Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Posts Tagged ‘Nia class’

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Ideas For Focuses And Intents

Posted by terrepruitt on January 18, 2016

I have shared before that in a Nia class we have a focus.  In my classes we always have a focus and an intent.  Sometimes our focus and/or our intent might be loose or flexible or maybe even not clear, but we always have one.  Setting the focus and intent is the first of seven cycles in a Nia class.  I often ask my students what is going on with them and their bodies so that we can set the focus and intent together.  I think that if they are the ones coming up with the focus for the class then they will be more apt to stay focused on it.  A focus the take part in setting will be something more relevant to them and their bodies.  We focus on backs, shoulders, and necks a lot.  It seems as if a lot of us carry our stress in our shoulders.  And I say the because often times that seems to be what it is, but there are also a lot of reasons there is “something going on” with our neck and shoulders.  We do focus on other things, since there are so many things to focus on.  Here are some things we have focused on.

Focus on the shoulders with the intent of bringing relaxation to them.  Focusing on any body party with the intent of bringing relaxation to it/them, is a great one.  So often we hold tension in our body and this can help relieve some of that.  The focus could be the next with the intent of allowing it to relax.

Focusing on the shoulders with the intent of seeing how they are affected by the movement of our hands and arms.  Sometimes this one is a good one to do followed the next day by the first one because we can see how sometimes MOVEMENT can bring tension to a body part!

Focus on the toes with the intent of seeing how their movement affects the knees.  Focusing on a body part to allow awareness of how it is affected by other body parts is always interesting.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitFocusing on the spine with the intent of creating length and space.  So this could help our posture.  We might dance taller as we reach up or reach away from our bodies with the crown of our heads to help bring a sensation of lengthening.

Sometimes we focus on a body part or area with just the intent of bringing awareness to it.  Sometimes as we move through life, since the world seems bent on teaching us to ignore things our bodies are telling us (“here take this pill to mask your symptoms and go on with your life”), it is important to just pay attention to our knees or our elbows (as an example).  It is important to check in with our hamstrings and/or our calves.  So sometimes we just dance with specific body parts or areas in mind.  This allows participants to think freely about something and receive sensation without a particular goal.

What do you think would be a good focus and intent for a Nia class?  What do you think would be a good focus and intent for you?

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Good-bye 2015

Posted by terrepruitt on December 31, 2015

Tuesday I was too busy celebrating Christmas with my girlfriends.  We get together during Christmastime and visit.  We have done it every year for almost thirty years.  I didn’t get around to writing a post that day.  Then today/tonight I am busy celebrating the end of 2015 and the New Year.  I am just stopping to write this quick (super quick) post.   Here is our New Year’s Eve.

We were lucky to have our niece come visit.  No pictures because we spent the day relaxing and don’t want to post pictures of us in our jammies!

We had cheese fondue for dinner.  I will say it was very good.  John has marinated the meat and he did an excellent job.  Then we read our Good Things Jar.  There were a lot of “cat” notes in there.  A lot of “the cats are so sweet”.  They really are.  Now we are waiting for 2016.

Come dance with me at one of my Nia classes next year.  It would be great!

I hope you had a nice 2015 and
I hope you have a very WONDERFUL 2016!

 

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2015 Goodie Jar – Almost Time

Posted by terrepruitt on December 22, 2015

It is almost time to read the contents of the Goodie Jar.  Oh yes, the Goodie Jar.  We are still doing it.  We actually have three containers going on.  One was the original one that is the Princess House Pitcher.  That one looked pretty festive (and it was full) so I put it in the China cabinet hoping it could be passed off as a Christmas decoration.  Then the other one is a container that sits on the peninsula and has to be put away to make room for the Christmas decorations that are all over the peninsula.  So I have a note in the present Goodie Jar dish that reminds me to go into the closet to get the planter that we were using to put good things in.  So it is almost time.  I really like this tradition.  I think this is the third year that we have done it.  I am not sure, but I think we will do it again next year.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City FitI have not read any of the notes in the containers, but I am pretty confident that there will be a few about our cats.  They are such good girls and the certainly make me smile when I think about them.  So I am sure both of us have documented that!  There are always moments that I write down about my students making me smile.  The latest one is my socks.  LOOK!  Aren’t they cool.  They have cats on them AND they can be worn with my flip flops.  I was explaining to my students one day that since I have to rush over to class I didn’t want to put on my socks and shoes and my feet were really cold.  Ya see, in the morning on the way to my first class I wear socks and shoes.  But there is not a lot of time for me to get to my Tuesday morning yoga class after Nia so sometimes I just put on my flip flops after class and my feet get cold.  So one of them picked up on that. Super sweet.  The socks are super cute.  They have cats!!!  She is a cat lover herself!

