Posts Tagged ‘dance exercise’
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 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 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 16, 2014
There is a Nia Routine called Miracle. It is fun routine. Like many Nia Routines it has form and freedom. There are two songs in which the foot work is pretty much the same throughout each song (form), but within the sameness you have the freedom to switch it up and add your own style. The choreography gives you the steps, the area where your feet are to be in dancing to the music, but you can decide how to get there and how your foot will be placed into that area. Form and Freedom. There is also something in this routine that Carlos Rosas (NKA, Carlos Aya-Rosas) calls the “Nia Bundle”. It is basically where the entire class gets very close together and dances. This is not easy for people to do. Why? There are at least as many reasons why this challenges people as there are people. But there are many benefits to dancing in a “bundle” and as a group.
One benefit of dancing in a close bundle is to practice our proprioception. In close proximity to other Nia Dancers we want to be aware of where our arms are, where are feet are, where are hands are. Are our limbs close to our body or are they out as far as they can go? Are we going to step on someone’s toes? Are we going to bump into someone? While the goal is not to step on nor bump into anyone, it is understood there might be some contact . . . but not often. For those in my classes that participate in the Nia bundles we do a good job being aware and moving in a close group.
Also dancing so close to each other helps us be aware of each other. Not just the physical presence of the other students, but there is eye contact, there is giggling, there is connection and a sense of community when you are brought really close together. No one is in their own space, we are sharing space. We move as one in space. We move as individuals in a shared space. We learn to dance together.
Another benefit could be that we – as individuals are pressed into moving in different ways. Finding a new way to move our body in dance because we are so close to someone. How can we move our elbows without elbowing someone? How can we dance to the music and express our spirit in such close proximity to others? Ahh . . . yes . . . new-to-your-body-moves just might be discovered.
I always laugh at the thought of someone looking in the dance studio at the community center and seeing all of the space with 12+ of us all clumped together in the middle or in a corner. I imagine them thinking that odd. I imagine them thinking, “WHAT are they doing?” Then we throw our hands up in the air and sing. It is quite fun!
So despite some people’s misgivings about dancing really close in a Nia bundle there are those who join in with gusto and reap the benefits. Does your dance exercise class have a bundle? What would you think if you were to peek in a class and see it? Would you be a bundle dancer?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: benefits of dancing, Carlos Aya Rosas, Carlos Rosas, community center, dance class, dance exercise, Dance Workout, Dancing, foot work, Form and Freedom, fun routine, miracle, Nia Bundle, Nia choreography, Nia dancers, Nia Music, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia songs, Proprioception | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 2, 2014
If you have read more than one post on my blog you know (probably) that I teach a movement class called Nia. Nia is very much about “dancing” and moving to the music. The training required in order to teach is called the Nia White Belt Intensive. The training is over 50 hours long. Believe it or not there is hardly anytime in that 50 hours learning a routine. In fact, I don’t remember learning any part of a routine in my White Belt. But I know people who have taken the training more recently and they said they did review a song. I remember when I first arrived at the training I literally had NO IDEA what it was going to be like. I signed up rather late and if there was any pre-training at that time, I didn’t get it. I had thought I would walk out of the training ready to teach. Ha. Nope. I was given tools to help me be ready to teach. There might be people who are ready to teach when they walk out of the first training . . . but I wasn’t. I wasn’t that familiar with Nia to begin with so the way we were taught to learn a routine was very new to me. As you may know we were taught to map our music by “barring” the music.
I know that Nia is making an effort to make things easier on teachers. Nia Headquarters actually documents the choreography on the bars now. So, I feel that the focus has shifted a bit away from barring the music the way I was taught. I think the way I was taught was very cool. I love the way Nia had at one time had us learning the music. But I also understand the need to learn quickly or to have tools available to allow people to do things faster. That is just the way our society is. Things need to be done fast.
I also understand that we all learn differently. We all have our own ways of doing things. I honestly don’t do EVERY step that I was taught to do. I also mix it up and I don’t always do each routine EXACTLY the same. But pretty much.
For all the routines so far, I do bar the music myself. Sometimes I have trouble with some of the songs so I might rely on the bars from HQ a little more than with other songs. But I bar the music and I document the choreography myself. I “fix” any discrepancies I might see on the DVD. But I do this in steps. First I bar the music. I count the music and I dress my bars. I have found the more detailed I am with the dressing the better it is for me. I put as much detail as I want on there. I don’t just put the sound I hear for the cue for the Nia routine. I put the music on the page. Then I scan the paper into my computer. Now I have barred music. So what I can do with that the barred page — without the Nia choreography on it — is use it for whatever I want. I can add my own choreography. I don’t just have the places marked where I would do or cue the already-created-Nia kata, I have sounds that I am familiar with document. So noting my own choreography to the page is easy.
