Posts Tagged ‘exercise class’
Posted by terrepruitt on December 12, 2009
Now Feldenkrais in Nia is not so much a movement as it is the feeling, the sensation of movement. With this technique as our guide we slow down, we become aware, we witness our movement. The creators of Nia wanted a movement form that resulted in health, both physical and mental.
The Feldenkrais technique is specific and Nia does not claim to practice this technique, instead the idea of being able to create change in the body, by moving it and by focusing on the movement is what is incorporated into Nia. The idea of change being possible. The idea of slowing down and paying attention. Or even if going fast—the idea is to pay attention.
I like to refer to Nia as a body-mind* practice/exercise/workout, because in White Belt we are instructed to go to the body. Moving in the body’s way and in our own body’s way in particular is one reason why I think of it as body-mind. But even though we go to the body that does not mean that we are not being aware. We need to use our mind to listen to the body. If a movement is being done in class and you copy it exactly, you need to be aware of the sensation your body is returning back to you. Is doing the move EXACTLY how the teacher is doing it really what YOUR body needs? Do you need to do it bigger? Or smaller? What is it that YOUR body is telling you?
Adding some of the concepts of Moshe Feldenkrais adds body awareness to Nia. We feel the body as it moves. We respond to it, we are aware of it. We are connected to our bodies. It is somatic movement. It is movement with ease.
This is how a Nia workout includes elements from Feldenkrais.
The Nine Basic Movements Forms of Nia
*I think that is how Carlos Rosas (AyaRosas) refers to Nia also
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: body-mind exercise, body-mind practice, body-mind workout, Carlos AyaRosas, Carlos Rosas, exercise class, Feldenkrais, mind-body exercise, Mind-body practice, mind-body workout, Moshe Feldenkrais, movement sensation, Nia, Nia class, Nia Exercies, Nia Practice, Nia workout, somatic movement, workout class | 12 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 28, 2009
As you might now be aware Nia includes elements from three disciplines from three different arts. From the martial arts, we borrow from Tae Kwon Do. Not just “moves” from Tae Kwon Do but also some of the other elements of it. With its kicks, punches, blocks, and stances it helps allow Nia to be a great leg workout and provide a stable base for some of our other moves. Tae Kwon Do can also contribute to one’s confidence by providing exercises that allow one to become strong and stable. These are the things Nia gains from Tae Kwon Do.
Nia calls Tae Kwon Do the Dance of Precision.* So when delivering a punch, block, kick, etc. with the energy of Tae Kwon Do, it is done with precision and intent. However, Nia likes to play so at times even though we might not be executing a punch or a kick, but we might choose to energize our movement with “Tae Kwon Do” like energy, and be forceful and aggressive even adding sound to our movement.
Adding the energy of one form to the moves of another is one of the things that make Nia fun and keeps is challenging. It takes different muscles to skip with force and authority than to skip like a child without a care in the world. That is an example of how Nia incorporates different moves with different energies.
In Nia we don’t “DO” Tae Kwon Do, things have been gleaned from it and brought into Nia and mixed in with aspects of Tai Chi, Aikido, Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, Duncan Dance, Yoga, the Alexander Technique and the teachings from Feldenkrais, and the combination from each form is Nia. A lot of Nia routines include moves and concepts from each discipline, but not always. In an effort to keep each workout fresh, fun, and joyful teachers often mix things up.
If you are near San Jose, come to one of my Nia classes. If not, I hope that you will find a Nia class near you and give Nia try.
*Both the Nia Technique Book and The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual state this. Both books are by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. **V3 of The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: Aikido, Carlos Rosas, Dance of Precision, Debbie Rosas, disciplines, Duncan Dance, exercise class, exercise classes, Feldenkrais, Jazz Dance, joyful, leg workout, martial arts, Martial Arts Disciplines, mind, modern dance, movement, movement class, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Movement, Nia Practice, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, Nia Yoga, San Jose Nia, San Jose Yoga, sounding, T'ai chi San Jose, Tae kwon do, Tae kwon do San Jose, Tai Chi, the Alexander Technique, White Belt, White Belt Manual, workout class, Yoga, yoga classes, Yoga Exercise, Yoga Nia, yoga poses, yoga pracitce, Yoga San Jose, Yoga workout | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 5, 2009
Recently I posted a bit about Focus and Intent. One comment on that post was from someone who sets a daily intent, but hadn’t thought to carry the focus she has during her workout into her day. She brought up that during her morning Yoga she is able to focus on her shoulders but during the day she forgets.