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City FitLately we have gotten some rain.  And by lately I mean this week.  Rain — for me — always goes in the Good Things Jar because it is really a good thing.

There is just always something that is a good thing that makes me smile.  So many of my friends, family, and students are noted in that jar.

If you have not done a good things jar, I would like to strongly suggested it.  It is such a great way to remember the good things in life.  And it is really fun because you get to get TWO, maybe even THREE, smiles out of them.  One is when the thing occurs, two is when you write it down, and three is when you read it.  And sometimes it is really funny when you read it because it might take you a minute to remember what you were talking about.  Then, if your family and friends (or whomever you are reading them with) are into it, you get to tell them the story.  Often times things that make you smile make for a good story.

Ooooo!  I am getting really excited thinking about it.  Can’t wait!!!

So are you still doing a good jar?  Might you do one next year?

Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar, Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Persimmon Chicken

Posted by terrepruitt on December 3, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City FitTis the season for persimmons.  A few weeks ago one of my Nia students came into class with persimmons.  Many of us ooohed and ahhhed at the beautiful fruit, but most people did not take them because we don’t know what to do with them.  The last time I received persimmons in my organic produce box I looked up recipes that use them and most of them call for a puree and then they are baked into something.  One of my students said she had a pudding recipe.  I think she said it was like a bread pudding, so she was happy to take them.  I didn’t know what to do with them, but I took one.  Then the next day the woman who brought them in had more and even less people took them so there was a lot left and she was going out of town so I took a few.  The student with the bread pudding recipe said they wouldn’t be ripe until about Christmas.  So I put them in my fruit bowl and didn’t check them often because I thought they would be ready closer to Christmas.  In the mean time my husband brought home some persimmons.  So I had quite a few persimmons and I didn’t know what to do with them.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City FitThe ones that my student brought in were from her neighbor’s tree and they were the Hachiya kind.  I had never had those.  The bread pudding student said they were ready to eat when they were soft.  Well, it turns out the ripened a lot faster than I was expecting and unfortunately a couple ended up casualties.  The kind my husband got from his co-worker were the Fuyu.  Those are the ones I had received before.  Those are to be eaten when they are more like an apple.  So one, the Hachiyas, need to be soft, the other, firm, but not hard.

The only thing I knew to do with them was to make my Fancy Toast.  And that is with the Fuyus.  I know there was a time when I was eating that every day it seems, but I just wasn’t that into it this batch of persimmons.  So there they sat.

Then one day I looked at them and realized that I was going to have more casualties if I didn’t use some of them.  So I just decided to throw them on my chicken.  When I met my husband one of the things he liked to cook was apricot chicken.  He would get some apricot preserves and put it on the chicken.  I thought that persimmons wouldn’t be too different.  So I tried it.  I liked it so much I am making it again to use up the remain persimmons.  It was easy and tasty.  Here is what I did.

___________________________________________

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2 large chicken breast
2 Hachiya persimmons
2 Fuyu persimmons
cinnamon
nutmeg
salt
(pepper, if you like it)

I would salt both sides of the chicken put the chicken in a baking dish.  I smashed the two Hachiya persimmons and spread them on top of the chicken.  I sliced up the two Fuyu persimmons and put them on top of the chicken and on the sides.  Then I sprinkled a little more salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon on top of everything in the dish.

Bake at 375° F.  Halfway through cooking, I took the dish out of the oven and flipped the chicken.  I arranged the persimmons back on top and around the chicken, sprinkled a little more salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon on top of everything, then baked it until done.**

**This time around I am using a tiny bit of soy sauce.  I put a little on the chicken before baking.  Not soaking in it, just a little on both sides of the chicken.  I should have used salt.  I sprinkled a little tiny bit of cinnamon and nutmeg on it THEN add the persimmons (this time I only have one Hachiya).  Then I sprinkled the salt, the nutmeg, and the cinnamon on top of everything in the dish.

___________________________

The chicken still needed a little bit more flavor to me.  It was GREAT as long as I got a piece of persimmon with the meat, but not having salted it before (as I say to do in the recipe) left it kind bland.  Because I did the soy I didn’t salt it, but I will next time.

So . . . there you have it.  If you want to use your persimmons you might want to try this.  If you have a recipe you already use for your persimmons, please let us know.

What do you do with persimmons?

