Posts Tagged ‘exercise classes’
Posted by terrepruitt on February 22, 2021
As you may know I teach a small variety of movement classes online. I am so fortunate that some of the students I taught in person wanted to keep moving and they were willing to do it online via Zoom. For me, part of the draw of doing it live via Zoom is that I get to see the students. I feel more connected to them when we are all online together and I am doing a live class. When I teach I have Zoom set to “gallery” so I can see all the students. But I feel I need to emphasize that having the camera on when you attend a class is not necessary. There are days when having the camera on may not work. I want to make sure that people know that they have that option.
I know there were some days when I just got up in enough time to take a class (when I am attending someone else’s class) and I don’t want to have the camera on. Sometimes when I am taking a class I don’t want to set up the computer at just the right angle in just the right spot. Sometimes it is easier for me to just have it where I can see the monitor and I don’t want to be concerned with what the instructor – and everyone in the class – is seeing. There are a million reasons why you may not want the camera on and that is ok. It is actually really great that we can “show up to an exercise class” and we don’t have to be concerned with what we look like or how bad the traffic is.
Having the camera transmit the video is optional and it can change every time you take a class. In my classes I want to make sure no one is feeling pressured into having the camera on. I know sometimes when I am taking a class with hundreds of people I am confident no one is really going to be focused on me. I have small classes so chances are if someone has it set to gallery they are going to see you so it is completely up to you at the time of the class.
There are a lot of reasons why a student might sign on and say hello, then once we start moving turn the camera off . . . again, it is all up to you and how you want to do it that day – that class.
And, if you want to ensure the camera is not able to see what you don’t want it to see you can always buy something cover it with something like the little covers I bought. I really like those because even if you don’t have your camera on transmitting . . . it is still on.
Having a camera transmit during class is a person choice and there is no pressure to have it on. Check my website for my class schedule.
Cheers!
Posted in Online Classes, Zoom | Tagged: camera cover, exercise classes, Live Zoom Classes, Online Classes, transmitting video optional | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 19, 2018
I have posted information about the programs that I teach under for the City of San Jose. At different times they had two versions of a “gym-like” program (Group Ex and then SJCITY Fit) where people could purchase an annual membership and attend all of the classes offered under the program at the participating community centers. There is also the program many seemed to be familiar with, where the city sends out a brochure listing all the classes available. The classes are taught in “sessions”. You might want to take guitar lessons being offered for 10 weeks one night a week. You register for the class paying for the entire session, all 10 weeks. There is no make-up if you miss a class. This is the way that I have taken classes with the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, and Campbell as long as I could take classes. I remember taking a babysitting class when I was young. The “gym-like” program was relatively new. It was a great program, but I am betting that most you reading this that are local didn’t even know about it. It seems like a fair job of promoting it was not done. It was impossible to use the internet to find any information about it and like, happens with all things when they don’t get properly promoted, they fail. The city has determined that the current version of the “gym-like” program – SJCITY Fit – is not sustainable so they are cancelling it.
There are members that take at least one class Monday through Friday. It was a great deal. The majority of the students that came to my class loved the program because when the math was done with them going to at least one class a day Monday through Friday, it was about 50 cents per class. So, yeah, it makes sense that the city wasn’t able to maintain that. But it is sad that the program could not attract more than 140 people. I keep thinking in a city with a population of over 1 million the program could have at least attracted 500 people.
But with so many different choices for the exerciser out there it really takes a strong desire and a concentrated effort to get the word out about exercises programs. So the city it moving some of the classes that were be held under SJCITY Fit into a hybrid of the leisure program (where students sign up for a session of classes). There are a multitude of things that are different under this program, so I will only be teaching Nia once a week on Tuesdays.
Now, in order to take Nia with me through the City of San Jose you have to sign up for the sesssion or “season”. So far there are two sessions/seasons on the books (Winter and Spring). They are both 10 classes each. I say classes because there are some weeks where there is not a class so it might end up being more than 10 WEEKS, but there are only 10 CLASSES. You can see more information on my site.
I am still teaching the yoga classes, one on Tuesdays at 10:30 am and one on Thursdays at 6:00 pm.
