Posted by terrepruitt on October 18, 2011
One of the things we practice in Nia is something we call RAW. We are Relaxed, Alert, and Waiting. It is listening to music by listening to the silence and the sound. The body is relaxed. The mind is alert. The conscious is waiting. We sit and listen. Our spines are upright, tall, and lengthened, even though the body is relaxed. Our muscles are not tense, but they are ready. Within our spines there is space around each vertebrae. The mind is alert. There is no inner dialog with ourselves going on in our head. We are waiting. What we are waiting for is the next sound or the next silence. We are listening to both the instruments and the silence. We are curious. We are listening to the music as a whole. Listening for specific sounds and silences that can allow us to sense many things. The specific sounds and silences can also be used as cues when teaching a Nia class. We might hear a flute every so often. So we might train ourselves to listen for that soft sound. Then we might notice that always after the flute there is a ting of a triangle. Eventually we might notice that right after the triangle there is a moment of silence. We are relaxed. We are alert. We are waiting, either for a sound coming out of silence or a sound of a familiar pattern, as in the triangle after the flute.
With this tool we are to listen and observe what transpires in the music. We aren’t to form an opinion of whether it is “good” or “bad” or whether we like it or not. We are just listening and learning. Part of RAW is not moving. This to me is one of the most challenging parts of RAW. We are to listen and not dance. We are to listen and not move to really be able to LISTEN and in order to be in the sensation of RAW and not allow the sensations of the body interfere. Sometimes it is really hard to do. Nia routines are set to music that inspires the body to move so to have to sit still and just listen is not always easy.
Additionally, I slip out of the tall, upright, and lengthened spine. Once I start barring the music I tend to lean on my arm. Ya know, elbow on the desk, forearm upright, chin resting in the palm of your hand? Without fail this makes me sleepy. The combination of being relaxed, and alert – so I have no conversation going on in my head, and I am waiting. I start to fall asleep. Then I realize I missed the instrument I was waiting for. So I sit up and start again. Sitting up tall and with a lengthened spine really is the key.
It’s a practice; Nia and RAW. It works too. Listening to the music in this state of concentration really helps me learn my music. It is fascinating to think of the silence as music just as much as the instruments are. RAW is a great tool that Nia has taught us to help with our Nia practice both as teachers and as students.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: barring the music, Nia, Nia class, Nia inspiration, Nia Music, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia students, Nia Teacher, RAW | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 15, 2011
P
ecans are so rich they are like a pastry. Full of fat and sweetness. As you can see the nutritional facts are:
(for) About a ¼ cup
200 Calories
20 g of saturated fat
0 g cholesterol
0 mg sodium
4 g carbs
2 g dietary fiber
3 g protein
So as a dessert they are great, with 0 cholesterol, 2 g of saturated fat, and 0 sodium. One fourth cup makes a great treat. They have a natural sweetness that could assist in curbing the desire for sugar.
According to Power Your Diet, pecans contain monounsaturated fatty acids (which are said to assist in the reduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol). They are a source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are thought to help in the fight against certain diseases. Studies have shown that antioxidants help protect against cell damage. Cell damage is thought to be the cause of diseases such as some cancers, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and Parkinson’s.
Pecans have many phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are presently believed to help reduce the risk of cancer. As with many foods it has to do with fiber and their anti-inflammatory properties. Medical research is proving that chronic inflammation is associated with many diseases. It is not good for the body to remain in a state of chronic inflammation. Foods that have anti-inflammatory properties can serve as a great addition to many diets.
Pecans have a large group of the B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, Folate, and pantothenic acid) and also contain minerals such as iron, calcium, iron manganese (which is different from magnesium), magnesium, zinc, potassium, and selenium.
Also, pecans have proved in studies to help lower total cholesterol by over 10%, and the “bad” cholesterol (LDL) by OVER 15%.
And I don’t know about you, but I love pecans. I can eat them plain, just a handful all by themselves. Or they make a great addition to a salad. The salad can be a combination of sweet and savory or just full of veggies. They also make a great addition to cookies. Lately – since I have a huge bag of them (I bought a wholesale bag . . . two pounds) I add them to cookie recipes that call for walnuts. I actually think of them as interchangeable and use them in place of walnuts when I have a bag of pecans and not walnuts.