Well, a lot of us might do that, not remember to carry our focus and intent into the day. There is so much going on it is easy to forget. So there is a little helpful reminder that Nia’s co-creator does. I heard her share it on one of the monthly teleconferences that Nia offers. She said when she wakes up she thinks of a color. I believe she indicated that the color presented itself or just came to her, as a thought. If that doesn’t necessarily happen for you, pick one. (I am amending this because the co-creator of Nia, Debbie Rosas, did say that she used a color for something, but it was not to assist her with the focus and intent. It was for something else . . . . I don’t want to bring up what it was for because that is a subject that requires another post entirely. I was reminded about picking a color in a Nia teleconference.) So . . . Here is a little something to help you remember, when you wake up . . . . .
Pick a color. Now what you do with that color is: throughout the day, when you see that color think of your focus and remember your intent.
So if your focus is to remember to keep your shoulders down and in their place (this is something I struggle with, that is why I bring it up) you can be reminded of it every time you see your chosen color. Doesn’t mean you have to stop what you are doing and examine yourself or rearrange yourself, it is just a gentle nudge. Green (for example) whispering, “shoulders”.
Or let’s say you’ve decided to drink more water. So every time you see the color that you decided upon for the day you take a sip of water (or drink a glass—whatever you set your intention to be).
Do you get the idea? You can set your focus and intent on whatever you would like, by having chosen a color is a tool to help remind you of your focus and intent. Choosing a color can assist you in taking your focus and intent from your workout and/or from your exercise class into your day.
Share with me your stories.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Color reminder, daily focus, daily intent, Debbie Rosas, exercise class, focus and intent, morning Yoga, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia exercise class, Nia focus and intent, Nia's co-creator, teleconference, workout class, workout focus, workout intent, Yoga, Yoga focus, Yoga intent | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 24, 2009
There is no substitute for going to an exercise class. The energy and the camaraderie you get from BEING IN a class is uncomparable, but sometimes class schedules don’t mix with yours or you want to just get a quick workout in.
Like me recently, my husband and I were going to go see a play at the last minute at a little theater in downtown San Jose, but before we went I wanted to do a workout. I pulled out a few of my videos to see the “total workout time” and did a few quick calculations. I decided on Turbo Jam Cardio Party two. But it got me thinking about how I love Collage Video because they do a great job of breaking down the “total workout time” on a DVD.
Do you know what I am talking about? Has something like the following happened to you? You want an Aerobic workout DVD because you want to get your cardio done at home, you buy a DVD and that states it is a 60 minute workout. You put it in your machine and what it actuually turns out to be is 15 minutes of warm up and 15 minutes of cool down leaving you really with only 30 minutes of an aerobic workout. When you were expecting 60 minutes or at least 50 minutes and you only get 30, it doesn’t make for a satisfying purchase (or workout).
Unfortunately you can’t get Turbo Jam from Collage Video so you can’t see a breakdown of workout cycles of those DVDs, but Collage Video has hundreds of other DVDs. One way you can pick the DVD is by workout type: Aerobics, Muscle Toning, Both (Aerobics & Toning), Stretch/Yoga/Tai Chi, Pilates, Interval training, Dance, Kickboxing, Latin & Salsa, Bootcamp.
Collage, then gives a detailed breakdown of the total workout time, just as I had mentioned before. Which can be really helpful, when planning your workouts. If you want to get a combo DVD with Aerobics and toning it is good to know how much you will get of each. Here is an example.
The above shows you will get 4 minutes of warm-up, 37 minutes of floor aerobics, 11 minutes of standing toning, 6 minutes of toning, and 4 minutes of stretching. This allows you to plan both your purchases and your workouts better. You can see exactly how much time you will be spending on each cycle. I think that is very important.
If you are going to be able to make it to your favorite class, do you have a favorite workout DVD that you do instead?
Posted in Exercise and Working Out | Tagged: areobics, Cardio Party, Collage Video, dance exercise, Dance Workout, dance workout class, exercise class, exercise cycles, muscle toning, San Jose exercise class, San Jose Pilates, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, toning, Turbo Jam, Turbo Jam Cardio Party, Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2, workout class, Workout cycles, workout DVD | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 3, 2009
A Nia workout includes elements from three disciplines from three different arts.