It is very sad that this program or a version of it was not salvageable by the city. So many of the consistent exercisers are moving off to other places, some I am afraid might stop exercise altogether. I will miss seeing them every week. I’ve been teaching Nia on Tuesdays for six years, on Thursdays for five years, and on Fridays for three years. Many students have been coming that long or even longer (on different days at the various places I have taught). I did write a post on the how long I have been teaching what.
I do hope to see some of my students taking part in the new program that is being offered. It might not have the convenience of SJCITY Fit, but it is still a great deal. The program will still offer 8 of the 12 classes that were offered under SJCITY Fit.
So, here is to a new chapter of San Jose Nia. I am looking at teaching at a studio right down the street on Union from where I teach now. I am hoping to teach my Thursday Nia class and my Thursday stretch class. So stay tuned.
We have such a great little Nia community in San Jose I hope we can keep dancing together! Here’s to the New Year and to a new chapter of San Jose Nia.
Do you take classes through your city’s exercise program?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: City of San Jose exercise classes, exercise classes, exercise with the city, Group Ex, leisure program, Nia, Nia community, San Jose Nia, SJCity Fit, stretch class, yoga classes, yoga studio | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 6, 2018
People often ask how long I have been teaching Nia and/or Yoga. Sometimes a student will ask how long I have been teaching the class. In order for me to remember I have to think about something I remember specifically for one class where the supervisor called me when I was in the hospital visiting my mom. Then I have to think of when that was and try to piece it together from there. I did send out some information over a year ago regarding the class facts. It was kind of in the form of a thank you for keeping the classes going. I decided to post the information so I will always have it on hand and I can point people towards it.
Terre’s Class Facts:
Nia at the Camden Community Center: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 am. Friday at 10:15 am.
The Tuesday Nia class started on September 4, 2012. It has always been at 9:00 am.
There was a Wednesday Nia class for a very short period of time in 2015.
The Thursday Nia class started on September 22, 2013. Originally it was at 8:30 am, then in November 2013 it was changed to 8:45 am. Then in February of 2015 it was changed to 9:00 am.
The Friday Nia class started in February of 2015. It has always been at 10:15 am. It follows a class that is at 9:00 am so that is why it starts at 10:15 am. The fifteen minutes in between classes is supposed to be for the out going class time to finish, clean up, and vacate the room AND allow us to come in and get ready.
Gentle Yoga at the Willow Glen Community Center: Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm.
I started teaching the gentle yoga class at the Willow Glen Community Center on July 18, 2013. Originally I was asked to do it for one session. But then it turned into the next, and the next . . . This class is held at 6:00 pm. This class is part of the Leisure Class program, so students sign up for session. So sometimes there is a mandated break in between sessions. They do not allow for drop-ins at this center.
Gentle Yoga at the Cypress Community Center: Tuesdays at 10:30 am.
I started teaching the gentle yoga class at the Cypress Community Center on February 25, 2014. The original time slot for this class was 10:00 am. But it was moved to 10:30 am so that I could get there from my Nia class at Camden. This class is also is part of the Leisure Class program, so students sign up for session. Sometimes there are breaks in between sessions, but we work hard to not have them because we like to just continue without breaks. This community center allows for drop-ins. So you don’t have to sign up for the entire session you can just come take on yoga class if you would like.
Stretch at the Camden Community Center: Thursday at 10:15 am.
I started teaching the Thursday Stretch Class in May of 2016. The original time slot was noon, but it was moved so it could be after Nia. It has gone on hiatus at times due to various reasons (summer camps usually come in and take over the community center). This class is at 10:15 am, after Nia.
Additional information about the classes:
All classes are an hour long. Nia and Stretch are part of the SJCITY Fit program. The gentle yoga classes are a part of the Leisure Class program.
There have been other class that have come and gone. I started teaching in 2009 at a studio I rented in Willow Glen. I did that for four years. I have also taught for the City of San Carlos. I worked for a little fitness studio, I taught at other community centers in San Jose, and I rented other studio space. But since those classes are not longer happening, I didn’t make note of those dates.
I am very fortunate to have such great students and to teach these classes. It is common knowledge among fitness instructors that a class can be cancelled at anytime, especially at city community centers. If there are not enough students then the class gets cancelled . . . makes sense, that is just the way it is. So that we have had these classes for so long is just the biggest blessing. I am grateful.