Pecans with a salty soft cheese makes a great appetizer. The mixture can be spread on crackers, bread, or can be used to fill celery. If you mix some chopped nuts with a crumbled cheese you can put it in lettuce boats.
They can add their buttery goodness to any recipe. Because they add a flavor of buttery richness it is possible to cut down on the butter or added fat when you add them to a recipe where butter is just used as flavor. They can be chopped and used as breading for chicken or pork I like to use a mixture of shredded parmesan cheese and pecans to bread pork. It can be cooked in the oven or cooked in a pan. Either way, the butter taste from the pecans adds a decadent richness.
In their chopped form they can also be added to a chicken salad. Than can be added to your regular chicken salad recipe or substitute, pecans and apple for the celery and onions. Sometimes I crush some to coat the outside of the sandwich when I am making chicken/pecan sandwiches for a tea.
Nuts contain a high amount of fat but all of the additional health benefits they supply make them the perfect desert. A little cheese and honey or jam — ahhh. So much more satisfying than a package dessert full of chemicals.
Do you like pecans? What do you do with them?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, buttery flavor, buttery pecans, health benefits of pecans, lower LDL, nutritions, pecans, phytochemical | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 13, 2011
Almost a year ago one of my Nia students let me borrow a book, Conditioning for Dance. Even though I had it for a week I didn’t take time to look at it in-depth. But I like what I saw enough to buy the book. A year later and I still have not looked at it in-depth, but again, when I pick it up and thumb through it, pausing to read here and there I love what I see. Eric Franklin’s idea coincide a lot with Nia and many mind body practices. I touched upon this in my original post Dance Conditioning.
The ideas he has shared in this book are somewhat like the Nia White Belt Principles in that they can be applied to more than just the workout or the technique, they can be applied to life. In th beginning portion of the book Franklin talks about how sometimes when dancers are unable to perform a step, often the first thought is it is because the dancer is not strong enough. So the dancer then works to build strength in the muscles required to do the particular step. But it is not always because they are not strong enough, sometimes it is because they have other issues. So getting stronger to power through the move will not necessarily allow them to do the move correctly, but it allows the issues to be reinforced. If you are doing something incorrectly because of other issues continuing to do it without resolving those issues just enforces the issues.
His tips in regards to the above can be applied to life.
-When doing a task sense your body. Learn to recognize when it is out of alignment or what behavior causes it to be out of alignment then practice doing that same task in a different way that allows your body to stay in alignment.
I know so many people who are in physical pain, it is my belief that many of them are because we do things without thinking and we do things that actually cause our bodies to be out of alignment. When sitting at your desk at work do a body check. Are you sitting up or are you slouched over? Are your legs crossed? Is your mouse so far away from your hand that you have to lean forward and/or really extend your arm? These types of things that we do over and over and actually work our bodies into a state of misalignment. I remember walking into a friend’s cube while she was working and after watching for a second I asked her what she was doing? She responded that she didn’t know what I was talking about. I said she was having to practically get out of her chair as she leaned forward to use her mouse. She looked confused and then shrugged. I suggested she move her mouse pad closer to her and she shrugged and did. No, my friend is not stupid, she was just focused on working and never stopped to really think about her body and its alignment. She just “did” because that was the way it was. There are probably a lot of things — little things, just like that — we can do to help our body’s alignment. Just sense your body as you go through your daily tasks.
-Imagine yourself doing the task. Imagine all that it will require to complete the job then go through it mentally. While imagining, sense the muscles that are used.
This is an easy one to apply to everyday. Whatever it is that you want to do imagine doing it beforehand and it will help you be aware of your body before you even begin the task. And this could also allow you to think of things that might slow you down if you had not thought of it before had. It will allow you to be better prepared.
-Seek the help of experts.
People that have done what you want to do before are always a great resource in life.
-Think positive. If there are problems or issues think about them work to find solutions, but don’t dwell on them and allow them to affect your performance.
Thinking positive is a great tool and becoming so much more widely accepted as actually having benefit. Everyone has problems. Thinking positive doesn’t mean you don’t have problems it just means you don’t dwell on them.
-Work on flexibility making sure it the body is balanced.
In life it is good to be flexible, but you also need to have balance. Can’t be so flexible you become wishy-washy.
-Participate in strength training and do exercise that will help you reach your goal.
Strength training has so many benefits in everyday life, it is good for anyone at any age.
-Find ways to increase alignment without causing tension.
