Posts Tagged ‘Nia class’
Posted by terrepruitt on September 4, 2014
You may have read my post regarding my Home Gym Machine (click here to go there). It is great, but it takes up a lot of room. When our cat died this year I decided to use some of the space that was hers for my machine. You may also know, if you have read a few of my blog posts that my mom died this year. You may have figured out that she was sick for a bit. She had a couple of cancers and with the second one that took over a year to diagnose, her prescribed treatment was chemotherapy. She opted to do it. One of her first shared thoughts was that she would lose her hair. She had very thin hair, but she did all she could to make it pretty. And she succeed. She wasn’t much to discuss things like dying and how she really felt about her illness so I don’t know for certain, but I think her focus on her hair was a way of distracting herself. In addition to her looking at wigs and we looked at things that could cover her head. What does that have to do with they BodyShop . . . the name of the Total Gym like machine? Well, I learned a valuable lesson. Even though my hair is short, cover it up because the pulleys will do exactly that —- PULL. My hair, that is. The pulleys pull my hair. So I have to cover it.
My mom didn’t lose all her hair. It started to fall out and get more thin, but she died before she lost all of it. But she never used her Buffs that we bought her. Now I use them. I keep one hanging over the foot board of my machine (you may have seen it in the picture on the Home Gym Machine post. So I just slip it on when before I get on. It makes me hot. I don’t like things on my head. But I like my hair getting ripped out of my head even less.
I am glad I am getting use out of the hair cover ups. And I am happy I am not getting my hair pulled out by the pulleys. Weird things that come from death.
I keep my hair short because it looks better drying on its own after a Nia class, than if I had long hair. (My hair gets very wet when I teach). My hair isn’t really long enough to “put up”. As you can see from the little picture. I certainly didn’t think it was long enough to be pulled. It could be that it is not really getting caught up in the pulleys as the pulleys are pulling it. Whether it be against the bar or the back rest. I don’t know because I am unable to see, but I certainly feel the pull and, “No thanks.”
So the point of this post is to share with you before you pull your hair out. Cover up your hair.
Have you ever had your hair pulled by a machine? Do you put your hair up? Do you cover your hair?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: BodyShop, Buff, cat died, chemotherapy, hair cover up, Home Gym Machine, lung cancer, mom died, Nia class, short hair, throat cancers, Total Gym | 4 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 August 30, 2014
I was looking in a catalog of supplements . . . one of my Nia students gave it to me after class. We didn’t even have a chance to discuss it because she handed it to me as she was leaving, so I didn’t even realize it was a catalog of supplements until I flipped through it and saw every other page was an advertisement for a supplement. Anyway . . . it had an article in it about the flavonoid, quercetin. It reminded me of the information stating that it has been proven to be an anti-inflammatory and an antihistamine. Since I primarily mention eating onions, apples, and citrus fruit in my two posts, An Apple a Day and Allergy Relief, I thought I would look up some information regarding what other foods contain this interesting plant component. I found two sites with the same list. I went through the list and found the things that I eat or would eat. Some of the foods listed I didn’t even know what they were, such as Bog wortleberries, dock leaves, and lovage leaves. Some I wouldn’t eat because they are peppers, such as ancho peppers and hot green chili peppers. But I would eat some of the items listed. I DO eat some of the items listed. I could increase my consumption of some of them.
Here is my list.
Food Chart
This is a food chart showing fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains rich in quercetin.
mg/100 g.
Apple, raw with skin 4.42
Apricot, raw 2.55
Blueberries, raw 3.11
Broccoli, cooked 1.06
Broccoli, raw 3.21
Butterhead lettuce 1.19
Cherries, raw 1.25
Cherry tomatoes, raw 2.77
Green beans, raw 2.73
Kale, raw 7.71
Plums, raw 1.20
Red grapes 3.54
Red onion, raw 19.93
Spinach, raw 4.86
Tea, black brewed 2.07
Tea, decaf brewed 2.84
Tea, decaf green brewed 2.77
Tea, green brewed 2.69
White sweet onion, raw 5.19
I love apples. I could easily eat more of those. I don’t experience apricots that much, but I like them ok. I think you know how I feel about blueberries, but I did discover I like them in a green smoothie. I LOVE cherries! Not so sure about eating green beans raw, but I just had kale in a green smoothie this past week. I have received plums and grapes in my produce box. But I don’t eat them often. I eat onions pretty much every day in a green salad. It is good to know that quercetin is in tea.