From the healing arts, we use moves and ideals from Yoga. As with all the movement forms incorporated into Nia, Nia does not claim to be practicing Yoga. It is understood that years of studying and practice can be involved in the practice of Yoga, and Nia respects that, that is why I say that we “use move and ideals”. Nia recognizes the benefits that can result from Yoga and with that does its best to utilize some of its amazing power. Nia calls Yoga “The Conscious Dance of Alignment”.* It helps with the proper alignment of the bones. It also assists in increasing flexibility for all fitness levels.
We use the aspects of Yoga to help find balance in the body. In Nia we can also call upon the focus that is evident in Yoga.
The White Belt Manual 3/2001 V3 states:
Witness the value this form provides to increasing and restoring the natural flow of energy throughout the entire body. Recognize the specific principles that help to clear and calm the mind, bring balance to the nervous system, improve breath and posturing, and strengthen specific body parts. Acknowledge the way Yoga unifies the body, mind, spirit, and emotional being, and how the internal, core body becomes soft and supple to provide real “energy” strength from the inside out.
So we might do some exercises of twists, bends, and poses in our workout, it is to help increase strength, flexibility, alignment and our conscious connection.
The breathing in Nia reminds me more of Pilates than to Yoga. We inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, often times sounding. I have not participated in a Yoga class that does chanting or is vocal so that is why I am reminded more of Pilates than Yoga.
Many of Nia’s teachers are also Yoga instructors or they attend Yoga classes. I sometimes attend a Yoga class in San Jose. The two forms of movement are a great compliment to each other.
***V3 of The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: Carlos Rosas, Debbie Rosas, exercise class, movement class, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Movement, Nia Practice, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, Nia Yoga, Pilates, Pilates breathing, Pilates class, Pilates San Jose, San Jose Nia, San Jose Yoga, sounding, White Belt, White Belt Manual, workout class, Yoga, Yoga chanting, yoga classes, Yoga Exercies, Yoga exercises, yoga instructor, Yoga Nia, yoga poses, yoga pracitce, Yoga San Jose, yoga stretches, yoga teacher, Yoga workout | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 12, 2009
I have only taken two yoga classes. One was this evening and throughout the entire class, while the teacher was instructing I kept thinking, “Oh that is so Nia. Oh this is so Nia. . . . . .Oh THAT is so Nia.” Even though earlier in the class I realized that maybe Nia was “so Yoga”.
Yoga was first. It has been around for thousands of years. For some it is rooted in religion, where as Nia has been around for 25 years and is rooted in the body. I just couldn’t help thinking that this yoga class was so like a Nia class, except much slower. Slower, in the sense that in this class the movement wass not to the music, but to the breath. There was no rhythmic quality to the movement, just the flow of your breath. Every once in awhile I would hear the music and to start sway to it and realize that I was supposed to be holding a pose so I would stop my body from moving but my spirit continued to boogey away.
This yoga class is about joy in yoga, allowing for another comparison, comparing to the first principle of the Nia White Belt which is the Joy of Movement. The Joy of movement is actually found as a sensation and not a feeling. In Nia it is something that is sensed in the body and not felts as an emotion.
The teacher started the class with the suggestion that you set an intention. I actually wiggled with happiness at this because in every Nia class we set a focus and an intent (in cycle one).
This yoga class made me realize why so many people that practice yoga also practice Nia because there are many things in common. In yoga there are poses that open areas of the body, in Nia we have movements and poses that open the body and get the joints juicy. Yoga has muscle strengtheners and ligaments and tendon lengtheners and so does Nia. But with yoga it is a pose and in Nia it is primarily movements linked together in a more cardio-dance fashion. In the cool down we do poses or stretches and sometimes there are yoga poses. It just amazed me how similar they were. With the request of awareness that the teacher was giving during the ending meditation, something that we request during the entire Nia workout, I was extremely delighted to realize that yoga and Nia aren’t competing practices, but companion practices. They are so similar that you can apply a lot of the principles to both. You can have a non-impact booty shaking cardio and strength workout (Nia) that you balance with the complete stretching and strength workout (yoga).