Posted in Nia, Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: City of San Jose, Cypress Community Center, exercise classes, Group Ex, Leisure Classes, Nia at Camden, Nia Classes, San Jose City Community Centers, SJCity Fit, stretch class, Willow Glen Community Center, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 24, 2017
I am going to address this again because so many people are not aware of the programs in San Jose that are available through the Parks and Recreation Department. Back in 2015 I wrote a post explaining the main difference of two of their programs. To summarize, there is the program that many of you are familiar with because many of us grew up with it, that is the program the city calls the Leisure Class Program. These are classes in the booklets the Parks and Recs Department prints and sends out. There are ALL types of classes – don’t let the name “Leisure” fool you. There are language classes, art and craft classes, music lessons, cooking lessons, dance classes, exercise classes . . . .and a lot more. They are set up in sessions where you register and pay for the entire session before the first class. The session consists of a set number of meetings and when you register you pay for all of them. You may be familiar with those types of classes . . you may have even signed up for one of those sessions and had it cancelled because not enough people signed up. That is always disappointing . . . that is why it is important to sign up early. Anyway . . . there is also another program called SJCITY Fit . . . it is a version of Group Ex which was discontinued in 2015. But it is somewhat the same in that it is like a gym membership. You pay monthly and you have access to all the classes that are in the SJCITY Fit program, PLUS the gyms at three locations. The SJCITY Fit Program classes are exercise classes.
There are a lot of people who are not aware of this program that the city offers. I talk to people all the time that think the exercise classes through the city of San Jose are just the leisure type of class. I teach both. I teach some SJCITY Fit classes and I teach some Leisure Classes. There are benefits to both, so it really depends on what works for you. But it is nice to know that you have options.
There are some people who like to go to a class everyday. For the people who just want to have a class to go to every day, the SJCITY Fit program is great. The SJCITY Fit classes are offered at three of the community centers in San Jose; Camden, Almaden, and Bascom. Some people like the convince of going to the community center that is closest to their house, so they might join the Leisure Classes. There are a lot more community centers that offer the Leisure Classes. It all depends on what works for you.
The SJCITY Fit classes are on-going . . . meaning there is no end. Yeah, sometimes there might be a cancelled class if the teacher has an emergency and can’t get a sub in time, but the class is scheduled to just go on and on.
I have all of my classes on my website, but since I teach for BOTH programs it might be confusing sometimes. I think it is important for you to know the difference so you can decide what class you want to take.
At the time of this post, under the Leisure Program, I teach two yoga classes. One class is at the Cypress Community Center and the other one is at the Willow Glen Community Center. You register for the session. Although Cypress is unique and will allow you to drop in. But typically, with Leisure classes, you need to register for the entire session.
At the time of this post I teach THREE NIA classes under the SJCITY Fit program and one stretch class under the SJCITY Fit program. So for one monthly fee you can take all four classes a week. PLUS attend all the other classes that are offered through the SJCITY Fit program PLUS go to the gyms. If you don’t want to join the monthly membership you can drop in for $6.00 per class.
Usually . . . although I can’t say for sure . . . but usually . . the city has a special at the end of the year. They offer an annual membership for a great deal and you just buy that and you are set for the year. But they do not offer the annual membership all year. It is usually for a limited time. After that time is up any membership purchased is only monthly. We will see what they do at the end of this year. I will keep you updated.
I just wanted to share – trying to get the word out there – and try to clarify that there are two ways you can exercise with the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Jose: SJCITY Fit and Leisure Classes. These are GREAT programs – hopefully you will take part in what the city has to offer!
Did you know that the City of San Jose has something akin to a gym membership? Did you know that “Leisure Classes” include EXERCISE classes, too?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Almaden Community Center, annual membership, Bascom Community Center, Camden Community Center, City of San Jose Group Ex, City of San Jose Leisure Classes, City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department, Cypress Community Center, drop in classes, exercise classes, monthly membership, Nia, parks and rec, San Jose, San Jose Community Centers, San Jose Gym, SJCity Fit, Willow Glen Community Center, Yoga | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 24, 2015
Many of you are familiar with Parks and Recreation Departments and classes they run through the Community Centers. These are classes that are in the booklets. There are ALL types of classes. There are music lessons, arts and crafts, exercise classes, cooking classes, language classes . . . . just all types of classes. They are set up in what many community centers call sessions. There might be a flower arranging class that is an eight week session, just meaning that there are eight times that class will meet. People must register and pay for all eight meetings prior to the first day of the class. Some of us have experienced the disappointment when we register for a class only to find out a few days before it is supposed to start, that not enough people have registered so the class is cancelled. That is always a bummer. In the City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department they call these classes leisure classes. Presently there is also something in the San Jose Parks and Recreation Department called Group Ex. Group Ex is exercise classes. The Group Ex is more like a gym, in the sense that you pay a membership fee and then can attend any of the classes that are in the Group Ex program – plus the gym/exercise room – for that one fee. The Group Ex structure also allows for “drop-ins”, where people can participate in a class for a fee without having pre-registered or to be a member. These classes are on-going so they don’t have the same type of structure as a leisure/session class.
