Posted by terrepruitt on January 24, 2013
Regular reader? Familiar with Nia? Then you know that Nia has different levels and that they use belt colors to distinguish between. White, Blue, Brown, and Black. Each belt has thirteen principles (except Green Belt*). The trainings for the levels are called intensives and the intensives can be attended by people who just want a to explore self growth and/or learn how the body is connected to many things. If you are a new reader and/or not familiar with Nia . . . . there you have it. In November 2011 I took the Nia Blue Belt Training and I am using my blog to make notes on it. It is taking me some time to get through the principles, but I am jotting down my thoughts that come to me as I thumb through my notes. My intent is to continue to work and play with the 13 Nia Blue Belt Principles after my initial posts and come back to some of them and share some more. The principles can be deep because they are very rich. So like many things they have layers and the layers can be peeled back to expose more and more. This post is about Nia Blue Belt Principle #11, Music, Movement, Magic – Manifesting the Ultimmmate Nia Experience. Yes, ultimate is spelled with three m’s, representing music, movement, magic.
One of the ways we learn to bring this to class is to use objective and subjective descriptions. We can do this for many things. We can do this when stating the class focus and intent. We can do this when leading the class through a move. We can do this when talking about music. The following are examples:
Focus and Intent:
Objective – Today we are going to focus on the rhomboid muscles. These are muscles in your upper back that assist with shoulder blade movement. They pull your shoulders back and down.
Subjective – I like pay special attention to my rhomboids so I feel as if I am standing upright and not hunched over. I feel they need extra love. We can give them that during class with the intent to stand tall.
Move:
Objective – Pull your shoulder blades down.
Subjective – I feel as if my shoulder blades are in my back pockets!
Music:
Objective – This music was part of an Oscar Winning Score.
Subjective – This music makes me want to close my eyes and ride the peaceful notes to happy.
This objective and subjective way of looking at things is a key to Nia. It can be compared to THE Body’s Way and Your Body’s Way. There is a way the body was designed to move — objective. There is a way that YOUR body, and my body moves — subjective. There are specific ways to do the Nia 52 Moves — objective. There is a way that each individual Nia participant does the Nia 52 Moves — subjective. All of this helps to create the “magic” that is part of Nia.
The Music is the core. We dance to the music. The Movement is what we do. We move. We dance. We play. The Magic is what we bring, which with all of it put together there is resulting magic.
This is just a tiny portion of Nia Blue Belt Principle #11, just off the top of my head. There is much, much more to Music, Movement, Magic – Manifesting the Ultimmmate Nia Experience and I look forward to delving into it more.
Have you experience the Nia Music, Movement, and Magic yet for yourself?
*Green Belt is specifically for Nia teachers.
Posted in Blue Belt, Nia | Tagged: 13 Nia Blue Belt Principles, Black Belt, Green Belt, Magic, Nia, Nia 52 moves, Nia Blue Belt Principle #11, Nia class, Nia experience, Nia Intensives, Nia Music, Nia participant, Nia student, Oscar, rhomboid muscles, rhomboids, the body's way | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 9, 2012
As I have shared with you before, there are four different levels to Nia Training; White, Blue, Brown, Black. These are trainings anyone can take. Each level has its own focus, intent, and principles. You do not have to be interested in teaching. If you are interested in teaching and hold a current license there is an additional level, Green, that may be taken. The Green belt does not have its own principles because it focuses on teaching skills. I have been a White Belt since December 2008. In November 2012, I am going to be turning blue. The focus for the Blue Belt is Communication, Relationship and Intimacy with the intent to energize personal connection through self-discovery and communication by following The Body’s Way. I’m excited to see all that entails. I do know that when I stepped into my White Belt I had NO IDEA the type of training I would be receiving. I thought that I would spend 40 hours learning routines and learning how to teach. But that is not what it was. The White Belt is currently about (Focus) physical sensation with the intent to embody the foundation of Nia. Back in 2008 is was (focus) the physical body, the anatomy of the body, the Nia Technique, and the Nia moves. Which did not equate to learning routines. I can’t wait to see what the Blue Belt Intensive has in store.