I truly was amazed at how Nia has taken so much of what is “yoga” and created a practice that can be such a great companion. With so many similarities it really allows for an expansion of exercise and workout possibilities for so many people who do yoga in San Jose and in the Bay Area.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Bay Area Exercies, Bay Area Nia, Bay Area Workout, Bay Area Yoga, cardio, cardio dance, cardio yoga, dance class, dance exercise, Dance Workout, exercise class, Joy of Movement, juicy joints, movement class, Nia, Nia cardio, Nia Classes, Nia Practice, Nia principles, Nia Teacher, Nia White Belt, Nia-like, San Jose exercise, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, workout class, Yoga, yoga classes, yoga flow, yoga instructor, yoga meditation, yoga poses, yoga pracitce, yoga religion, Yoga San Jose, yoga stretches, yoga teacher | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 2, 2009
So, I could just fill my blog with Nia, but I want to post other stuff too because I am interested in other workouts and exercises and I like to share other stuff. Today is supposed to be my “fun” post or “whatever” post, not necessary related to health, wellness, or Nia™. I thought that I would find some inspiration before the day was out, but . . . nothing.
So . . . here I am, back at Nia and the wonders of it. I left an article from Nia Education in the studio where I teach (in Willow Glen) and it is about sounding. This evening (when does “evening” start? Anyway . . .) when I was explaining to my class in Los Gatos that Nia uses a focus it dawned on me that I didn’t have a focus for class. Then it came to me in a flash “Sounding”. Nia calls it sounding, I’ve heard some classes call it vocalization. Whatever . . .
We had a few songs that were great for sounding and that are normally done with us making noise, but tonight I added noise (sounding) into all of the songs.
I am going to be honest, when I am TAKING a Nia class I am not a big “sounder”, I am getting better, but I don’t always do it. So I know how intimidating it can be. And it frustrates me (that I don’t do it) because I know—-I have FELT the benefits. When I first started doing Nia I didn’t make any sound. Then I was in a class and I realized that I was the only one NOT making sound so I joined in—-HOLY MOLY! What a difference that makes. It is amazing and I can’t really describe it. But because I have felt the benefits, I am getting better at doing it in other’s classes, and I do it when I am leading my class.
Tonight I was so loud I couldn’t hear if others were doing it. I had to tone it down to make sure they were doing it. The women who showed up first, the ones I had explained it to were participating, but the others weren’t. But that is ok, they will come around in their own time, in natural time. After class I felt awesome. Sounding is amazing. It is like a release and an energizer all at once.
Have you ever been frustrated and just shouted, yelled, or screamed, you know how you feel after that? That sense of release, that feeling of “aaaaah, now I feel better.” Well, just think of an entire workout like that? It is exhilarating.
A Nia Education article says, “every cell in your body is a sound resonator that responds to sounds coming from the outside and the inside of your body, and that all of the systems in your body – your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states of consciousness – respond to sound?”** Yeah, I knew that . . . .
If you are interested in the article, let me know. It is very short and I can send it to you. I have posted the tips for helping you begin sounding on my site, in case you are interested. So, can you do it? Are you ready to make some noise?
**Nia Education ©2006 Nia Technique, Inc.
Posted in Nia, Sounding | Tagged: exercise, exercise class, Los Gatos Nia, Los Gatos Workout, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia workout, sounding, Willow Glen Nia, Willow Glen Workout, workout, workout class | 3 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 7, 2009
Ok, so you all know the idea behind the remote control is to be able to sit and change the channel while you are seated. Sometimes you hear people comment about how this wonderful gadget allows for the subtraction of movement in one’s life. Well, not in my family.
I actually believe that our particular use of the remote control assist us in getting our exercise. We are the family of “Honey, where is the remote control?” We seem to be unable to actually leave it where it would be most useful—in the “remote control bucket”. And, yes, we have a container for our remote controlS, because we have at least four. As you might be able to image the more you have the better the chance for exercise. There is a remote control for the DVD player (two separate ones for two separate machines!) and a remote for the TV, I won’t list all the remotes, but there are more.
Join me in the “Remote Control Exercise ‘Class’”.
“Ok, Class, let’s WATCH A DVD! Today’s DVD is newly purchased and not yet in the jukebox, so get up off that couch and put it in the machine!”
“Crouch down to the machine. Grab the TV remote to set it to the right screen. Don’t see it? Well get up and look for it! Look for it . . . . .look for it. Don’t see it? Search in the couch, bend and stretch. Crouch on the floor, it might be under the couch. What? Still can’t find it.”