So what about you? Do you know what a Bog wortleberry is? It has a lot of quercetin in it but not as much as canned capers or dock leaves. Since I don’t know what dock leaves are I don’t know if you would eat a 100 grams of them, but I can’t imagine someone eating 100 grams of capers. So, I guess it is good that they have so much quercetin in them. You can still get some from a smaller amount.
I am sure there are a lot of people who eat a lot more than is on my list. The peppers alone. I know many people who love peppers. Anything on my list that you eat? Anything you might think of increasing consumption of? What about the full list?
Posted in Food, Fruit, Vegetables | Tagged: allergy relief, an apple a day, anti-inflammtory, antihistamine, black tea, broccoli, flavanoid, green smoothie, green tea, list of foods, Nia class, Nia students, onions, peppers, quercetin, supplement catalog | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 28, 2014
One of my Nia students gave me a catalog today after Nia class that had information in it about a new device. I have been saying for a while we need something like this. I am not saying this is it, but I am saying this is very interesting. I think this is really the start of something. This is something that — if used properly — could really help people be more in control of their health and wellness. Now, I know a lot of people who can practically do this on their own, without a fancy machine. But not everyone is THAT in tune with their body. Not everyone knows what little signs the body gives means. This is something that fascinates me because it COULD be very helpful. Unfortunately with everything, I am certain the information will be used as a marketing tool and therefore take away from the good (in my opinion) it could do, but we will see. I would also imagine different/additional tests to be helpful. It is very interesting and it is a start. It is a device called Cue.
Cue is a little cube that takes a biological sample using specific cartridges and processes it into information you can use to make decisions about your diet and what actions you can take to adjust the readings. It looks as if right now the information it can give feedback on is “Vitamin D”, “Inflammation”, “Influenza”, “Testosterone”, and “Fertility”.
I noticed that on the video, it showed the woman was deficient in Vitamin D. That makes sense, it can test for that. The flu virus is another one I understand along with testosterone, the device can detect the virus as it can detect levels of testosterone. It tests for the luteinizing hormone with the “Fertility” cartridge. It does not say how they determine the body’s level of inflammation. I would imagine they are testing for a specific level of protein with a blood test. But I cannot find information on the site that explains exactly how this thing works and what exactly they are testing for.
I find it very interesting.
I know there are presently at home tests where you can test for fertility, but I think the thing with the Cue would be tracking and documenting. And possibly even alerting you with reminders and things. “Hey, don’t forget tonight is the night . . . ” for the female (who cares to do so) “better shave your legs” and for the male who wants to be romantic “stop at the flower shop”. Ok, so I am going off of commercials I see regarding other devices . . . but I would bet there are alerts, probably not so detailed, but who knows?
I don’t care for the information being sent wirelessly, but that is because I wouldn’t want my information floating about. 🙂 I am also not crazy about the Flumap . . . again, some of the aspects of this could be abused . . . basically like anything.
The cartridges are all single use and they come in packs of five. A five pack of ONE test. So you would get five of the vitamin D test. And not one of each. The packs are presently priced at $20.00. Oh, except the flu, that is a THREE pack for $30.00. The tests (per the website) are as follows:
For an Inflammation test, Cue requires a droplet of blood.
For a Vitamin D test, Cue requires a droplet of blood.
For an Influenza test, Cue requires cellular material from the nostril.
For a Testosterone test, Cue requires a few droplets of saliva.
For a Fertility test, Cue requires a droplet of blood.
So, what do you think? Do you think this sounds interesting? Would you be interesting in use something like this? Would you be interested in one of the present tests? What would you like it to test for?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: and Fertility, biological sample, Cue, health tracking device, home tests, Inflammation, Influenza, luteinizing hormone, Nia class, Nia San Jose, Nia students, San Jose Nia, testing cartridges, Testosterone, vitamin D | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 21, 2014
In 2009 I posted a blog post about cooking popcorn in a pot. I was pretty smug because I could do it. And it came out really good. I could use a tiny pot, the smallest one we have, and end up with at least two good sized bowls of popcorn. I think I jinxed myself! I have had an almost impossible time popping popcorn in a pot. Hmmmmm . . . . it just occurred to me that maybe my popcorn is old. Does that make a difference? Actually, I should say, my popcorn IS old, does that make a difference? I am not a fan of all the “stuff” they put in microwave popcorn. Also, I actually not to use my microwave that much. I use it, it is convenient, but if I can I would rather use another appliance. But apparently I can’t any longer. Sigh. I don’t know what it is. Probably old popcorn. Now that I think of that I will have to buy new popcorn. I have been wanting popcorn though, but not wanting to try to cook it because of my awful results I have had. Today, I found some microwave popcorn I thought I would try.