Nia’s training is very intense. It is very deep. It is very detailed, well-thought out, well presented, and well documented. Recently a graduating Green Belt said it was “stellar”. That is a great description.
Per the main Nia website the description for the Blue Belt states:
“Blue Belt, the second level of Nia education, explores how to create healthy relationships through body-centered communication. This intensive introduces the next set of 13 Nia principles, which focus on the mental, emotional and spiritual realms of the body. While the White Belt curriculum focuses entirely on awareness of physical sensation, Blue Belt applies these skills to explore internal sensations as perceived through – but distinct from – physical sensations in the body.
Blue Belt Principle #1: The Joy of Being in Relationship, integrates the sensation of Joy with the awareness that Joy is something outside the self, which we can invite into our physical experience. As a result, we begin to deepen our ability to listen with clarity and sustain awareness of details outside our body.“
If you have never been to a Nia Intensive it is impossible to describe, but I know it will be wonderful. I know I will learn a lot. I know that it is what I need because it is happening, so I am going to do my best to keep my energy allies present along with having a beginner’s mind so that I am able to get all that I can out of it. You know that I will be sharing a lot when I get back. I am so excited to be changing from White to Blue. Just because I am moving to the next level doesn’t mean there won’t more posts about White Belt things, there is still a lot to share and learn about the White Belt, I will just have that much more to share!
Can I get a, “Woohoo Blue!”
**update: I forgot to clarify and tie in to my title, silly me! First I went Green as in drinking green smoothies and now I am going Blue. I have not yet taken the Nia Green Belt. I am hoping that there will be one in this area again. There has only been one.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 13 Nia principles, beginner's mind, Black Belt, Blue Belt, Brown Belt, communication, Energy Allies, focus and intent, Green Belt, https://terrepruitt.com/2010/03/30/energy-allies/, Nia Belt levels, Nia Blue Belt Intensive, Nia Intensive, Nia license, Nia Teacher, Nia training, Nia website, NiaNow.com, relationships, White Belt | 12 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 31, 2009
So here it is the end of the year. I have been blogging since March (2009). I have posted 130 times. This is 131. I thought I would end the year with a review of some of my favorites and according to the numbers some of your favorites too. Here they are, not in any order:
Lyrics Gone Wrong . . . I had entertained the idea of doing this once a month, but after the second month I ran out of songs to play with.
Interesting Picture – Marilyn Monroe Albert Einstein . . . I LOVE optical illusions and this one is a doosey.
Hummingbird Tongues . . . they still fascinate me and I am still surprising people with the fact that the birds have tongues and use them more than the beak is a straw. And usually they tongues dart in and out so fast it is a rare treat to catch it out for a picture. Yay!
A Poem Says A Lot . . . Fabulous! We Have Come To Be Danced . . .
Nia Belt System . . . Before you can move onto the next belt they say a year must pass. You do not have to get involved. It is a great workout without being involved with the belts. The belt system only comes into play if you care to get that involved in Nia. Nia’s belts mimic some Martial Arts; white, green, blue, brown, black. I am learning so much with my White Belt, I can see myself waiting at least another year before I move onto the next belt. There is so much to learn and enjoy in each belt, I am not in a hurry.
Say: “I Am Wonderful” . . . I like to say this, I like to hear this song. I like to remind people to go to iTunes each week to download the free song.
A Brief Look At Nia . . . still excited to share Nia with people. It is a great body-mind practice and a workout that can make you sweat yet not really feel like exercise. It is learning to follow the body’s way.
Wrapping Tips . . . WHAT? I was shocked that everyone did not read my blog. On Christmas Day and the day after the bags and bags and bags and bags of wrapping trash that I saw on the curbs just blew my mind. In this day and in these times, I was just utterly flabbergasted that people don’t re-use the wrappings. It amazed and saddened me.
