Or they have the purposefully misspelled words as I have also mentioned. But sometimes the comments are just gobblygook. They make no sense at all. They are just words strung together. Or there might be one sentence or a two or three word combination that MIGHT sort of make sense but not really. So odd. Actually the ones that make absolutely NO sense at all are becoming fewer and farther between. Now it is more of the comments that have NOTHING, NOT. A. THING. to do with the post they are commenting on or they have a huge number of words crafted with misspellings. I am getting a lot of these lately.
I probably get at least 10 a day. That is a lot. It makes me laugh because some of them sound like nice comments. They sound sweet, but “I reallly love tthe way you expose tthe information to mme on this terriffic site. It is clear tthe information meanns allot to you. Could you tell mme tthe best webblog to use? You will be famous withh your blogging.” is clearly spam. Ha! Yes. I love exposing information and I am famous. Sigh.
I used to get excited when I saw that little number that indicates I have a comment. Now I know it will just bbe a spaam comment. I used to wonder why they typed like that because it is clearly calculated then my hubby said it was so they can search for their specific comment. The type-os would be unique to them. Yeah, makes perfect sense. So, I think once or twice, the comment sounded nice, so I edited out the type-os and approved it. 🙂
The comments today are hilarious. Once goes from talking about hair to digestion and then back to hair. Two talk about streaming movies. One actually says, “Try to knife him to see that he’s not down and out just yet.” WHAT???????
So is that what is happening, are people PAYING other people to leave these types of comments? Do you have a blog? Do you experience these crazy comments on your blog?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: blogging, crazy comments, gobblygook, paid comments, paid spammers, spam, spam comments, spammers, Twitter, web traffic | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 23, 2014
It only takes one. One person, that is it. One person besides me, that is. I have observed different groups of Nia students and I have seen them alter their sounding practices. It is so fun to witness a silent class become noisy. I feel that making noises in a dance exercise class, or “sounding” as it is called in Nia, depends a lot on the music. There is specific music that just lends itself to making noise. There is some music that people instinctively just join in singing or making the appropriate sounds during the music. There is also specific moves that lend themselves to sounding. Chopping seems to cause “Hi-yas!” to erupt from the practitioner. Blocking tends to cause loud “Has!” But not all the time. It does help when they are made a part of the choreography. It helps when the sound is the same or at least consistent throughout the song. My sounding often just comes out. I am dancing to the music and perhaps thinking of the next move or discovering a pearl and noise just comes out. It is not always the same as the last time. I feel that sometimes makes people shy. They want to have others saying it with them. And it really only takes one. That ONE person who seems to just have noises inside that have to come out. That one person who doesn’t need the teacher to lead them. That one person to just make a noise and it encourages others to do so.
I often feel that there are some that want to make noise, but they don’t. There are many reasons people don’t make noise. I think I mentioned it before, but I kind of remember it being a “thing”. I am not saying we were told NOT to make noise, but you would never have walked into a women’s gym and heard grunting. (Eye roll) I guess that is because we aren’t allowed to breathe. HA. I don’t know, but I do have a sense that it was not something women were encouraged to do. Exercise was done in silence. So I think that has a lot to do with it. We were not taught to make noise while exercising. So we don’t.
But I sense there are those that want to. What I see happening, is we will do the move with me making the noise for seven times. The eighth time comes around and since we are changing to a different move I might be at the point when I need to use that time for instruction. It just happens that on that eighth time the person finally got up their nerve to make a sound and then it is as if they are left hanging because I didn’t do it with them because I had to introduce the change. Yup . . . I feel that happens a lot.
But not when there is that ONE person. All it takes is ONE person. That one person can — by example — encourage the rest of the group. I love it. I silently cheer that person on. I send waves of gratitude out to that one person that is not me that is sounding and helping the group find their voice. I have some GREAT sounders in my Nia groups. And I am so happy and excited that they are finding their voice.
I know how it is to move silently through a class. Nia is wonderful and freeing, so the dance is meditation to me. But when I first decided to join in on that sounding — YEOWZZZAAAA! Whoa! That just took the movement, the dance, the freedom to an entirely different level. It was invigorating. So I know how it is to be shy about making noises in class (I know if you have ever taken my class you might not believe that). I know how it is to take up almost the entire song before you allow that sound out. But I also know how it FEELS and the senses my body experiences after a really loud and noisy class. So I will keep sending out waves of applause to that one sounder as they lead the entire class into becoming sounders.
Do you make noise when you work out? Perhaps you sing? Do you breathe loudly?
Posted in Nia, Sounding | Tagged: dance exercise, Nia, Nia clsas, Nia group, Nia Music, Nia sounders, Nia students, sounding in Nia | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 20, 2014
My niece came to visit us recently over the weekend. I thought it would be nice to serve something for dinner that I don’t make often. Even though she doesn’t eat with us often, so something we eat all the time wouldn’t necessarily be something she eats all the time, I thought I would try something new. Well, I had done it before but I don’t remember the recipe I used before, so I was kinda making it up as I went along. Big surprise, huh? Well, I decided to make chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce. I don’t really like red sauce and green sauce does not like me. I like sour cream sauce.