Have you ever gone into a grocery store and thought about buying something, then changed your mind and not bought it. But then on the way home you are thinking about having it when you get home. You are looking forward to making it and eating it or opening the package and eating it or whatever . . . just having it. 
Then you get home and you realize you didn’t get it? That is sort of what happened to me. I was looking at the already popped bagged popcorn . . . ya know like Smartfood or something. But I didn’t want to buy that because I try to avoid Canola oil. I saw one that used Olive Oil and I was going to try that, but it said it had pepper in it . . . .and you know (perhaps) that I don’t like pepper. I knew that it would be too hot. So then I started looking at the popcorn to see if there was some organic kind. And I saw the organic popcorn that you microwave. Really? Just a few ingredients so I thought I would try it.
It was late, I went out for coffee after my morning Nia class, and I was hungry. As I was putting my bags in the trunk I looked at one bag that had a few items in it. Then I looked at my other bag and I thought, “What? Where is my popcorn? Did he put all my veggies on the bag? How is that possible that all of the veggies and that puffy bag of popcorn fit in one bag with room still?” So I moved the lettuce which revealed the BOX of microwave popcorn and thought, “Well, I guess I won’t be eating any of that on the way home!”
Anyway . . . the popcorn was really good. I think. I popped well, and wasn’t greasy. It didn’t have any “butter” on it. I liked it. According to The USDA Agricultural Research Service’s web site there is 31 calories in a cup of air-popped popcorn. The package from the popcorn I bought says the same thing(-ish). You can see the rest of the nutritional info from the package in the picture. The National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference says:
Nutrient per 3 cups (24 grams)
Energy/kcal 92
Protein 2.88g
Fat 1.01g
Carbohydrate 18.70g
Fiber, total dietary 3.6g
Minerals
Calcium, Ca 2mg
Iron, Fe 0.64mg
Magnesium, Mg 31mg
Phosphorus, P 72mg
Potassium, K 72mg
Sodium, Na 1mg
Zinc, Zn 0.83mg
Vitamins
Thiamin 0.049mg
Riboflavin 0.068mg
Niacin 0.467mg
Vitamin B-6 0.059mg
Cholesterol 0mg
So for a snack food it is relatively low in calorie and high in fiber. Low in fat and cholesterol. Of course, cooking it in oil and adding butter adds more calories and fat. I like it both ways. Sometimes I want light and salty and sometimes I want a heavier snack so the butter is better. But, as I said, I haven’t been able to cook it properly in a long time so I have not had it in a long time.
My husband doesn’t like popcorn. Not even the smell. So I usually try to have it while he is not home.
What about you? Do you like popcorn? Do you microwave it? How about the grocery store . . . do you think about eating something you were going to buy then didn’t (and forgot you didn’t buy it)?
Posted in Food | Tagged: buttered popcorn, Canola Oil, microwave popcorn, Nia, Nia class, Popcorn, popped corn, snack food, USDA Agricultural Research Service | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 12, 2014
Our focus in Nia this morning was laughter, happiness, joy, comfort, and support our intent was to find it (from within) and share it with those in the world that need it (or even just want it). We danced in honor of Robin Williams(/Armand Goldman*). I know clinical depression is not fixed by someone just “snapping out of it” nor is it a matter of just “being happy”. We were sending laughter, happiness, and joy out. Along with comfort and support. So even though it can’t be fixed or healed simply with those things we were dancing our support of those that suffer. And even though many of us are not clinically depressed many are saddened by Mr. Williams death. From what I am reading on the internet he touched so many people with his down to earth comedy and crazy antics. While we were dancing . . . . in my enthusiasm, I clapped so hard I broke a blood vessel in my hand. At least that is what I thought I did. In order to be sure it was nothing more serious, I did what a lot of us do . . . I posted a picture on Facebook and asked my friends.
One friend said that she does it all the time in her fingers. I have done it in my fingers at least a couple of times that I remember. So her comment made me feel a little better. But I had never done it in my hand. When it happened, I had clapped and sometimes I do clap long enough that my hands itch. So this time I just thought . . . “Hmmm . . . that is weird, I wasn’t clapping that long.” And I scratched viciously at my hand. Then I looked at it and I was surprised to see this large purple spot on it. But I kept dancing because I was teaching. So I thought I would deal with it later. Then I forgot because right after my Tuesday morning Nia class I have a gentle yoga class. I rushed off to that and completely forgot about my hand.