“Check the kitchen. . . . .walk into the kitchen, heel lead, check the bathroom, shuffle to the guest room, shuffle back. Easy jog up the stairs to the master bedroom, still can’t find it? Hmmm?”
“Jog to the garage because you put in a load of laundry before deciding to watch a movie. Got it? Good! Now use those leg muscles to get back on the floor to put the DVD in the machine.”
“Skip back to the couch. Sit. Get comfortable. Start the movie. Oh, wait, did you forget the remote to the DVD player? Jump up to get it. Jog to it. Sit back on the couch—use your thighs, Class! Start the movie. Whoa! The previews are so loud you won’t be able to hear my instructions. Turn down the TV volume. What, you left it by the machine? Jump up to get the TV remote. Remember when you jump up really contract those core muscles!”
“Back to the couch, remember to sit down using your gluts and thighs—don’t plop. Now, here ya, go . . . Oh, get up get the phone. Don’t forget to stop the movie.”
“While you are on the phone, do some chair squats with the couch. One, two, three . . . eleven. Off the phone? This last squat ease all the way down onto that a couch. Stretch for the remote control to start the movie. What? You left it in the kitchen?”
“Jump-up to go get it. While you are there get a glass of water, you must stay hydrated when working out.”
“Sit back on the couch—use your thighs, Class! Start the movi—-what? You left the remote control in the kitchen when you went to get it? Oh, the water distracted you.”
“Jump-up to go get it. Jog to the kitchen. Jog back to the couch. Squat down on to the couch.”
“There you go. Now you can watch your movie. While it is not the best form of exercise you did get in at least twenty minutes of movement all from a little gadget that is allowing you to control your machines from the comfort of your seat!”
Posted in Entertainment, Misc | Tagged: exercise class, Humor, jog, Remote control, workout | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 11, 2009
I want to remind everyone that Nia™ or Nia Technique® is a specific practice.** It was created in 1983 by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. They were married and now they are not, but Nia is such an important part of their lives and so important to them, that they continue to work together.
Nia has different belt levels; White Belt, the newly added Green Belt, Blue Belt, Brown Belt, and Black Belt. Each Belt has its own set of principles, except for Green. You must wait a year in between belts before you can take the next intensive. (Except for green because it a newly added in the system to assist teachers.)
Click here for more info on classes and Nia
I am a White Belt, so I continue to work with the thirteen White Belt Principles:
1–The Joy of Movement
2–Natural Time and the Movement Forms
3–Music and the 8BC System
4–FreeDance
5–Awareness – Dancing Through Life
6–The Base; Feet and Legs
7–The Three Planes and the Three Levels of Intensity
8–The Core of the Body; Pelvis, Chest, and Head
9–Creative Arm and Hand Expressions
10–X-Ray Anatomy
11–Business and Marketing
12–Continuing Education
13–Dance What You Sense / Teach What You Sense
When I talk about Nia it is based on what Debbie and Carlos have created. They have been working and growing with Nia for 25 years. And if you look at their work and information you will see that it has morphed a little. It is the same basic practice but I believe it gets refined as they grow and change.
So please keep in mind when I talk about Nia, I am talking about something wonderful and specific and it is entirely based on the work of Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas.
Please join me in San Jose for a Nia class. Visit my website for the schedule http://www.helpyouwell.com/
**This post is to explain that “Nia” and “Nia-things” I talk about are primarily from the creators of Nia BUT please keep in mind . . . . Nia is also a workout that can be experienced, just like a Yoga, Zumba, Jazzercise, or any group exercise class. One can show up to class and just move and get a great workout. One does not have to participant in the intensive and the belt levels.
Visit Nia’s main website at: www.nianow.com
Posted in Nia, Nia White Belt Principles | Tagged: 8BCs, Carlos Rosas, Debbie Rosas, exercise class, exercise classes, great workout, group exercise, group exercise class, Jazzercise, joy, Nia, Nia Belt levels, Nia Practice, Nia San Jose, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, San Jose exercise class, San Jose exercise classes, San Jose Nia, the joy of movement, thirteen White Belt Principles, workout class, Yoga, Yoga class, Yoga Practice, Zumba, Zumba class | 3 Comments »
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