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Chicken Enchiladas With Sour Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter / 3
4 tablespoons flour / 3
3 cups chicken broth / 2
1 1/2 cup sour cream / 1
1/2 4 oz can diced green chillies
(this makes EXTRA sauce, the / number is the amount to us if you want less sauce)
3 cups shredded and cooked chicken (I actually used canned chicken)
3 cups shredded Mexican Mixture cheese
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 garlic salt
7 large soft flour tortillas
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir the flour into butter. Whisk it to get all the lumps out. Watch the heat making sure it does not get too hot. Whisk in the broth. Continue to cook the sauce until it’s thick and begins to bubble. Turn off the heat/burner.
Mix the chicken with the cumin and garlic salt. Put about three tablespoons of chicken in a tortilla, sprinkle in some cheese then roll up and put seam side down into a greased casserole dish. Continue filling and rolling the tortillas until they are all filled. Using about two cups of the cheese.
By now, the sauce should be cool enough so the sour cream will not curdle when added, but still warm enough to allow the sour cream to “melt” and blend well into the sauce. Add the sour cream to the sauce. Whisk until blended. Add the chilies to the sauce.
Pour the sauce over enchiladas. Filling in all the space. Use the remaining cup of cheese to sprinkle over the enchiladas. Save the remaining sauce for allowing individuals to add more sauce to their enchiladas.
Bake in oven for about 30 minutes.
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So my hubby likes extra sauce and leftover sauce, so I made extra. You can make less by using the number after the slash. You can also use more chilies. I brought the remainder to the table so that my hubby and niece could add more to their food.
I think next time I will add the chilies into the enchiladas. I will mark them so I know which ones have the chilies.
You can use any type of chicken you would like. I just wanted really easy so I used canned.
So this is easy and kind of quick. And I thought it was very yummy. I will be making it again. It made enough for leftovers. You know I love leftovers.
Do you like enchiladas? Are you a fan of sour cream sauce? Does this sound like a recipe you would make?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: canned chicken, Cheese, chicken enchiladas, easy dinner, fast dinner, green sauce, red sauce, sour cream, sour cream sauce, yummy dinner | 2 Comments »
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
Paid Gooblygook
Posted by terrepruitt on September 25, 2014
I have asked on Twitter time and time again. I have received no reply. Perhaps people thought it was a rhetorical question. Perhaps no one else has experienced this. Perhaps they thought I was joking. Perhaps it was such a “No duh!” to them no one has bothered to answer. But my question is: Do people . . . owners of websites . . . pay other people, primarily those who do not speak English as their first language, to go onto other people’s blogs and leave comments? I get the weirdest comments. I get comments that have NOTHING to do with the post. I get comments where the person posting states their name is Samantha Garblygook, with an e-mail of habeebsrab@xxx.com, and the web address will be for Youtube. Odd stuff like that. I have received comments FIVE paragraphs long about washing machines or some computer part. And the way they type the comments is obvious that they are typing them in a way so they can search for them. With every “the” spelled tthe, with every “are” spelled arre . . . stuff like that. I cannot imagine people just doing this on their own. I can’t imagine Samantha or Habeeb (whatever their real name might be) going onto the internet to leave a comment to promote an appliance repair site or a lawyer’s site just to be nice. Just because. So the site owners must be paying these people, right? They are having people go out and comment on a lot of blogs to try to get traffic back to their site, right?
Sometimes the comments make sense, but they have the mismatched name and e-mail, as I have mentioned. Or they have the purposefully misspelled words as I have also mentioned. But sometimes the comments are just gobblygook. They make no sense at all. They are just words strung together. Or there might be one sentence or a two or three word combination that MIGHT sort of make sense but not really. So odd. Actually the ones that make absolutely NO sense at all are becoming fewer and farther between. Now it is more of the comments that have NOTHING, NOT. A. THING. to do with the post they are commenting on or they have a huge number of words crafted with misspellings. I am getting a lot of these lately.
I probably get at least 10 a day. That is a lot. It makes me laugh because some of them sound like nice comments. They sound sweet, but “I reallly love tthe way you expose tthe information to mme on this terriffic site. It is clear tthe information meanns allot to you. Could you tell mme tthe best webblog to use? You will be famous withh your blogging.” is clearly spam. Ha! Yes. I love exposing information and I am famous. Sigh.
I used to get excited when I saw that little number that indicates I have a comment. Now I know it will just bbe a spaam comment. I used to wonder why they typed like that because it is clearly calculated then my hubby said it was so they can search for their specific comment. The type-os would be unique to them. Yeah, makes perfect sense. So, I think once or twice, the comment sounded nice, so I edited out the type-os and approved it. 🙂
The comments today are hilarious. Once goes from talking about hair to digestion and then back to hair. Two talk about streaming movies. One actually says, “Try to knife him to see that he’s not down and out just yet.” WHAT???????
So is that what is happening, are people PAYING other people to leave these types of comments? Do you have a blog? Do you experience these crazy comments on your blog?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: blogging, crazy comments, gobblygook, paid comments, paid spammers, spam, spam comments, spammers, Twitter, web traffic | 4 Comments »