 

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Capitola Thanksgiving 2015

Posted by terrepruitt on November 26, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitHappy Thanksgiving 2015.  This year is a bit different.  We normally gather at John’s sister’s house, but she and her hubby had other plans for this Thanksgiving.  Since I didn’t have a Nia class this morning, I had an idea about breakfast and the beach.  There was a place in Santa Cruz that I wanted to try for breakfast but I called the day before and they said they would be closed on Thanksgiving.  My hubby found two places in Capitola that seemed like they would be good.  But but the time I got his text regarding the places, both were closed.  Only one had a website that I could find, so I took a chance and sent an e-mail asking if they would be open.  The e-mail was answered with a yes.  So my hubby and I went to Avenue Cafe for breakfast.  It was super yummy.  John got Eggs Benedict because he loves it.  If we go to breakfast and the restaurant serves it, that is what he will get.  I got a Florentine Scramble.  It was very good.  I am looking forward to having the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.  It was a great morning in Capitola.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitSome of you may be familiar with beach towns and the heat and the crowd.  Well, usually Capitola is very crowded.  Parking is almost impossible to find.  But today, parking was Free!  The meters were covered with plastic coated canvas “bags” that said, “Seasons Greetings – 3 hour free parking”.  I thought to take a picture but I knew that I would have many other pictures I would rather post, so I didn’t.  But it is very cool to have the gift of free parking!  Yay!  And there actually was parking when we arrived.  We got to the shore about 11:15.

First we sat on a bench and enjoyed the ocean.  Then we walked.  We walked to one end and back, then to the other end and back.  Then almost back to the other end.  We did a bit of retracing of steps.

The weather was gorgeous and the crowds were non-existent.

I was taking pictures . . . . as usual . . . not being able to actually see what I was capturing.  It is just so bright out there, I can’t really see.  Twice I thought I was taking a picture and I was taking a video.  On our way home, I glanced at the pictures quickly to see if I had any I could use for a post.  I laughed because it was just so beautiful it didn’t really matter that I couldn’t really see, anywhere I pointed my camera or phone, I got a great shot.  Ok, not all of them are great, but most of them.  When I was trying to get us in the shot . . . no, but just the ocean . . . yeah.

I even got a couple with the sun reflecting nicely in the shot.

We are now waiting for the roast to be done so we can have dinner.

So here was our Thanksgiving morning.  I hope you enjoy looking at the beautiful Pacific Ocean.  We enjoyed it.  I also hope you had a great day — a Happy Thanksgiving if that is your custom or just a great Thursday.

What did you do?

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Not Silent About The Silence

Posted by terrepruitt on November 21, 2015

Wow.  This non-verbal cueing that we did in Nia has brought up some stuff.  So here is another post about it!  I have really noticed since the “silent class” that cueing sometimes disrupts the dance for some participants.  Since people are so different, we all hear differently, see differently, concentrate differently, and learn differently, it is different for different people.  What I noticed is that when I mention something, some people stop or they look to be interrupted.  I had noticed this before, but it seems more obvious to me now that we had the silent class.  Nia teachers are supposed to cue at a specific point, to me it is so that the person has a moment to finish the move they are in the middle of, have a moment to know what is coming, then perhaps be able to seamlessly change to the next move.  That is the idea.  The idea is to NOT interfere with the dance.  I see it happens sometimes.  I see sometimes it does not.  So I think it might have to do with what the person is thinking while they are dancing.  It could be, if they are completely in their bodies there is no disruption of the movement, but if they are thinking something else while they are moving, then a cue is given, their thoughts are interrupted so their movements get choppy, then they either finish the present move or move onto the next.  I am not sure of the reason for what I am seeing, but it is very interesting.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City FitI feel as if in the silent class they actually have to pay attention MORE.  They have to LOOK at me if they want to see what is happening.  When you have to LOOK at something, it might help with concentration.  It could be that the mind is not wandering and counting on the verbal cue to tell you what to do.

As I mentioned in the last post, the participants were in sync, but that was after the move was done at least once.  Without verbal cues there is no way for them to know what the move is after I clap until they see it.  So once they saw it, or sometimes in the middle of seeing it they knew what to do.

Since they were so synchronized and got there so quickly, I am also thinking that without verbal cues from ME they were letting their bodies cue them.  Muscles have memories and without the benefit of me telling them what to do, they just did what their bodies knew to do.  As I mentioned in the first post about the “silent class” we have been doing this routine for a few weeks.  Plus it is one they already “know”.

I have had people tell me either before or after classes that they need CONSTANT instruction.  They want the instructor to say each move through the entire song.  I have had people tell me that I don’t tell them what they are supposed to do enough.  I have had people tell me that they don’t like Nia because there is not enough of the teacher telling them what to do.  I share that to let you know, as I said before, there are different ways to learn and people like different things.

