Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

  • I teach yoga, Nia, and stretch online!

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Painted Bottles – Christmas 2016

Posted by terrepruitt on June 15, 2020

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit, City of San Jose Exercise Classes, Cambrian Yoga & Cardio Dance, CYCD, Yin Yoga, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yogaI was reading a blog recently and one of the posts was showing the blogger’s beautifully organized crafting area. I explained that my crafting area was my dining room table. Most crafts I have created have taken longer than just an afternoon . . . in fact most of my projects take weeks – and I get frustrated having my entire dining area littered with crafting material. It is pretty much the only spot in the house that is generally always clutter free so when I am doing a project and it is cluttered it tends to take away from the joy of crafting. Anyway . . . what led me to this post was her asking me what I did. My current crafty thing is painting glass. I recycle glass bottles and jars. I have done three projects and since we were talking about them I decided to share pictures. Originally (back in 2016) I had thought I would share them as a craft to-do type of post, but just like when I am cooking, I never think to take the pictures while I am doing. So I will just do three separate posts showing the finished projects.

The first glass painting project I did was inspired by some wine glasses we have that I love.  I also was inspired by the bottles themselves. Although the one bottle (the St-Germain bottle) I think is beautiful all on its own, I did not do it justice at all. I was pretty much at a loss as to how to paint it and . . . well, I have more I would like to paint now. So one day . . .

I have a couple of dozen bottles I would still like to paint. I had thought I would get that done during our shelter-in-place, but I ended up teaching a few classes and that takes up my creative time and energy . . . so we will see.

Even though there are over a dozen pictures there are only two bottles, but I was documenting the way I painted them and how they looked with the lights on and off and the various sides.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit, City of San Jose Exercise Classes, Cambrian Yoga & Cardio Dance, CYCD, Yin Yoga, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit, City of San Jose Exercise Classes, Cambrian Yoga & Cardio Dance, CYCD, Yin Yoga, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit, City of San Jose Exercise Classes, Cambrian Yoga & Cardio Dance, CYCD, Yin Yoga, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

Oh drat, now that I have labelled everything tequila, it might have been a premade peach drink a friend bought from Costco. I don’t remember, but I do remember that I gifted the bottle back to her.

Do you do any type of crafting?  What do you do?

Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Green Love

Posted by terrepruitt on June 12, 2020

One of the silly pictures I have wanted to post. It makes me smile because these plastic beaded necklaces sat on our counter for months (I seem to remember) and we used to make them into different shapes. I really am feeling the need for more love in the world lately. I thought it would be a good time to post this. Not that posting a picture of plastic green hearts will actually GET more love out in the world, but . . . it will make me smile. Perhaps the bit of silliness will make you smile, too.

Green hearts for today’s Friday Photo.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga, City of San Jose online exercise

What do you think?

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What Have YOU Been Reading

Posted by terrepruitt on June 8, 2020

With the continuation of having to be sheltered-in-place and not being able to see students and friends in person, with all that goes along with that and everything that is going on, I have not been wanting to listen or watch my “normal” fare. I have been really needing just the easy, breezy, kinda cheesy type of stuff. There are a few books I listened to that fit that bill.

I finished the Gallagher Series. I was holding off on reading (listening to) it because it was the last book and I really loved that series. But, it was not the best one in the series. Not sure what it was about it, but it actually did not leave me wanting more like all the other books did. Maybe she did that good of a job at finishing the series that I don’t need another Cammie Morgan story? Not sure, but I enjoyed all the other books in the series more than that last one. I can see myself listening to a few of them again, but not that last one.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

I received Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for Ultrahuman Protection as one of the free books because for the last two months (or maybe it has been the last three months . . . I can’t remember . . . it all has bled together) Audible has been allowing members to get all of their “monthly originals” and not just two. Normally with your paid membership you choose two out of a monthly selection of books to get for free, but they have been allowing members to get ALL ten books for free. And Alexander C. Kane’s first Andrea Vernon book was included in the May selection. I didn’t even finish listening to it and I was buying the second one. It is funny. Again, we are not talking literary greatness, we are talking easy, breezy, cheesy, silly, laughable entertainment. It is FUNNY! Even though it is not literary greatness, but it is comical greatness.