My Favorite Mugs . . . so I found out that not everyone got my little joke. Ya know, back in the day (what day, I don’t know), they used to call faces mugs . . . get it now?
The Seven Cycles Of A Nia Workout . . . The workout has cycles, somewhat like Jazzercise. I like to share this aspect of Nia so people have an idea of what a workout class will be like. We set a focus and an intent, step in, warm up and move all the way through the cycles to the floor, and then we step out.
Well, thank you so much for joining me on my blog. I hope that you continue to read, I hope you enjoy and learn. I learn from your comments so keep them coming. Thank you for a great year. Here is to the NewYear.
But . . .before we jump into the New Year, share with me what your favorite post from my blog was? AND/OR give me ideas on what you would like to see posted in the New Year.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Albert Einstein, Bay Area Workout, Belt System, Black Belt, blonde sex symbol, Blue Belt, body's way, Body-mind, body-mind practice, Brown Belt, Carlos Rosas, cats dancing, Christmas, Christmas Day, coffee mugs, cool down, cycles, dance, dancing cats, Debbie Rosas, exercise, floorplay, Free download, Free iTunes, free iTunes download, free song, Gary Go, gift bags, green, Green Belt, Healing exercise, Healing workout, health, heaven dance, Humming bird, Hummingbird, hummingbird pictures, Hummingbird tongue, I am wonderful, iTunes, Jazzercise, Jazzercise San Jose, Jewel Mathieson, lefty, Lyrics, March 2009, Marilyn Monroe, martial arts, Martial Arts Belt System, mind body, Mugs, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia exercise class, Nia play, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia San Jose, Nia teachers, Nia Technique, Nia workout, Non-Impact Aerobics, Painted Glove, Personal Trainer, Poem, San Jose, San Jose exercise, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, sanctuary, sex symbol, theory of relativity, tongue, warm-up, We Have Come To Be Danced, White Belt, Working Out, Workout cycles, workout routines, wrapping paper, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 4, 2009
I feel I need to clarify something. I keep seeing these great articles on the internet about Nia. They are so great I get excited and I want to share them, until I get to the part where it says something like, “Nia students work through levels akin to martial arts and the different belts”. This is where my enthusiasm for the article dies. To me this makes it sound like a participant of Nia™ has to earn a belt in order to participate.
Nia is a workout. A person can go to a Nia class every day and workout and never have to think about belt levels. Belt levels never come into play during a workout. Nia as a workout is so beneficial you may never want to progress to anything beyond that. Think of it like yoga, you can go to a yoga class every day and never have to participate in the meditation or yoga life-style of a yogi or yogini.
My Nia White Belt and my manual
IF someone is interested in learning more about Nia, aside from what the book and the DVDs, the classes, and the workshops have to offer, one can participate in an “Intensive”. THIS is where the belts come into play. Each intensive is about 40 hours of intenseness. There is lectures and movement and workouts. There are five belts. Anyone can participate in the intensive, but they must be taken in order White, Blue, Brown, Black. And they require a year in between each belt.
Each of the four belts mentioned has principles. There are 13 principles for each belt, each belt also has a focus.
I am sure you noticed that I mentioned five belts but only named four, that is because one of the five belts is Green Belt. Green Belt is newly added and it is for teachers. So while any one can take an White, Blue, Brown, or Black belt intensive only teachers can take the green. That is because Green is focused on assisting teachers. It is just another aspect of the continuing education that Nia offers and recommends.
So, again I will say, anyone can participate in Nia as a workout and that is great and that is fine. You will gain many, many benefits from it. No one has to think about belts and the levels. Only if you are interested in making Nia a practice and learning more about it do you need to even think about the belts. Just come and enjoy the way your body feels during and after a Nia workout. Then if you arrive at wanting more you will do so . . . in your own time . . . in your own way.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Belt System, Black Belt, Blue Belt, Brown Belt, Green Belt, martial arts, Martial Arts Belt System, Nia, Nia Articles, Nia Practice, Nia teachers, Nia workout, White Belt, work out, workout, Yoga Practice | 3 Comments »
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