Posted by terrepruitt on February 25, 2017
We are into the weekend. Try to keep up with your Daily 10 Minute Practice. Perhaps do it early so you can tackle your day. Or perhaps doing it after you are done with your day is the way to do it. Again, that depends on so many things, right? A meditation might be nice to help start the day right. Or a quick little workout. But on the other hand a meditation might be a nice way to end the day and help with sleep. It just depends . . . but you can still do it!
Did you get your ten minutes in?
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Pilates, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 24, 2017
Ahh, Friday. Do you love it? I hope that, even though you are excited for the weekend, you take time to do your Daily 10 Minute Practice. Start that weekend off grand!
Hanging in there?
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Nia Teacher, Pilates, SJCity Fit, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 23, 2017
Including today, only six day left for the Daily 10 Minute Practice. Are you hanging in there? Are you feeling good about it? I know that, depending on what you are doing, ten minutes might not be enough so perhaps you took advantage of the practice and extended the time on a few occasions. I know I did. But then again, the next day when I thought, “Oh, I should do at least twenty minutes.” Then it seemed more difficult to fit into my schedule. Then I reminded myself that really, the “deal” was for ten minutes . . . then all of a sudden it seemed more do-able. Crazy, huh? Any of you feeling or have any of you felt that way?
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Nia Teacher, Pilates, SJCity Fit, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | 3 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 21, 2017
Tuesdays I teach. I am a SJCity Fit Instructor and a Leisure Class Instructor. I have two classes on Tuesdays. Nia and Gentle Yoga. So I get to my Daily 10 Minute Practice after my classes usually.
How about you? When did you do yours?
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Nia Teacher, Pilates, SJCity Fit, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 30, 2016
I teach two gentle yoga classes. Gentle yoga doesn’t necessarily mean beginner yoga. It can if the class is a beginner yoga class, but “gentle” doesn’t mean beginner. The way I make the yoga class gentle is we don’t hold the poses for a long time. We also don’t flow through a long combination of poses. I usually do a sequence of two, three poses at the most, but the class is not a flow. In my two regularly scheduled gentle yoga classes we actually just stop and get down (or stop and get up) because I feel that being able to get up off of the floor is very important. We don’t use downward facing dog, forward folds, planks, or poses to get down and up. We go at a comfortable pace slowly moving through poses. The classes are not beginner classes because I have been teaching some of the same students for years. So they are not beginners. They know many poses and they know what their bodies should be doing in those poses, but they like to do yoga gently. But we still need to add some challenge to some of the poses. So, for a small group of students in my gentle yoga classes we have added a challenge to one of the poses that they have down. 
For those that can balance fine, we have added the challenge of closing our eyes.
We are still doing the pose, but we close our eyes to add to the pose. Just the simple act of closing our eyes causes us to get a little wobbly and therefore work more at standing upright. Just like with our eyes open one side is easier than the other. But this simple act gives the pose a new spin.
The inner ear plays a huge role in our balance, but so do our eyes. Once we take vision out of the equation it makes balancing more challenging. I believe practicing balancing with our eyes closed will allow us to get better at it over time. While we are practicing we will be using those stabilizing muscles and that will help us be better balanced. Just as practicing balance with your eyes open.
This is a fun thing to add to the balance practice because, as I said, my students can do this pose well, so it is kind of surprise that just closing one’s eyes makes it as if they can’t do the pose. There are some “whoas” and “what the . . ” and giggles because it is just so funny that a pose we can do all of a sudden we can’t do it (as well).
For now we are only closing our eyes when doing the Stork pose, but once we have that down AND have more stability in some of our other balances poses we will add “eyes closed” to them.
So if you come to one of my regularly scheduled yoga classes you might experience this. If you come to one I am subbing, I usually do things a little differently. That is one thing that is so great about teaching yoga, it can be adjusted and modified so it is not always the same. With the adjustments and modifications, hopefully, they are helping you improve your stability, flexibility, and strength. Sometimes all it takes is something so simple as closing your eyes.
Did you try it? Just standing with your eyes closed? How about standing on one leg with your eyes closed?
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: add a challenge, Balance Pose, beginner classes, Closing your eyes, flexibility, gentle yoga, practice stability, stabilizing muscles, Stork Pose, strength, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga teacher | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 10, 2016
I am just going to put this out there. I have this on my website, but not everyone goes there and someone might see it here and . . . well, why not, right? I could be teaching a class at a time when you want to take a class. You could be somewhat curious about Nia, but maybe haven’t gotten around to clicking on my website to see my schedule. It could be on your list of things to do. Maybe you are looking for a yoga class. I teach Nia three times a week. I teach yoga twice a week. I just started teaching a stretch class but we are taking an eight week hiatus (until August 11, 2016) during the busy summer months because the community center doesn’t have the room for us. They have so many summer programs for kids, it is crazy (good). I am subbing a gentle yoga class for three weeks at Mind Body Zone. And I have one Sunday Nia class rotation at the NW YMCA this month.