I liked the first book better than the second book, Andrea Vernon and the Superhero Industrial Complex, but they are both funny and entertaining. I listened to the first book twice. I had been working my way through the May freebies, but needed a break (wanting easy, breezy, kinda cheesy) so I started to listen to the second book again, but the new choices for June came out so we grabbed all of them and I listened to a couple. I am in the middle of a third and will probably “take a break” by going back to the Andrea Vernon book two (AV2).

I am excited for AV3 to come out, I really, really, really hope that Bahni Turpin reads it because she IS Andrea Vernon and she is awesome.

So what are you listening to? Reading?

(Not all pictured fit the bill of easy, breezy, kinda cheesy type of stuff.  These are just some of what I have listened to while in Quarantine.)

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Finding The Beauty

Posted by terrepruitt on June 5, 2020

Whew!  I know it is out there, but sometimes you have to look for it.  When there is so much going on sometimes it is the little things, the ordinary things where I can find the beauty.  I actually took this in February when I looked out my door and saw this.  Around that time our neighbors new to the area said there were no cherry trees around.  We were able to put out the one right in the neighborhood.  In order to not be overwhelmed by it all . . . . I continue to need to find the beauty.

Here is a cherry tree for today’s Friday Photo.  Do you find the PINK of a cherry tree amazing?

- http://www.HelpYouWell.com - www.TerrePruitt.com - Nia Teacher, yoga teacher, group exercise instructor, Zoom classes, online exercise classes

Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Cats’ Ripple Rug Play

Posted by terrepruitt on June 3, 2020

I wanted to add these videos to my Ripple Rug post, but I was having trouble signing into YouTube.  So I am making them a separate post all their own.

This first video is just Nessa seeing the Ripple Rug for the first time.  It is a “long” (1:26) video as she just walks around it.  Eventually she gets in (about :55).  It is fun to watch pets with a new toy (thing).  This is also when my husband was working in the dining area so if you have the volume up (not recommended) you will hear loud clacking.   He types FAST and he was using a noisy keyboard.

The next video is quick.  Just a quick look at the two girls and the rug.

The last video is of Nessa’s current FAVORITE game.  We spend a lot of time doing this.  She loves to attack the stick.

Well, as I said, I wanted these to be a part of the Ripple Rug post, but they didn’t make it.  And now they have given me something to post.  It is sometimes difficult to come up with things that are a step away from all that is going on.  There is so much going on and so many things (articles, videos, posts, tweets, etc.) already out there about what is going on, I don’t feel I need to add to it.  I honestly get overwhelmed and need to step away.  And I need distractions, if you do too, here you go.

Thank you for being here.

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Ripple Rug

Posted by terrepruitt on June 1, 2020

We usually buy gifts for our cats for Christmas. But our cats have so many toys that I didn’t think they needed more stuff last Christmas. They end up with boxes. Sometimes our intent is to let them have the box, but sometimes it is sitting in the room waiting to be taken out to recycle and one of the cats decides they like it, so of course it becomes their box. They also like paper and bags. So packing paper and paper bags that are destined to be put in recycle or put away for use at another time end up being a cat possession. So yes, it is probably unnecessary for me to say we look like we have trash all over our house because basically we do. But is it trash that our cats play with, sit on, sit under, etc. I am sure you understand – those of you with cats. Well, as I said I wasn’t going to buy anything for them for Christmas but I kept seeing the Ripple Rug. I saw it on ads, I saw it on Tweets, and I saw it on posts, so at the last minute I ordered one. I didn’t think it would arrive on time but who cares, they are cats. They don’t know WHEN it is they are receiving a gift.