There arewere two ways you cancould become a member, one is monthly or you cancould purchase an annual membership. Both ways allow the member to attend any exercise class that is part of the Group Ex program. This program really got people out of the house and exercising. The cost of membership was unbeatable.
Most of the people who come to my Nia classes go to multiple classes per week, sometimes multiple classes per day. I hear them plan their weeks and their days with each other. They have it all worked out . . . their workouts.
I have been wanting to post something about the differences between Group Ex and Leisure classes for a long time. Because I teach both. The differences confuse some people. Some people are familiar with the leisure class way and they don’t even know there is something like Group Ex through the city. Some people who have never taken a leisure class (before there was even such a thing as Group Ex) are not familiar with that. So when I go to explain the different classes I teach it can be confusing. So I have been meaning to post something about it to help clarify.
Well, I guess the time is now. It is now because the city of San Jose is discontinuing the Group Ex program as of January 31, 2016. They are only going to have leisure classes. So that means that any class they have that you might want to take will be offered in “sessions”. So you will have to sign up for the entire session in order to take the class.
I want to let people know that just because the Parks and Recreation Department calls it a leisure class doesn’t mean it is just about “leisure”. They still might be offering some of the same exercise classes that are presently a part of the Group Ex program that allow you to get your workout on. It will just not be the type of format that you can just take anytime you want. You will have to sign up in advance for the entire the entire session.
I don’t know what classes they plan on offering, but I wanted to finally get a post up about the difference between leisure classes and Group Ex so when the time comes people will know the difference.
We still have three months of Group Ex before the change occurs. Next month on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, we are going to have a Nia class at 10:15 am at the Camden Community Center. So there will be four Nia classes a week at the Camden Community Center until January 31, 2016.
Click here to see a copy of the notification sent out from the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services.
I hope you will come dance with us at the Camden Community Center before the end of January!
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Camden Community Center, City of San Jose, community centers, exercise classes, Group Ex. leisure classes, Nia Classes, Parks, Parks and Recreation Departments, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, workout classes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 14, 2014
You may be familiar with cycles of a cardio class. Most modalities or classes have a warm-up, a “moving portion”, and a cool down. Not every form of cardio class includes a “flexibility” portion. As I mentioned in my last post, I was in a training recently and they include flexibility in their class structure. That is awesome. Their required class structure is: warm-up, endurance phase (cardio), cool down, then flexibility. I love that they are including flexibility. It is great to see. That is four portions. As you may be aware, Nia has seven. We call our sections of class cycles. The cycles are:
1. Setting your focus and intent
2. Stepping In
3. Warm up
4. Get Moving
5. Cool Down
6. Floorplay
7. Stepping out
Nia’s cycle #4, the “Get Moving” is comparable to the endurance phase or the cardio phase. That is where we really move. We can use big movements and move through the planes to get the heart rate up, so our cardio does not consist of running and jumping. In order to get the heart pumping we move our body up and down, using the muscles. We also move our arms and hands — a lot. Could be we are punching or it could be we are just moving them in a way consistent with the body’s way but that helps get the blood moving.
Nia’s cycle #6, Floorplay, is multiple types of movement. It is stretching and/or strengthening. It could be rolling on the floor or even crawling. With floorplay we do exactly that . . . . we play on the floor. There is definitely “flexibility” going on.
I was happy to see the flexibility component added. In fact, it might be so new that it wasn’t even included in the copy of the slides that we received for hand outs.