Everyone has different ideas on how to be aligned and in balance. But it should become a source of great stress in your life, so try to find ways to be balanced that will add to the ease and relaxation.
In his book Franklin goes into more detail and relates it specifically to dance. Here I was using my own words and trying to “vague it” up a bit so that it would be obvious how dance training tips could be applied directly to anyone’s life.
So amazing. I am always amazed how our Nia White Belt Principles that we use in our dance practice can be applied to life. But then, to me, that is what makes it a practice. So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised . . . and I really wasn’t, I was excited, that these tips for dance could be applied to more than just dance conditioning.
Posted in Exercise and Working Out, Helpful Hints | Tagged: Conditioning for Dance, dance conditioning tips, dance training, Eric Franklin, flexibility, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia Practice, Nia students, Nia White Belt Principles, strength training | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 11, 2011
I never wanted an iPod or a cell phone until I started teaching Nia. After I got it, I realized how great it is to be able to create playlists from Nia routine music and not have to burn a CD. Same thing with a cell phone, I have a business so I have a cell phone. I don’t really need a cell phone, but a business does. A business needs to have a number to use for business. Which brings me to . . . when I first met my husband he was a “Mac” man. Always had been, always would be . . . . . until, that is, we moved in next door to a guy who gave us a computer that was not a Mac. Then all of a sudden my hubby had something new to learn. He decided to learn how to put computer components together to make a personal computer. He realized that he could buy all the parts and put it together for a lot less than a Mac costs. PLUS the money spent would allow him a machine that would be faster and more powerful than the least expensive Mac. So we got rid of our Macs. Then the iPhone came out. At about that time I was thinking about getting a cell phone and I would need something to play music AND . . . . it was a new toy for hubby to have. So we got iPhones and they stoked the burning embers of love for Apple that had never actually gone out in my hubby’s heart. THEN he started working at a Mac company . . . you know one of those companies whose computers are Macs and not the “other” ones. Then there is the iPad. (eyes rolling). Whenever I have a problem with either of my “i-s”, my hubby says, “Well did you flash it?”
When we first got our iPhones, they had a few issues or kinks, whatever you call them it would often not work properly. My husband being familiar with Macs figured out how to “Flash” the phone. He said it resets the parameter random access memory. This is the memory that is stored which allows the for quick start-up. Since my iPhone frequently went squirrelly back then, I got really used to doing it. I would do it probably at least once a week without being prompted. Then with one of the updates it went away. It either went away and then came back with another update or it changed. I actually think it went away, then came back different. The way the device responded when flashed was different so it seemed as if it was not going to actually do it. Whatever the actual case was, I got out of the habit. Plus the phone stopped being so buggy. So not only did it change so I thought the option of Flashing wasn’t there, I didn’t need to do it that often. So I forget that I can do it and sometimes need to do it.
Have you ever worked for a company that has an IT department? When you have a computer issue what is the first thing the IT department asks you to do or ask you if you did it? “Turn it off then turn it back on.” Right? And then even once you do that, if they have to come to your work area to work on the computer that is the first thing they will do again. So we are all used to turning electronics off than on again, right? That is the FIRST thing we do. Well, flashing it is not quite turning it off and then turning it on. It resets the PRAM.
Yesterday I wanted to listen to the music for a Nia routine for class, I plugged my little iHome Speaker into my iPad and it didn’t work. I rolled my eyes and thought, “Well so much for that.” I got my iPhone to see if the speaker worked with that. It did. So I plugged my earbuds into the iPad to see if they worked. They didn’t. So I just figured I broke it somehow. I mentioned it to my hubby when he was on his way home from work and he said, “Did you flash it?” I felt so silly for not having done it that I said, “Well, of course I did because that is always the first thing you ask.” And then I went on to say that I didn’t and I hung my head like a scolded puppy.