Then, on my paper I just scanned, I add the Nia choreography. Once I do that then I scan my sheet again. So now I have an electronic image of my complete and final bars. I always know where it is. I admit to taking my sheets of barred music with me either to teach or around the house, then I misplace them. Or I mixed routines up so I have one song in with another routine. Then after a year when I go to do a routine, I am missing a song. I am pretty particular so I will look for it, but sometimes I let go and just look at my electronic copy. I know that eventually I will find the hard copy so I just use the one I know where it is.
I am so happy though because I finally got a HANGING file system. So much easier to file my routines that way. I used to have them in a pile on a shelf in a cabinet. So in order to get to them I had to take out the entire pile and go through it to find the routine I wanted. Or to put one away . . . that is why I would end up with “lost” songs because I didn’t always want to take the time to take out the stack and deal with it. But now, it is so much easier with them hanging! Yay.
So, if you teach a dance class, how do you document your moves? How do you note your choreography? How do you store your notes?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: barring music, dance class, dance exercise, mapping music, movement class, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia Music, Nia Teacher, Nia training, Nia White Belt Intensive, scanning your bars | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 31, 2014
One of Nia’s 52 Moves is Head and Eye Movement. Yes, we intentionally and specifically move our head and our eyes in Nia. A long time ago when I first started teaching I had a student who had come to about three classes and after the third class she said something to affect of since starting Nia she actually moves her head to look around while driving. So my first thought was, “Yay! Nia helps make people better drivers.” If people are not moving their heads and then start doing so after Nia – YAY! – especially while driving. Nia really is about full body health and movement. So we don’t do just a cardio workout that works your heart. We don’t do just a dance exercise that moves your legs. We don’t do just some choreography that involves our hands. We involve the whole body. As you may have surmised from the post on Creepy Crawlers. It is very important for people to move their heads.
I see a lot of people with very stiff necks who in fact do not move their heads. There are a lot of reasons. I know some reasons include stiff muscles. They can’t move their head without pain because their muscles are not used to moving or are holding too much stress. I know some people who can’t move their head because it causes them dizziness. I also know some people who rid themselves of stiff necks and dizziness by moving their head. Moving one’s head will not solve everyone’s issues of stiff necks or dizziness, but I do know some people who were helped by it.
In Nia we move our head a lot. We engage our eyes a lot. But as with all of the 52 Moves of Nia there is a specific way to do it. In just practicing Head and Eye Movements you look all around and move your head to match your gaze. Letting the action of your head follow the intent of your eyes.
Just like with Catching Flies, this move requires looking BEFORE moving. So LOOK and then move the head so you are facing the direction you are looking. As I said look in all directions. Look up, then move your head so you are facing up. Look down, then move your head so your chin is at your chest. Look left, then turn your head left. Look right, then turn your head to the right. Look in a different direction then move your head so you are facing that direction. After looking around nod your head “yes”, shake it “no”, roll the head around both directions. Vary the speed at which you do all of this. Be aware of any sensations that come up. Also, if you are not accustomed to moving your head be careful that you don’t get dizzy or too dizzy.
As I mentioned some people get dizzy from lack of moving their head. It is not because of any condition, it is just lack of practice. So, be cautious when you first practice Nia’s Head and Eye Movement. Now, go, look around, move your head.
How do you feel when you move your head? Do you move your head around? Do you have a stiff neck? Do you get dizzy when you move your head?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: action follows intent, cardio dance, cardio workout, dance exercise, ease neck pain, ease neck tension, Head and Eye Movement, health and movement, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia student, Nia Teacher, Nia's 52 Moves, San Jose Group Ex class, teaching Nia, whole body workout Creepy Crawlers | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 24, 2014
Recently someone asked me about the Nia Belt system. I pointed him to my original post on Nia’s Belt System. The one where I mentioned having seen many articles back then (in 2009) talking about the belt levels as if people had to progress through them in order to participate in Nia. That is not the case. Nia is a dance exercise. It is a workout. You can go to a Nia class just like you can go to a Zumba Fitness Class, a Jazzercize class, a UJAM class, a Hip-Hop class, a yoga class or any other class where you just walk in and do it. You can just walk in and do Nia. No strings (or belts — tee hee!) attached. Just move your body to the music and enjoy the sensation. Get a workout. Get some exercise in. Dance. The belts are for people who want to learn more.