Nia is a cardio dance . . . meaning it is an aerobic workout. It is low impact, meaning we don’t jump high and land hard, but it can be INTENSE. You control that part. If you get low and reach high and move a lot you will get a big workout, if you don’t get down and keep your movements small then you will get a smaller workout. You get to decide what type of workout you want when you attend class. The music is varied from a little bit of Pop, with some Jazz, all the way to Rock. It is a place you can go to get some “me” time and have fun.
Since there really is no standard definition of gentle yoga you might not know what you are getting when you go to a yoga class. So you might want to know that I make yoga gentle by not holding the poses for a long time or flowing through poses. We do a pose at least two times so that we can tryout the modifications. If you know a pose we are doing and you want to get right into it right away, that is fine. We general do a few poses either standing or on the floor then we switch. It is an important thing to be able to get down on the floor and get up again. So we make that part of the routine. “Gentle yoga” does not mean beginner, it means that we do yoga gently.
In stretch we just work our way down the body. We stretch from head to toe. We hold the stretch from 20 to 30/40 seconds. We do standing, sitting, supine/reclined (on the back), and even some prone (on the belly) poses. Sometimes we use straps. Everyone is encouraged to stretch honoring their own body.
Perhaps you see a class that interests you?
Posted in Nia, Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: Classes in San Jose, gentle yoga, Nia, Nia class, stretching, www.HelpYouWell.com, Yoga, Yoga class | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 17, 2016
I know I have said that if you are trying an exercise class go at least three times before you decide you don’t like it. Have you seen me say that before? I think that in order for you to decide you honestly don’t like it you need to try it at least three times. I think there are enough factors in a group exercise class that you have to experience it more than once to make an educated decision. I also think that sometimes what you want is not what you need, so you might want to step out into the unknown.
As I said there are many reasons not to like a class, if you think it is the instructor, don’t condemn the whole modality. If you go to a Jazzercise class and the instructor runs around the room shouting encouragement at individuals and that is not your style, try a different teacher. If the Zumba teacher only plays one type of music instead of sticking to the Zumba formula, try a different teacher . . . but it doesn’t seem fair to you nor Zumba if you claim you don’t like Zumba. If you can, it is really nice to give that instructor another chance, but time is short and so sometimes that might not be the answer. Every teacher has her own style and it might not be one you like, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t like the exercise.
Also keep in mind that you are only seeing one routine, and those change. If you go to a Nia class and think you don’t like it, try it again because the routines can be vastly different. It is good to check out the different routines. Also, find an appropriate class for your level. If you take a circuit training class and it is too difficult try a different one or talk to the teacher.
When it comes to yoga, though, I would like to suggest a way to find the appropriate yoga class for you. Try the opposite of what you WANT. If you want to lie around on cushions in poses for 5 minutes at a time, try a more active class. If you want a super aggressive active fast-paced class try a restorative class (lying around on cushions). If you want gentle yoga try a class that you think might be tough. You might walk out of class thinking, “Wow! That was great. I never would have thought.”
It could be that while you are in the class you are thinking that you wish the torture would end. And by torture I mean, if you are a very active person and you want to be in a power yoga class and you take a restorative class and are having to lie still for ten minutes . . . that can be torture. If you just wanted to lie around on props and you are having to hold your left leg up for 45 seconds while twisting to the right and grabbing your right foot that might be torture. But with the right teacher you will be able to do the yoga that is being taught in the class and you will walk out saying, “That is exactly what I needed.”
There are so many different types of yoga and yoga is only regulated when it is trade-marked and there are licenses to teach otherwise yoga class definitions vary. Classes with the same names can vary greatly.
I am not saying to go to a class that is way beyond your level, but I am suggesting to try something you may not have normally thought of doing. As I said, you might end up getting what you really need when you don’t go after what you want.
What type of yoga do you normally do? What classes have your tried?
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: exercise class, gentle yoga, Jazzercise, Nia, Nia class, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, power yoga, Restorative Yoga, restoriative yoga, Yoga, Yoga class, Zumba | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 29, 2016
Mind Body Zone in Fremont is having a weekend of FREE yoga classes. The schedule is as follows (note only the classes listed below are free):
Saturday, February 27, 2016
3:30-4:30 Vinyasa Yoga
4:45-5:45 Yin Yoga
Sunday, February 28, 2016
10:30-11:30 Hatha Yoga
11:40-12:40 Gentle Yoga
2:15-3:15 Intro to Yoga
3:25-4:25 Restorative
Since it is free, it might fill up fast, so be sure to reserve your spot at the online sign-up website for the studio. You can use the date field or calendar tool to get to the correct dates, then sign up for whatever classes you want to attend. (Note: ONLY the classes that are indicated as “FREE” are free. There are other classes that are being taught that weekend that are not free, so if you are wanting to take the FREE classes, please be sure to sign up accordingly.) 🙂
Bring your own yoga mat or rent one from the studio. Bring water or purchase a bottle from the studio. If you are planning on taking more than one class you might want to bring a snack. It is up to you.