Flexibility is important. We there is tightness in the muscles sometimes they do not move properly. Where there is tightness in the joints they do not move properly. We our body does not move properly it tries to compensate and often ends up creating more issues. Or the tightness does not allow us to fully straighten so it might feel as if it can’t move at all so then people stop moving. It is somewhat a cycle. Perhaps you would like to read Simple Stretches Could Bring Relief.
Working on flexibility is just as important as working on cardio and resistance training. Flexibility is great to include in your workout routine. It should be scheduled into your workout time. Just like a savasana is done at the end of a yoga routine, stretching should be part of any workout routine you do.
It would be best if you stretched the muscles that you just worked in your workout. Being specific would be good. But in general it seems a safe bet would be to start at the top and work your way down. Stretching each muscles/muscle group. As I mentioned it would be best to stretch what you just worked so if you know how to do that, spend an extra minute or two on those muscles/muscle groups. I know it might feel like you don’t have time for it, but it will actually prove to save you time in the long run.
Do you have stretching as part of your workout? Do you work on your flexibility?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: 7 cycles of Nia, cardio, cool down, cycles of a cardio class, dance classes, dance exercise, exercise classes, flexibility, floorplay, Nia, Nia class, resistance training, tight muscles, warm-up, workout classes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 17, 2014
I teach Nia for the City of San Jose and the YMCA. I have been teaching Gentle Yoga too, but that is different. The Gentle Yoga classes are usually smaller both the actually room we are in and the number of people. And with yoga we don’t need the music loud so often times my iPhone in the middle of the yoga mats serves us just fine. But with Nia we need the music loud. Not “Zumba-loud” because I still need to be heard over the music, but loud enough that I can hear my music cues and people can get a sense of the music. With most of my classes the number of students is more than yoga and the venue is larger. I actually have taught at some places where the audio system did not work so I tried using my phone and it did not have enough volume. With Nia people follow my lead, but they also move their body in their own way so it helps them dance when there is music to dance too. So since I teach in all different places and the audio system is not always the same I have a variety of speakers. I had been looking at one for a couple of years, but never wanted to invest the money. But one day my hubby and I were at Costco and we saw a device I had been looking at. He wanted to get it. I hemmed and hawed, but we came home with a Block Rocker.
I had almost bought one before but with every model they came out with something different so I was trying to decide which one to purchase. Then they came out with a Bluetooth enabled version. I wanted to know that I could still use an Aux cable because Bluetooth can be spotty. I had not been able to determine that from my shopping online at first. And then I forgot about it until I saw it in Costco. We pulled it off the shelf and checked it out. Read the box to make sure it would play music both ways — via Bluetooth or a cable. And my hubby put it in the cart. All the way around the store I kept thinking, “Yes. No. Yes. No.” and on and on.
We came home with it. We plugged it in and hooked it up to our devices. It was pretty cool. Both my husband and I have used it around the house. It does GREAT house sound. Our house is an acoustical “weird-mare”, but it works great. Both of us have used it out in the yard. But none of that is in a big room with people in it. And I am not complaining that the rooms I have been teaching in have sound systems. That is GREAT. I am very fortunate. I have not had the opportunity to use my big speaker.
My Group Ex Nia Class with the City of San Jose on Tuesdays and Thursdays is normally held in the dance studio. But this summer there is Summer Camp in there for the kids one week every month. So at the beginning of the year my supervisor moved us from the dance studio to the Multipurpose room. I didn’t know if this room had an audio system. I have been telling my class for months that we were going to be in the MPR for a few classes this summer. Then for the past two weeks I have been reminding them of the actual dates. I would have been very upset with myself if I had shown up and not be prepared. Here I have been preparing them for months and then I didn’t have music. I am soooooooooo glad I thought about my Block Rocker. This is EXACTLY what it is for.
I even remembered to charge it the night before. Ya see it is a Bluetooth device and it has a rechargeable battery so it can be used totally cordless. Squeeeee!
So I used it today and it worked GREAT. I am super happy. I love it when things work out. I am so glad that Costco had it and it was such a good deal. As I said, I had been shopping for them for a couple of years and was happy this one was priced lowest of them all. Even though it was the newest model.