Nia has a “self discovery” program. I don’t want to say self-improvement because some people might think, “I don’t need improving.” and you would be right. The intensives are workshops of about 50 hours that show you how to experience movement in your body, show you how to relate to things. The intensives show you many different things. Each intensive is labeled with a belt color to help distinguish it from the others. I also pointed him to my website which has the belt colors and the focuses of each belt. But I was reminded that the information on my site, from 2012, is not the current information. Nia is always updated herself. She is like the co-creator, Debbie Rosas, she like to be current. Below is the information from 2012. I want to make record of it. Plus I wanted to keep it available in case anyone was interested in remember it and/or comparing it to the newly worded focuses. You can go to my site at Nia Belt Levels and Focuses to see the newly worded focuses and intents for each belt.
In 2012 when I put the information on my site there was a White Belt, a Blue Belt, a Brown Belt, and a Black Belt available to anyone. There is now a 1st Degree Black Belt. There is a Green Belt for people who are teaching and have a Nia Livelihood Membership.
“Each of the four belts mentioned has a separate set of principles. There are 13 principles for each belt, each belt also has a focus.
The focus for a White Belt is physical sensation. (Terre earned her White Belt in December 2008.)
The focus for a Blue Belt is communication, relationship and intimacy. (Terre earned her Blue Belt in November 2012.)
The focus for Brown Belt is sensing and perceiving energy.
The focus for Black Belt is unlimited creativity.
As I said, there is an intensive, Green Belt, that is just for Nia teachers, the focus for a Green Belt is the craft of teaching Nia. This is an optional intensive.” **
When I originally took my White Belt in 2012, the Green Belt was just being created and the original thought was Nia was going to have White Belts that are teaching take it next, before blue. But by the time I had enough money saved up to take my next belt (yes, it took FOUR years) they had relaxed that requirement and now allow people to take the Green Belt when and if they want. I want to take it. However there was a Blue Belt Intensive that was closer and did not require air travel and hotel expenses. So I took the Blue Belt Training prior to the Green Belt Training.
Except for the Green Belt there is no testing as in a martial arts type of setting. And the Green Belt test is written. There IS 50+ hours of movement, lectures, thinking, sensing, learning, agreeing, disagreeing, discovering, connecting dots, ah-has, oh-nos, and ooo-ahs. It is incredible and intense. The training that Nia delivers is excellent.
My posts about the principles of the White Belt and the Blue Belt can help give you a better idea of what we study in the intensives (at least those two), but it is really something one has to experience for oneself.
I hope you click over to my site to see the new verbiage for the focuses and the added intents.
**The belt information was taken from the Nia Now website on November 14, 2012.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: a Hip-Hop class, a Jazzercize class, a UJAM class, a yoga class, dance, dance exercise, Dance Workout, Debbie Rosas, Nia, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt, Nia Belt system, Nia Black Belt, Nia Blue Belt, Nia Brown Belt, Nia class, Nia Green Belt, Nia Intensive, Nia Music, Nia White Belt, self discovery program, self-improvement program, Zumba Fitness Class | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 22, 2014
When a body moves it expends energy. The bigger the movements the more energy expended. The faster the movements the more energy expended. The longer the body is in motion the more energy it expends. I teach Nia. It is not a boot camp where the higher ranked officer is yelling at you to move more, to more bigger to move longer. It is a cardio dance workout where you get to move your body in your own body’s way. You move to your level of movement. You move to the level you want to move at the time you are in the class. The more you move, the more energy you will use up. For some of us, the more we move the more we sweat. Honestly, if you don’t move you will not sweat. A lot of people equate a “good workout” with sweat. Not everyone sweats, but most people do sweat when they move. In Nia we don’t yell at participants to run faster, to reach higher, to go lower, to do more. We use words to help you move in a way that you want to move. Some people cannot move their bodies without being told exactly how to move. Some people just need the time and space and they either know exactly what to do OR they are able to just let go and let their bodies move. I have experienced the type of person that tells me they don’t sweat in Nia and the type that does.
One time, after teaching a class, I was walking out and mopping my face and neck with a towel. I was dripping wet. And a woman approached me and said, “You don’t sweat in Nia, do you?” I just looked at her and said, “No, YOU don’t.” She was the one that stood behind me the entire class and I never saw her body. I never saw her limbs and I never saw her. Now, I am not the smallest of people so it is perfectly feasible that she could hide behind me and me not see her. But it is NOT feasible to MOVE and not be seen standing behind me. If she would have lifted her arm once, I would have seen it. If she would have lifted her leg once, I would have seen it. If she would have MOVED, her body MIGHT have produced some sweat. I cannot tell you why she didn’t move her body except to stand behind me, but I can tell you since she did not she did not get a “good workout.”
Once a woman walked by me and a student talking after Nia class and she asked where the pool was. We were confused. Then we realized we were so wet with sweat we looked as if we had been swimming.