 

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yogaWell, as you may know or even experience yourself, there is a lot of extra stuff in the house at Christmas time. There is a tree, there are gifts, and again all the boxes and paper that end up hanging out for days – in addition to the boxes and paper that have actually become permanent, so I didn’t give them their rug at Christmastime. In fact I actually waited until Quarantinetime. I thought that since we were all “locked” in the house and the cats were stuck with us they might want something new to distract them, so I took out the Ripple Rug. They love it.

It is quite entertaining.

When we first took it out of the Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yogapackage it was very stiff and remained “tented” very well. But now after two months of cats sitting on it and lying on it, it does not “tent” as well. When I opened the package I read the instructions that came with it and they say how to remedy that, but I have not yet bothered because we are still playing fine with it.

 

 

 

 

Nessa, the tortie, will lie in it for hours. I think that she plans on attacking someone when they walk by but then she ends up falling asleep, but I could be wrong. She just LOVES to lie in it. She also loves to have the wand from their flyers poke out through the holes and edges. That is her latest favorite game.

Teagan just really loves to lie on it.

Nessa and Teagan will both play with each other using the Ripple Rug as a place to hide and smack at the other one.

It is quite large so it takes up a large portion of real estate in the living room, but whatever. It keeps them entertained.  And me too to be honest!

 

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga
Have you heard of the Ripple Rug.  How do your cats like to play?

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Friday Flowers?

Posted by terrepruitt on May 29, 2020

Oh, maybe I should turn “Friday Photos” into Friday Flowers. It seems I have been posting flowers for the last month and beyond on Fridays. And I just found a lot more. I hope you enjoy.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Latest Zoom Discovery

Posted by terrepruitt on May 27, 2020

I am confident that somewhere on the Zoom website it tells me all the information that I keep discovering and sharing with you. But I haven’t looked at everything they have on their site and I haven’t joined any of their training sessions, which I am sure . . . probably would have informed me of my new discovery. Since my students have confirmed that they want to continue taking classes online I figure there might be other people that will be continuing to use Zoom even as areas begin to re-open. Where you live is dictating what phase of re-opening you are experiencing. I live in one of the “strictest” counties in California. So we can’t do what some areas are doing. So . . . as I continue to discover stuff on Zoom I will continue to share it. My latest discovery could be something I just noticed or it could be a change with the latest version of Zoom, I don’t know, but I really appreciate it. And I am sure it has an official name or description, but I’m gonna call it “small screen set-up”.

Some of you are familiar with Zoom and some are not, so I will explain a little bit. When you join a Zoom meeting you have the option to allow your device’s camera to transmit a video. I’ve talked about “non-video participants” before in a post. There are a gazillion reasons why one might not want to have their camera on so it is truly up to the individual. If you choose not to have the video on it can be just a black screen or you can upload a picture so that participants will see that instead of a black screen with your name. I have a picture showing when my video is off.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yogaWhat I just discovered . . . . so excited . . . is that when I have my video settings screen open I can still see myself even when my video is off. So, this is very important to me because I encourage my students to join a class early – before the actual start time! I want them to be able to say hello to their friends AND be able to set up their device so they can see and be seen if they so choose. But sometimes I am still readying my space so I want them to be able to join the meeting and ready their camera, but I am still getting mine set up. I used to start the meeting and start transmitting and just shuffle around on screen, but now I can have my picture up and still see what the camera sees and what the class will look like.

Could be that I hadn’t noticed this because I only really needed it once or maybe twice. I like to try to sign on and be all set up when students show up but even though there isn’t a lot going on right now, a couple of times I was not able to be that timely so this is cool!

If you use the Zoom application then you have access to your video settings and you can do this.  I wasn’t sure if it only worked because I was host, but it works even if you are a meeting participant.

So . . . how do you Zoom?