I forgot about it until today and guess what? Of course. I flashed the iPad and my speaker works. I got so caught up in telling my story that I almost forgot the point of this post—to tell you how to flash your phone. Sometimes the rewritable section of memory get to full or a little messed up so it needs to be reset. For the iPhone and the iPad, you hold the On/Off button down at the same time as the Home button. Hold them both down until the screen goes blank AND the Apple logo appears. Then let go and let the device do its thing. Then it will be ready to wake up again shortly. See if that works for you the next time your iPhone or iPad is acting buggy. I don’t know if works for the other iProducts. But it has always worked for mine . . . . . when I remember to do it. 🙂
Posted in Helpful Hints, Misc | Tagged: apple, iHome, iHome Speaker, iPad, iphone, iPod, Mac, Nia, Nia business, Nia class, Nia playlists, Nia routines, Nia Teacher, parameter random access memory, PC, personal computer, PRAM | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 8, 2011
I teach Nia. Nia is a cardio dance workout done in bare feet. It is no impact (or very low – I tend to hop a bit because I am having so much fun!) but allows for high intensity. Impact and intensity are different. I love Nia, but I also love other types of workouts. When I do other types of workouts they usually require shoes because often times the workouts get their intensity from impact. You might already know all of this because I have shared it before. You might also know — because I have shared this before — that I also love Turbo Jam. That is the exercise program designed for home use, as in DVDs, by the incredibly cute and bubbly Chalene Johnson. You have probably read me say before, “No matter how many times I do Chalene’s DVDs she makes me smile.” Her energy is infectious. Well, I’ve done the DVDs I have a lot over the years so today I decided to do them a little different. I decided to combine two things I love. I wore my MBTs while doing Turbo Jam.
Because of my toe/foot situation I had not been doing Turbo Jam a lot, but I am starting to do it again. I do it regular tennis shoes, just some cross trainers, and I sometimes have to think a lot to not move my foot in a toe position that hurts. When you do any type of workout in which you wear shoes you have to think about it a bit more when you are on carpet. Carpet tends to make it a little more difficult to twist on your toes and things, so sometimes it is better to not do that so much in order to 1) save the carpet and 2) save your knees. Even though I have always wanted to do a Turbo Jam workout in my MBTs I thought it would be more strenuous on my recovering foot. But it wasn’t really. It was fine. It was fun. MBTs really have the body using different muscles because the way the sole is engineered. So it was really fun to do a workout I have done at least a hundred times and have it feel different.
The MBTs really made me concentrate on what I was doing. When I do my Turbo Jam DVDs I have a tendency to think about other things. I just follow the moves and think or sing, I am not always concentrating on what I am doing. The Masai Barefoot Technology footwear really had me thinking about balancing properly and not just throwing my limb out. When I threw it out too far without being aware then I somewhat got off balance. Not just off balance in a way that the shoe is designed to make you be unbalanced, but my foot was positioned incorrectly in the MBT so I had to be aware of how I was extending. It was really nice. As I said it was nice to experience the workout in a very new way even though I have done it at least a hundred times. It was nice to have to really think about the muscles that enable balance. It was nice to have to think about balance in order to make certain my alignment was not off.
Now that my foot is so much better and I have confirmed that using my MBTs to do my cardio workouts that require shoes will not bother my foot, I plan to use them all the time. That is really one of the reasons I bought them. But I was not ready until now because I thought it would challenge my foot too much. It actually made toe movements easier because of the curve of the sole. The curve allows for easy almost automatic ball of foot or on the toe movements.
Yay! Newness in an old-but-beloved workout! Do you workout to DVDs? If you do, what is your favorite? Have you done them enough that you are ready to change ’em up a bit?
Posted in Exercise and Working Out, Just stuff | Tagged: bare foot workouts, cardio dance workout, Chalene Johnson, curved sole shoes, high intensity, high intensity workout, low impact workout, Masai Barefoot Technology, MBTs, Nia, Nia Teacher, no impact workout, Turbo Jam, workout DVDs | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 6, 2011
Funny, I was about to type that I post mostly about Nia since I am primarily focused on teaching Nia, but right now I looked at my Categories and I have 111 post under Nia and 111 post under Misc. Funny. This post will fall under Misc. This post is about some of the search terms I see. Sometimes I see people using a question as a search term. I always wish I could contact that person via e-mail to answer their question. I have thought about posting replies, but I haven’t done that. I am often surprised and sometimes shocked at some of the things people search for. I am laughing right now at the most popular search term since I have been blogging. It is funny because WHO thinks of these things? Why would anyone actually be searching for it? I am actually very happy — now that I think about it — that I posted about it because apparently people want to know. Do you? Have you ever wondered about a puppy that is purple? Seriously “purple puppy” is the biggest search on my blog. Hilarious, don’t you think?