Keep in mind these classes are kinda like a Nia Jam, each class will be taught by three or four teachers per class. And they are new Graduates of Yoga Teacher Training.
Sign up now, so you can join the fun!
Mind Body Zone: 3335 Seldon Ct, Fremont, CA 94539
(a couple of blocks down from Fry’s right off of 680)
I hope to see you there!
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: Free yoga classes, gentle yoga, Hatha yoga, Intro to Yoga, Mind Body Zone Fremont, Nia Jam, Nia teachers, Restorative Yoga, Special offer, Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga, yoga classes, Yoga Studio in Fremont, yoga teachers | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 18, 2014
Ahh, I really wanted to have my blog post for today written yesterday. I wanted to “take the day off” today. Well, I taught a Nia Class this morning. And I have a Gentle Yoga Class to teach tonight, so I am not really taking the day off. I just didn’t want to have to think about a blog post or clean any part of the house today. I was going to take the day off from cleaning and doing chores. Ha. Well, it didn’t work out that way. But it is still a good day. We had a bit of rain. But that just made the traffic this morning very bad. My hubby was very thoughtful and called me to alert me to the chaos on the freeways this morning. So I left early than I normally do to get to class. I started to get on the freeway and got right back off. Since the traffic was not normal Thursday morning traffic I didn’t know if there were accidents that were blocking the roads so I decided to chance it and take the inner city streets. I actually made it to class RIGHT ON TIME! Which to me is not “on time” because I need to do a little set up before we start. But we still started only about five minutes late. Most of the Nia students didn’t even know we started late. So it worked out. The rain was only a very small amount, but it was moisture. That is a good thing. So there are a lot of things that can go into my Goodie Jar just today. So I am making this a check in day.
I haven’t checked in on you and your Goodie Jar for four months. I am still putting things in mine. I ALWAYS have something to put in mine. Regardless of what is going on I consider myself blessed. I hope you have at least one thing you can put into your jar.
I am doing a check in as a sort of “day off” from writing a blog post. Since I didn’t get the day off from chores and cleaning. I really don’t need a day off from teaching. Teaching is fun and I get so much good energy from my Nia and yoga students it doesn’t count as work. I can do without the extra travel time and traffic, but . . . we need the rain. Don’t know why it practically shuts our freeways down . . . but whatever.
Rain. To class on time. Birthday love. Hubby cooking dinner. These are the things that make me smile that I put in my Good Things Jar.
I have seen some people post on Facebook and others on their blog that some of you have gotten new family members . . . whether human or animal, that is a thing for the Goodie Jar. I always put notes about my family in my Goodie Jar.
So . . . what about you? Are you still putting things in your Good Things Jar? What have you added recently?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar, Misc | Tagged: birthday, blog post, California Rain, Facebook, freeway chaos, gentle yoga, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Nia class, Nia students, rain shuts down freeways, teaching Nia, Yoga class | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 9, 2014
I am not sure many websites have Site Maps any longer. Websites now-a-days are so full of bells and whistles not many have site maps. Not many just have a place where you can go to one page to see a list of everything that is on the site. I find sometimes when I am on a website, I am just going in circles trying to find the information I want and I think it would be nice if there was that one page . . . that site map . . . that showed me the list of pages so that I could click on the page I want instead of getting dizzy clicking around. I think I have a lot of information on my site so I know that one might get a little overwhelmed. I know that some of my pages repeat information on other pages. I do that because when I am on a website sometimes I don’t see the information if it is only on one page, but the more it is repeated the better chance that I will see it. But I do have a site map for my site. I have a lot of information so I wanted to have a list that people can look at in case they wanted an idea of what the whole site contained.
Since I teach at several different places and I have both a FIXED (on-going) schedule and one that changes all the time it can be a bit much for people to keep track of. In addition to my teaching schedule, I have information regarding Nia on the site because I want to educate people on the classes they can take from me. So, yeah, there is a lot on there. So here is what I have created to help.
Hopefully this helps people navigate the site. The site map is a list of all the pages on the site with hot links so you can click on the page you want to visit. What do you think? Do you ever get “lost” on a website? It seems as if you are just going in circles? Do you find many websites with site maps?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance exercise classes, gentle yoga, Group Ex, Group Exercise classes, Helen Terry, ia Class Cycles, Nia, Nia 5 Stages, Nia at the YMCA, Nia Belts, Nia Classes, Nia for the City of San Jose, Nia FreeDance, Nia in San Jose, Nia in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nia schedule of classes, San Jose Nia Clases, Site maps, teaching Nia, Terre Pruitt, The Nia Technique book, www.HelpYouWell.com, YMCA Silicon Valley Classes, Zumba | Leave a Comment »
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