Posted in Online Classes, Zoom | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Online Changes

Posted by terrepruitt on May 25, 2020

Teaching online is different than teaching in person. As you can imagine. If you have taken an exercise class online, especially from your same teacher, you have probably noticed some differences. I thought I would just share some of the things I am doing different.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, Zoom meetings, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes-I am facing my students. When teaching Nia I like to face away from my students because one of the thirteen principles I was taught when I attended my White Belt training about 12 years ago was “Teach what you sense.” So it is easier for me to teach to my left arm (as an example) when I am actually USING my left arm. Now when I instruct students to use their left arm I am using my right.  So I am not using sensation to teach as much. When I had taught yoga in person I often faced my students, but pretty much always faced away when doing twists. It seems twists really twist people’s brains.

-I am moving “smaller”. For Nia, the space I am using is large enough to move around fully, but if I use the whole space it can take me off camera. So I try to stick to what the camera can see.  Staying in camera might have me focused on that at times.  Sometimes I might go out of view a bit, but hopefully that is on a repeated time of a move and students know by then what the choreography is – and this is in regards to Nia.  With yoga I make sure students can see head and feet and I am not moving enough to move out of frame.

-I am quieter. I used to be loud and make all kinds of sounds, while dancing, but since I am in a house where someone is working, I don’t make as much noise. I do hope my students do. I sometimes felt they didn’t make noise because they didn’t want to be the only one, but now that they are home, I am hoping they are taking advantage of the benefits sounding provides. I do make sounds, but not as loud.

-I point more. It is kinda like in Zumba where I point or make a hand signal because I am not sure they can hear me (and again I don’t want to shout all the time).  I talk less

-I “check in” differently. In-person I would ask how people are doing and encourage them to answer. That allowed me to know how they were doing and (instructor “trick”) forced people to breathe. Now I try to be very conscious of the pose/stretch because I don’t always want them moving their head or arm to give me a thumbs up. And we mute people because we are all doing this in our homes where there is other stuff going on. I have to restrict my “check-in” to in between poses/stretches.  So I am not getting to use the “trick ’em into breathing” instructor thing.

-We start standing then go to the earth. In stretch and yoga we used to start one way and then switch off. We would move up and down (or down and up) to enable us to retain that ability. But with the devices it is easier to start up and then when it is time to get down – stop and adjust the device, then get down. If I start yoga in corpse pose then I don’t instruct on any poses that I may need to see so we just leave the camera “up” and then when we get up it is set fine, then we do our standing poses then adjust and get down.

*****Update 05.26.20*****

I forgot one of the most important ones, I kind of said it when I said I point more, but that is for Nia.

-I don’t always demo the pose or DO the pose/stretch.  When I have my face on the floor or in my lap, no one can hear me.  When I am talking and my voice is too muffled for people to hear they look up to see what I am doing and they are not doing the pose.  So I don’t always do the pose/stretch.  I didn’t always put my face down when teaching in-person classes either, but online there are a few more poses/stretches I don’t do just so I can instruct.  And, honestly, sometimes I forget.  This morning while I was talking to my lap I realized I needed to be up and not folded over – AND, I realized I didn’t include this change in the post.

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I am very grateful to my students who have joined the Zoom classes. They have helped me keep teaching and I love that.  I hope to continue teaching online so I imagine these changes will change and adjust over time.

What have you noticed is different on your Zoom/online classes?  What changes have you seen in the way your instructor teaches?

Posted in Online Classes, Zoom | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Bouquet Of Roses

Posted by terrepruitt on May 22, 2020

Yeah, I’ll just make this month’s Friday Photos all be flowers. Why not?  Especially when I come downstairs and find this vase full of beauties. These are from the rose bush that used to grow white roses.

What do you think?

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit, City of San Jose Exercise Classes, Cambrian Yoga & Cardio Dance, CYCD, Yin Yoga, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga

Posted in Friday Photo | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

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