It is especially funny since I just happened upon the purple puppy and her pink sister and I thought it was so oddly cute that I decided to post about it Makes me laugh that other people are curious about purple puppies. Makes me wonder why people are curious about purple puppies.
The next biggest search term is relevé. See, that makes sense to me. I under stand people wanting to know what it is or how to do it. Or just wanting more information about it. There are people who dance that might have heard that term but not being a ballerina, might not know what it is. Or someone wanting to be a ballerina might want some hints and tricks. That one makes sense to me.
The next one is Voss Water. I am somewhat surprised that Voss water isn’t higher on the list. Seems as if for a long time I had been seeing that come up again and again and again. But it is number three.
Number four is Carlos AyaRosas. That is nice. Carlos is the co-creator of Nia. His name was Carlos Rosas, but near the end of his career with Nia he changed it to Carlos AyaRosas. I love that people are searching for information on him. I imagine they are people who love Nia and they are wondering where he is and how he is doing. I believe he is in Texas with his new wife. And I have faith they are doing wonderfully.
I am not sure about you, but I was surprised by number five. Are you ready? Purple puppies. Plural. So not only do people search for purple puppY, they search for purple puppIES. I wonder what they want to know? I wonder if my post gives them any information they want to know. As I scroll through the entire list of search terms I see even more searches for the purple puppies just phrased differently.
The next popular search is optical illusion. That one is big. I see that one comes up a lot with the plural version search and all of the elements of the optical illusion; horses, babies, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein. Funny. That post gets a lot of hits. I can understand that, who doesn’t love an optical illusion. They are so cool. Tricks of the eyes and brain.
Well, I was just looking at the search terms and they often make me laugh, although today there were not any funny searches, but I think the next time there are I will write a post. Maybe you can help me figure out what some of them mean. Or maybe we can just have a chuckle. I am still laughing about the purple puppies.
Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: Carlos AyaRosas, Carlos Rosas, creator of Nia, dance position, dance term, love, Marilyn Monroe, Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia Teacher, optical illusions, Purple Puppies, Releve, Voss water, WordPress Categories | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 4, 2011
If you follow me on Twitter, are a Facebook friend of mine, or look at my website, you will have seen that my Nia students and I have been doing Nia in the park. I teach Nia at two different facilities. There is my Monday and Wednesday class that meets at 9:00 am. We meet in a little dance studio in an area of San Jose called Willow Glen. The studio is about 900 square feet, it has a laminate floor and a large mirror. It is long and slightly narrow. It is a nice little place. I have been teaching there for over two and a half years. Some of my students have been dancing Nia with me for that long. In November of 2010 I started teaching Nia on Fridays at a different studio in Los Gatos. It was a different type of studio . . . it was more of an exercise studio where exercise classes are held. They had a separate room for Pilates Reformer classes. Well at the end of August this studio said they were moving. When they would be done with the move and how it all was going to work was very up in the air. At one point I was told by one of the owners that we would only miss one Nia class. So I just decided that one class would be ok to miss. It would not be worth the time involved to secure another place to hold a class. But then the next week we were told it would be at least another week. So I asked my students if they wanted to hold a class in the park. Many students are wanting to participant in Nia three times a week so they said yes. We decided to try it.
Well, I think that not having Nia that one Friday really helped us all realize that we do like to have it three times a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday just seems pretty perfect. On the Friday we met in the park we didn’t know how it would go. We didn’t know if the weather would cooperate. We didn’t know if there would be too many people for us to dance on the volleyball court. See that is one thing, I have often entertained the idea of do Nia in a park, because grass really sound likes a great place to dance barefoot. Natures cushioned dance floor. But I have always been concerned about holes, bumps, and ruts. The thought of someone turning their ankle on the grass has always kept me from following through with it. Plus, the idea that was tossed about had always been an evening class. I imagine parks being really busy in the evening.
This park that we have been at is really close to the studio in Willow Glen. There is a basketball court and a volleyball court that have been empty in the mornings. I imagine the basketball court is occupied in the evenings, but while we are there it is empty. The volleyball court is somewhat in the shade and provides us with a smooth flat surface to move on. The park seems rather busy the hour before we arrive. Seems like many loving dog owners take their dogs out for morning exercise. There are mother’s and children at the playground. We have had to dance without music when the lawnmower has obliterated the sound. But that was only once or twice for a song or two.