Here is some information copied from the ION website:
•Streams music wirelessly from any Bluetooth music-playing device or phone
•Works with iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android devices, and more
•Input for a microphone (came with a microphone), instruments and other audio sources
•High-quality microphone included
•Built-in digital AM/FM radio and retractable antenna
•USB port for charging iPad, iPhone, or other devices
•Built-in battery provides up to 50 hours of use
•Bluetooth range of up to 50 feet
•High-output powered 2-way speaker
•1/8-inch auxiliary input for amplifying other audio devices
•Recessed wheels and telescoping handle for portability
•Rugged design to withstand heavy use
•Projects high-fidelity sound up to 150 feet away
•Built-in cradle for your smartphone, iPad, or other device
It does not have an equalizer so it will not be “perfect” sound. It is what it is. It is great . . . in my opinon . . . for exercise classes. Oooo, I am so excited. You know me, I like to share when I am excited about things. When I learn of something that helps make MY life easier I like to share. I like to let you know so perhaps it can help one of you.
Can you see yourself owning one? Do you think you could use one? Do you like to have people over for outside grilling and/or BBQing?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: AM/FM radio, Android devices, Block Rocker, bluetooth, City of San Jose Nia Classes, Costco, dance exercise, exercise classes, gentle yoga, ION audio, iPad, iphone, iPod touch, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia classes at the City of San Jose, Nia Music, Nia people, smartphone, wireless speaker, wirelessly, Yoga, Zumba, Zumba classes, Zumba music | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 28, 2013
In my post about Nia Routines in February of 2010, I stated I would explain more about what we receive on a Nia Routine Teacher DVD. A comment with questions on a recent post (Nia Routines I’ve Learned), reminded me that I needed to do that. Over three years later, I am explaining what we get. I also wanted to share what is in the Nia Training/Continued Education package as a whole. We get a LOT. It is more than just music and routine. The amount of time and effort and all that goes into our training DVD/package is awesome. I know that even though I see the results and I think it is a lot, there is probably so much more that goes on in the background I would be even more impressed. Since we get so much I am finding as I type this that it is a longer explanation than I like to have in one post. So this will be part one of what is in a Nia Routine Teacher Training package. When a Nia Teacher receives a “Nia Routine” there is a CD and a DVD. We used to receive a pamphlet within the package, but now we have to print those out ourselves if we want a hard copy. But basically a training routine package is CD, DVD, and pamphlet.
The CD and DVD are in a cardboard holder, one side has the list of songs with the 8BC and the time shown. The other side has the Focus and Intent that the routine was created with. The back of the holder states the name of the routine and the creator, along with a paragraph about Nia Technique’s thoughts on routines.
The CD is a typical music CD. It has music on it. But as a Nia Teacher or student you know there is nothing really typical about Nia routine music. 🙂 The songs play one after the other with no pause unless the song itself has a pause before the music begins or after the song ends. Or I guess the engineer putting the CD together could put a pause in.
The DVD consists of five sections: the Focus, Move the Move, Learn the Move, Energize the Move, and the Music. The “Focus” portion of the DVD is the creator (or one of them) talking about the focus and the intent of the routine. Often times they explain a bit about how the focus relates to the choreography. For example if the focus is “Steps and Stances” it might be mentioned that there are a lot of opportunities in the routine to experience all six stances.
“Move the Move” is the routine filmed almost as if you were taking a class. Sometimes they change the camera angle, but it is still basically as if you are taking a class.* The music is playing and the teacher is teaching. *There is one routine I have in which it was filmed with the class FACING the camera the entire time. I do not care for that at all. I like it when the camera is BEHIND the teacher with the mirror in the shot and it is as if I am standing behind the teacher taking a Nia class. I don’t know if there are other routines in addition to Birth that is filmed with the teachers and the class facing the camera, but I will inquire before I purchase additional routines.
Often times in addition to the teacher demonstrating different LEVELS of a move, they will demonstrate a lot of different moves that CAN be done while doing the routine. I always have to remind myself that just because they are showing us multiple ways to do the move or multiple ways in general to move to the music it does not mean I need to put them all into the routine when I am leading it. They are just showing examples as to what can be done. I find it very funny that a lot of the times Carlos was not even doing what he explained the choreography to be. To me, he often just let his spirit go and he danced to the music that he clearly loved. In his spirit dance he was able to show a lot of different things that could be done to the music.
As you can see this post is a bit long in itself. I have only touched upon two of the sections included on the training DVD. So stayed tuned for part two where I give a brief summary of the sections: Learn the Move, Energize the Move, and the Music.