Then more recently, I experienced at participant in a class who, when we were done said, “Wow! I got sweaty.” And I said, “Yes, yes you did.” And that was because she moved. She participated. While she was not standing behind me, I did see her move in her own body’s way to the suggestions such as “dancing big”, “drumming the sky”, “body drum”. She moved in her own way to all of the suggestions even though she had no idea what Nia was when she entered the dance studio. But it was obvious she was there to get a “good workout” so she participated. She moved. She expended energy. She got sweaty.
In Nia, as with ALL workouts, you get out of it what you put in. If you don’t move, you are not going to expend energy. If you don’t expend energy, you probably are not going to sweat. You need to MOVE to get a workout. It is not accurate to say that Nia is not a “good workout” when you do move. If you don’t actually try it you can’t actually say whether it is good or not.
This is what I experience a lot. Remember I am a substitute for other classes besides Nia. So they are not always looking for something new and different. Some are excellent sports and try it. Some are not and so they don’t participate. Again . . . . they get out of of it what they put in.
Have you noticed that you get less of a workout when you move less? Do you agree that you get out of it what you put into it?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: body drum, Boot Camp, cardio dance, cardio workout, dance exercise, dance studio, Dance Workout, expending energy, good workout, Nia, Nia class, sweaty workout | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 15, 2014
I teach Nia at Community Centers in San Jose. One of the things about community centers is they are for the community. During the summer that means that they are kid central. It is amazing all of the programs they have for kids during the summer. It is so great to see the centers doing so much to keep the kids learning and active during the summer. What a full community center sometimes translates to is regularly scheduled classes get shuffled around. I was given about six months notice for this summer’s shuffle. So our Nia class was prepared. I had been telling them since January. Then I put up a notice in June. So we were aware. It is a huge blessing that we just get moved to another room and not to a different time or cancelled altogether. I am grateful that we still get to have a class while all these summer camps and kid fun is going on. It is working out to be one week a month. Last month the room we were moved to had the portable mirrors in the closet so we were able to roll them out and use them. Today the closet was full of tables and chairs. The mirrors were nowhere to be found. The center is on what used to be a high school campus. So it is very large and spread out. I wasn’t certain that 25 minutes would be enough time to let someone know about the situation, find the mirrors, and move them all the way across the campus. So we did Nia without mirrors today, using the opportunity to focus inward.
I have done Nia without mirrors before. In fact I posted about it in my post Nia In The Mirror when I was teaching in San Carlos. That is one reason when I started working at the San Jose Community Centers I was so impressed with their portable mirrors. In fact I thought I did a post about them because they are sooooo cool. (Well, I don’t see one, so that will probably be my next post!)
In a Nia class the teacher stands with her/his back to the students. One way we connect with our students is eye contact in the mirror. A Nia teacher can turn and face the students. In fact, it is recommended at times to do so to change things up and to connect in another way to the students. We even practiced it in the Blue Belt Intensive. So it is up to the teacher to teach facing whichever way s/he wants. Generally though we face away from the students.
Facing away makes it easier for some people to follow since we are moving the same side of the body and going in the same direction as opposed to the mirror image as was (and possibly still is) done in Jazzercise. What I find is that I learn the routine SAYING it as if I am teaching with my back towards the students so for me to turn around I would be saying go left as I move left and we would not be dancing in mirror image. So to turn and face the students while we are doing a dance that moves front or back or laterally is a challenge for me. Especially when it is a new routine. And right now, I am somewhat learning a routine. In a routine there is usually a song or two where we are not moving left or right so we often face each other than. I was able to do that today, but some I did with my back to them.
I think dancing without a mirror every once in a while is a good thing. It helps the students dance with themselves. The moment I found out we didn’t have mirrors I knew our intent and focus. I set the focus to be the Conscious Personal Trainer, with the intent of being fully aware of and sensing your own body’s movements. Without the mirror to distract us I thought it would be a great opportunity to focus more on one’s own body. Without the mirror we don’t see ourselves nor the other people. Without a mirror the possibility to draw ones attention in and keep it in seems better.
So, of course, I was very happy when one of my students said that dancing without the mirrors made it different. It did allow her to focus more on her movements. She said she was less distracted with the other students. Yay! I like that it worked for her. I like that we were able to do it different, but we still danced and had fun. I am very blessed to have such great students that can just go with the flow and DO Nia! It is nice to have “no mirrors” give us the opportunity for something different.
When you take a lead-follow exercise class do you prefer the instructor FACE your or face away from you?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Conscious Personal Trainer, dance exercise, Dance Workout, focus and intent, Jazzercise, kids camps, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia dancing, Nia in San Jose, Nia students, Nia Teacher, portable mirrors, San Jose City Community Centers, San Jose Nia, summer camps | 2 Comments »
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