The studio has been closed for longer than we had anticipated. So we have been doing Nia in the park for four weeks. The weather has been very nice. Once it was warmer than we like, but so far we have had great temperatures. This week it is raining. The forecast is saying that it will be sunny on Friday, but we will see. The studio has also announced that it will not be open for two more Fridays. So we might get this week in at the park and next week. I have been leaving it up to my students. If they tell me they are going to be there, then I say, I will be there too!
I have really enjoyed our time at the park. I sort of wish that we could do it there all year, but with winter coming, although winters in the San Fransisco Bay Area are not full of snow, we do get rain and I don’t think we want to dance in the rain. So I am sad that our time in the park is ending. I hope that we will be inspired to do Nia in the park again at some point after these next two weeks. I am really doing it because my students wanted to do it because we love Nia. I know that some classes take place on the beach and other outdoor places. I am so happy that I have been able to experience Nia outdoors and share it with my students.
Yeah, this is me sharing. 🙂
Posted in Nia | Tagged: beach Nia, dance studio, Facebook, helpyouwell.com, Los Gatos Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia Los Gatos, Nia Movement, Nia San Jose, Nia students, Nia studio, Nia Teacher, Nia website, Nia workout, park Nia, Pilates, Pilates reformer, San Francisco Bay Area Nia, SF Bay Nia, Twitter, Willow Glen Nia | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 1, 2011
This is not something new to you, I am certain. Sometimes things are not what they seem. I get contacted almost every day by people wanting to help me advertise Nia and my business. I am always interested because Nia is not yet a household name. Nia is not yet as big as Zumba. More often than not, I listen to what the caller has to say. I was recently disappointed after I received a call from a rather large company. The woman identified herself as a person working for this large company. She said that they were contacting people in my industry who might be interested in being on this company’s list of preferred service providers. Since I had never had any dealings with this HUGE company, when she asked if she could send me some information regarding being on this preferred list I said yes. I was curious as to how I could be a preferred service provider when I had never worked with this company or for this company. Well, I got my answer rather quickly as this person did as she said. She sent me an e-mail with the information within minutes of talking to me. It seems that all one has to do to be included on this HUGE company’s preferred service provider list is pay, at the bottom of the scale, $395.00 for an ad. Then — boom! — you are a preferred service provider.
I was disappointed, not that I wouldn’t be on the list, but I was disappointed about the list. This list of preferred service providers is provided to the employees of this company. If I were an employee of this to-remain-nameless-HUGE-technological-company, I would expect them to be preferring people that they have had some experience with. I would think that, if I was employed by this company that they would be recommending people to me for some other reason then the company, the service provider, paid them. The pricing started at $395.00 and went to $995.00, with something else (I am not certain what type of ad) for $100 each.
In addition to payment to be preferred the item that was to be advertised on this “preferred service provider list” was DISCOUNTED services. So it was a preferred service provider list that offers discounts to the employees. I honestly didn’t know that is how it worked. I thought the preferred service provider list was more than just advertising.
Also, I would like to point out that while the caller said she worked for the company, she meant as a hired outside marketing company. So . . . not only does this company have a preferred list of providers that are nothing more than people who pay for adverting in a preferred magazine of discounts for the employees, but the company doesn’t even do its own selling of ads in this “prefered service vendor list”. So not only are the service vendors not actually preferred they aren’t even known to the company whose list they are on.
Bummer. Just another lesson in some things not actually being what they seem. If you are one that works for a company that has a preferred service provider list you might want to find out HOW they get to be “preferred”. I guess I just thought of preferred as one having been chosen over another, not just having paid to be so.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: advertisements, Nia, Nia business, preferred providers, preferred service providers, Zumba | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 29, 2011
Nia White Belts focus on the body. The body is what we can use to teach. It is fascinating. By the time we teach a routine in front of a class we should know the music and the choreography so well we don’t have to think about it. I know I have shared before about how there is a point where I can’t learn any more without taking it to the class. That is not necessarily the way we were trained to do it, but that is how I do it. I have worked on learning a routine, got as far as I felt I could go, taken it to class and only done it for one class before I go back and work on learning it some more. With that one class I was able to get past the learning plateau. But for the most part we know the music and the routine well by the time we share it with our Nia students. This allows us to concentrate on what we are sensing. This is White Belt Principle #13, Teaching What You Sense.
One of the Nia White Belt Manuals says:
While Nia impacts every aspect of our lives, it is first and foremost a somatic practice rooted in physical sensation.