Do you like to take lead follow exercise workout classes where the teacher is facing you? Or would you rather have the teacher’s back to you?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: "Steps and Stances", 8BC, Birth Nia Routine, Carlos AyaRosas, Energize the Move, exercise classes, exercise workout, focus and intent, Nia CD, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia continued education, Nia Music, Nia routines, Nia student, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia training, Nia workout, Routine DVD, workout classes | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 27, 2013
You might have gathered from my posts that I am not a fan of beans. Beans are great for fiber and protein, but I just don’t like them all that much. I was sometimes ok with garbanzo beans/chickpeas, but that was it. I didn’t like any other type of bean, but I went to a friend’s house and she had this yummy two bean salad. So I decided that I am ok with red kidney beans and garbanzo beans in this salad. Then I came across a recipe that had kidney beans it in and I decided to use half kidney beans and half garbanzo beans. This recipe is one of my husband’s and mine favorites. I also like roasted garbanzo beans. Recently I was in the area – after teaching a Nia class as a sub in south San Jose – of a store that I have been hearing a lot about. It is called Sprouts. The name is “Sprouts Farmers Market: Healthy, Natural & Organic Grocery Stores”, which I don’t really understand, as it is NOT a farmer’s market and not everything is natural nor organic. They have the produce section kind of set up like you might imagine a market on an actual farm in that nothing is in nice neat rows and it seems kinda hodgey-podgely put together . . . but that is it. Their organic section of fruits and vegetables was no larger than the one at my “regular” grocery store. But whatever, I digress (WHAT? ME? NO!) . . . my post is actually about that fact that I bought some dried garbanzo beans.
When I first discovered the Red Beans and Rice recipe my friend and I were talking about dried beans and we wondered if we could buy dried garbanzo beans. Later she reported back that she had seen some in the store. I had asked my chef friend about them and she gave me some advice on how to process them. And of course I forgot what she said. But anyway . . . I finally was in a store that had them when I remembered to look. So I bought some.
When you look up how to process dried beans on the internet you will probably come across two different methods. There is the long soak and then the quick soak. My idea was to do both and then report the results on my blog in one post. But funny as it sounds, I have not had time — more accurately, I have not made time — to do the quick soak method. I know, you would think that would be the easiest and fastest one to do. But to me it was much easier to throw the beans in a bowl and let them soak for 13 hours and 45 minutes. I’ve read they should soak for at least 4 hours. Mine just turned into 13 hours plus.
Since I have not yet gotten around to doing the quick soak method I will report on what I found with the long soak method and then when I do the other one I will post about that.
The “long soak” method has no cooking involved. I was interested in not cooking the beans. Everything I read said that they double in size. I don’t recall that happening. NOTHING I read told me they would pop! I kept hearing this odd sound and wondering what it was. If you have a pet you might do as I do and the first thing I do when I hear something unfamiliar is I blame my pet and find her first to see if she was responsible. But when I heard the pop she was right next to me. So, I kept thinking it was coming from outside. Finally it dawned on me that it might be the beans and I stood by the bowl until I heard one!
I had decided to split the bag in between the two methods. So I got a huge bowl and put half of my beans in it. Then I filled it with water. I did this at 11:00 am on a Friday. I changed the water twice. I rinsed the beans both times. My report is that beans themselves have gas. My kitchen smelled gassy the whole time the beans were soaking. I kept lighting a candle. I drained the beans at 12:45 pm on Saturday. I decided I was going to roast them. So I drained them to let them start to dry out.
I roasted them. They were gorgeous. I like them because they seem less “mushy” than the canned beans. And for me “mushy” is part of the reason I don’t like beans. So I really liked this dried/soaking method. I left the beans in the oven a tad bit too long. I was doing too many things at once and when I took them out to check them I forgot to put the timer on when I put them back in. I realized my error when I smelled burning beans. So . . . . they are ok, but not as I would have liked them.
The verdict in regards to soaking beans is good. I am going to do that. I have a feeling that soaking them will turn out to be easier than the quick soak method. We will see.
The questions I have been thinking about though is . . . . the canned beans I buy say “Organic” whereas the dried ones I bought did not. So really which are better? I will look for organic dried beans, but I am not sure where to find them. I know I didn’t see them at the “Farmers Market” that claims to have healthy, natural, and organic food. 🙂 Well, at least I didn’t see a sign that claimed the dried beans were organic.