I forgot about it until I had to fill out a survey. The questions were answered by filling in the “bubbles” or circles on a form. We used to call them Scantrons. There were 1400 of them. My hand started to bother me then I remembered my injuring clap.
So onto Facebook, one friend — the one who said she breaks blood vessels in her fingers all the time — suggested arnica gel. I have arnica oil. I just put that on. I also have my Trauma (that you know I love) and my Zheng Gu Shui. But I am using the oil. Another friend . . . a nurse said – “Your body has already healed the blood vessel, now time will reabsorb the blood in the tissue.” Good to know. I didn’t THINK it was anything serious, but I wanted to check. 🙂
Amazing that the body can begin to heal so quickly. If only the heart healed as fast. Yesterday, August 11, 2014, marked four months that my mom has been dead and the suicide of such a beloved celebrity made it that much more sad.
Not that this site should be used to treat or diagnosis ANYTHING, but if you find yourself with a spot on your hand looking like a bruise and nothing else appears to be wrong or damaged with your hand, it could be just a broken blood vessel. For anything serious, please seek medical help.
I will look within to find laughter, happiness, joy, comfort, and support and I will share it with those in the world who need it or want it.
*Birdcage was one of my favorite movies I ended up with by some odd thing. Someone at work was giving away movies and I grabbed the tape . . . .yes, the VHS tape, that is how long ago it was. My husband and I watched it and we loved it . . . . who wouldn’t? What a cast! Since we love it and watched it often we bought the DVD. It is one of my favorite movies to watch over and over. It is one of those ones that I will stop to watch if I see it when I am flicking channels. It will make me sad now.
Have you ever had a broken blood vessel in your hand? On your finger? Do you have a favorite Robin Williams movie?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Armand Goldman, Arnica oil, August 11 2014, Birdcage, broken blood vessel, clinically depressed, Facebook, Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia focus and intent, Robin Williams, Scantrons, Trauma, Zhica shui | 2 Comments »
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 26, 2014
We do! Today in the group exercise class I was subbing, I did a Nia class. Our focus was the knee, with the intent of bringing awareness to the main muscles that help move the knee. So with that intent we were thinking about the quadriceps and the hamstrings. There are other muscles involved in the knee’s movement and stability, but we were keeping it simple and just focusing on those two sets of muscles. There are four muscles that make up the quadriceps and three that make up the hamstrings. The quadriceps are on the “front” of the thigh and the hamstrings are on the back of the thigh. To see my brief post on the Quadriceps click here. To see my brief post on the Hamstrings click here. The muscles of the quadriceps help straighten the leg. So they extends it. They pull the lower leg forward. The muscles of the hamstrings pull the lower leg back, what we call bending the knee. The knee gets straightened and bent a lot in a Nia dance exercise class, but there might not always be awareness of the muscles that are doing it. Today we brought awareness to the knee bending and straightening muscles.
Bringing awareness to muscles can be done in many ways. Often time the choreography of a Nia Routine has us doing specific steps and arm movements. In the first few songs of the routine I am doing I did not have the class do any touching of our legs. I just suggested that the class think about their legs, while, in the first song we moved our chest down and lowered our hips. Everyone moves to their own depth so not all of us were in a bend with chest on our thighs, but we were still able to bring awareness to our thighs with knees bent. The next few songs have us aware of our knees as we sink a bit to activate hips and move with front, back, and diagonal steps.
When we were at a song that is a free dance we wiggled our knees, we knocked them, we straightened them. We touched the front of our thighs while we moved our legs, opening and closing the knee joint. We kicked forward and back. While we danced we touched the back of our thighs. The act of touching allows us to sense the muscles as it moves the leg, extending and flexing. The act of touching helps us bring awareness to the muscles as we use them.
While we do a punching and blocking sequence we are aware of the stability we have in the wide stance with the knees slightly bent. This pose allows the opportunity for awareness of the full thigh activation. Even while standing still we are sensing the dance of strength and stability.
I love that Nia incorporates a focus and an intent as one of the workout cycles. This gives us a chance to focus on many things. In this case the movement of the knee. This is a great way to keep both the body and mind active while bringing awareness of how the body moves into our dance exercise class.
Do YOU think about your knees? Do you think about how your leg bends?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Awareness, dance exercise class, focus and intent, group exercise class, Hamstrings, knee movement, knee's movement and stability, knees, Nia class, Nia dance exercise class, Nia routine, punching and blocking, Quadriceps, thighs and knees, Workout cycles | 2 Comments »
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 »
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