© 2010 Nia Technique, Inc. | NiaNow.com Principle 13 Lesson Plan | 1
Teaching what we sense, what we are experiencing in our own bodies allows us to connect with what is going on in our students’ bodies. When I feel the stretch in my side, I can say, “Everybody sense your side.” This allows each participant, each individual body to sense what is going on in his or her own body. It could be a stretch. It could be a twinge which might be a signal to tweak the movement. Whatever is sensed belongs to the individual. I am not saying, “You SHOULD feel . . ” I don’t know exactly what they should sense. Each person is different. Nia teachers invite Nia students to SENSE parts of the body so each person can get the workout their body needs.
While we are dancing the moves we are showing the Nia students the Nia choreography, we are also guiding them with our words. In addition to guiding them through the Nia routine’s choreography we are guiding them through a somatic workout. A workout that is rooted in the Body’s Way. By teaching what my body is sensing participants learn what THEIR bodies are sensing and in turn we all learn our our own individual’s body’s way.
Learning all of this in a cardio dance workout class might seem like a lot, but it is something that happens over time. It might also sound different than other exercise classes, and that is because it is different. It is unique. Each class brings new awareness. When students desire to they can take what we touch upon in class out into their lives. Being aware of the body’s sensation as we live and go about our everyday chores and pleasures. We could call it “Noticing what we sense.” But for me, as a Nia teacher/student I am encouraged to teach what I sense and it makes a world of difference in the workout you receive.
Posted in Nia, Nia White Belt Principles | Tagged: cardio, cardio dance workout, Dance Workout, Nia cardio dance workout, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia Music, Nia participants, Nia routine, Nia students, Nia teachers, Nia White Belt, somatic practice, the body's way, White Belt Principle #13 | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 27, 2011
I have posted a lot about soup because a friend showed me how to use the stick blender to make soups. I fell in love with blended vegetable soups. Recently I posted about soup that my friend had made me. In addition to sharing that wonderful recipe with me she also shared a broth secret. I used to buy the bouillon cubes. They are so convenient because they are always there when you need them. Then due to the ingredients (partially hydrogenated oil) I started buying the boxes of broth. But those are somewhat very inconvenient because what I have experienced is that the box is one measurement and I usually need a different measurement to make the soup. So basically I often need only a portion of the box for soup. It is unfortunate to have a half used box of broth in the fridge. When I was at my friend’s house she asked me if I knew about “Better Than Bouillon”. I had not.
It is a jar of bouillon concentrate. Just like juice concentrate you mix it with water. It is brilliant because you can make as much as you need. I was so happy to learn of this. I know, I know, I am probably late in this lesson, but I didn’t know. I purchased the chicken base which has:
Chicken Meat with Natural Juices, Salt, Organic, Cane Juice Solids, Maltodextrin (from corn), Chicken Fat, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors, Dried Onion, Potato Flour, Spice Extractives, and Turmeric .
I know a lot of these ingredients would not be found in fresh homemade chicken stock, but stock is not one thing that I am inclined to make. I know it is easy and I know many people do make it, but I’m not one of them. Maybe eventually if I continue to make a lot of soup I will start making my own stock, but not at this point in time.
I was happy to see “Better Than Bouillon” chicken base has turmeric in it. Remember turmeric one of the anti-inflammatory foods.
I do still like the box broth so I will continue to buy it and use it. But now I can use a combination of stocks and broths which will enable me to keep my fridge empty of a half used box of stock. With the jar of bouillon, one teaspoon combined with 8 ounces water equals 8 ounces of liquid broth or one cube (which is added to 8 ounces of water also).
My husband and I have been waiting for the cold weather to come so that we can have soup. When I first met him his thought was, “Soup is not food.” But I once made a really hearty potato cheese soup that made him change his mind. He also likes all the other soups that I have been making even though they are pureed vegetables. I am fortunate that he is so kind to let me experiment with different veggies and combinations. So far he has eaten them all. So, c’mon cold weather, get here so we can eat soup!
Did you know about this jar of bouillon? I am really excited about it. You know by now when I learn something and I get excited about it, I have to post about it!
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory foods, better than bouillon, Bouillon Cubes, broth, fresh homemade chicken stock, partially hydrogenated oil, Stock, Turmeric, vegetable soup | 4 Comments »
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