Do you used canned beans or dried?
Posted in Food | Tagged: bean salad, chickpeas, dried beans, exercise classes, farmers markets, Garbanzo beans, healthy, Natural & organic grocery store, Nia, Nia San Jose, quick soak beans, Red Beans and Rice, red kidney beans, San Jose Nia, soaking beans, South San Jose, Sprouts | 3 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 28, 2012
My husband and I used to dance. We danced “Country Western”, we did the two step, the cha-cha, the waltz, and the west coast swing. We liked to dance. I sometimes would fake it though. Yeah, I would. We would go to a lesson and they would show us a move. We would practice it during the lesson then usually there was a dance party after. We would join the party. My husband would always DO THE MOVE WE JUST LEARNED. I would say, “Ack! You’re doing the move we just learned!” And he would look at me with a look that said to me, “Of course, Silly Woman, that is why we are here. To learn stuff and then actually DO IT.” But for me the time spent in the lesson was never enough to actually learn it. Even though the leader’s part is much more difficult than the follower’s, I still couldn’t get it in one lesson. So a lot of the times I would fake it. And by fake it I mean, that if you were to look at my feet and KNOW where there were supposed to be, you would know my feet were not correct. I could move in a way that if you were just casually looking you would think I was doing it right. I would always make sure I was facing the right direction so you wouldn’t really know my feet were not doing the move correctly unless you knew the move yourself! Since most people don’t stare at your feet the entire time I often got away with it. I was good at faking it. Faking it was easy in the fast songs.
Eventually I would learn the move correctly, but there were some moves that took me a long time to get. Then somewhere along the way we decided to compete. I mean, competing really is the only way to know if you are really improving and to spend all that money on lessons and not improve can be a silly thing. So we decided to compete. Do you know what that meant? No more faking it. I mean the whole point of competition is to have someone look at you and judge — among other things — your feet. So I had to stop faking it.
I am learning a lot as I sub for different exercise classes. I recently subbed a class and I was reminded of the faking it. It is easy to fake it in some classes. Let’s say Zumba for example, I’ve posted before about how Zumba is all agility (I have since learned otherwise, but I will reflect on that in a post at a later time). Zumba is the fast start and stop. Move stop the move and move the other direction, move stop, move stop. The full range of motion is usually not achieved, you are moving to another move before you really get to finish the first one. Start, stop, start, stop, start stop. It is easy to fake. The fast dances were always easy for me to fake. The good thing about faking it is you are still moving and that is good in a sense. Even if you are not doing the move correctly you are moving and burning calories and often it is so fast the casually observer or someone standing next to you is not going to notice. I think this is one of the things that people like about Zumba . . . you are moving and dancing even when you are faking it.
It is the slow dances that are difficult. With Nia it is not as easy to fake. With Zumba a move could be hopping from one leg to the other. With Nia we might actually balance on one leg. No speed to it, just lifting one leg off the ground and standing on one leg. Strength and stability. No faking. I always invite participants to use a chair, a wall, the barre, or even their other foot, but either way you cannot FAKE standing on one leg. Sadly, I think for some, not being able to fake it keeps them from joining in the joy of Nia. The judgment from themselves is so great that they can’t let go and just do what they can because what they can do is not blurred by the start and the stop. What they can’t do is not blurred by speed. And they don’t give themselves the chance to learn how to do the moves. They don’t allow themselves the time to get the muscles in a condition where they can move slow and controlled. Faking it is easy, it is actually doing a move slow, controlled, and correctly where the difficulty comes in.
When I take a Zumba class I know I fake it often because I don’t know the move so I concentrate on being at the right place and/or facing the right direction at the right time. Eventually I get the moves . . . well, most of the time.
I know this is my opinion, I don’t really KNOW, but it is coming from a place of judgment based on some things I have seen and heard. You know I am always trying to figure out the differences between Zumba and Nia and why people like them. And recently this was a thought because of something I heard and observed . . . the speed, the faking, the judgment.
Do you fake until you make it in your exercise class?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: agility, balance, cha-cha, Country Western Dancing, dance party, exercise classes, Nia exercise, stability, two step, waltz, west coast swing, Zumba, Zumba classes, Zumba exercise, Zumba party Nia class | 2 Comments »
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