That is why Nia is so fun.  We can do it different ways.  If you like constant instruction, think of what new things you are being introduced to with less instruction.  If you don’t like any instruction, think of what new things you are being introduced to with minimal instruction.  It is all about keeping the body, mind, emotions, and spirit challenged (BMES).  Learning and doing new things or learning and doing “old” things but in a “new” way.  The BMES likes to be flexed and stretched and stimulated.

I love that the Nia participants that come to my Nia classes are so willing to try new things.  I love that they like to play and experiment.  This had opened some new doors for me.  It will allow us to have more fun!

Have you been to a Nia class yet?

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Thoughts About The Absence Of Verbal Cues

Posted by terrepruitt on November 19, 2015

In order to keep my post from being really long – I personally like to read short posts . . . I started this story in my last post and I am finishing it up here.  In my last post I talked about the ways classes are led.  I talked about how Nia was designed to be a lead and follow, with cueing at a specific point, and even certain types of cues (pearls).  I also mentioned how Nia is about keeping things fun and new . . . always challenging the body, mind, emotions, and spirit (BMES).  With that in mind sometimes Nia teachers might teach classes without cueing.  Now the “cueing” is up for interpretation.  What we did was NO VERBAL CUEING.  I decided to clap to indicate that a change was coming.  And it ended up that, during two songs I pointed to indicate direction at a couple of areas in each song.

After the class, I asked what they observed.  One student said she like it.  I pressed a bit because I wanted to know WHY she liked it.  I wanted to know what she noticed about it.  Because I noticed things too.  So I wanted to know what SHE noticed.  She said that she felt as if she could do what she wanted more without the verbal cues.  She felt she could dance more.  Some others agreed.  A couple of people said they felt more connected to their bodies.  And it is my opinion that having a deeper connection with your body is one of the reasons why we play with no cueing.  However, what I observed was really interesting . . . I thought.  I noticed that the class was more synchronized.  They were all doing the moves together more than I have ever seen.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City FitThere is this one part in this routine that people always “jump the gun” on.  There is always someone doing the “big” move before the big move.  But during the non-verbal cueing class . . . they all did it perfectly.  This synchronization struck me as I watched it, and then again when one of the students said she felt she could do what she wanted more without instruction.  Apparently they all want to dance perfectly in unison and my “interfering” as we call it, is keeping them from doing that.

When instructing a small group it seems as if there is less of a need to guide people.  In larger groups there seems as if the odds are someone seems to look as if they could use a cue.  And as a teacher, I want to help, so I might count, or repeat the instructions of the move.  In smaller groups there are less people so less opportunity for that.

This silent class had a fewer people than we have been having.

Some people expressed the opinion that they didn’t feel as much joy and/or energy in this silent class.  They shared they really like verbally cued classes better.  They were relieved to hear that this is not the norm or where my Nia classes are headed.  This was just play.  This was just a way to experience Nia different.  This was just an experiment with the body and dance.

It was fun.  But, at one point I put my fingers to my lips because I wanted to say something so badly, but I didn’t want to break the silence.  We did sound because that was the mood we wanted.  We wanted the energy and the play of sounding, but we wanted the introspectiveness of no verbal cueing.

We will be doing it again.  In fact, we have been dancing another routine I was thinking about trying it with so we will see.

Nia is so fun and so interesting.  Have you been to a Nia class yet?

Have you taken a silent Nia class?  What did you think?

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Different Ways To Instruct

Posted by terrepruitt on November 17, 2015

Every type of group exercise in a class format has its own way of doing things.  Some formats might be the type in which the instructor is actually shouting and yelling at the participants.  Some might just have instructions posted around the area and people are to move along and follow the instructions.  A Zumba class is a lead follow type of format where – at least when I earned my certification – the instructions are supposed to be more hand motions than verbal.  The instructor is not supposed to talk as much as just point and gesture.  Nia is also a lead follow format, but with verbal guiding/instructing.  We have specific points in our music when we are supposed to guide the class into the next moves.  We, also are to use what we call “pearls” to help people move their bodies.  From what I understand and the training I received we are not supposed to talk the entire time.  Nia is body centered, so the instructors are supposed to be silent at times to let the students dance in their own way to the moves and the music.  I personally feel that I can use work on both my use of pearls AND of being silent.  One thing about Nia, though, is it is about play, exploration, experimentation, and doing new things in order to stimulate the BMES (the body, mind, emotions, and spirit).  One thing that I have always heard about is the silent class.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueSo, the silent class does not mean no music, it means no cueing.  Or at least that is what I thought it meant . . . turns out – just like many things – there are many ways to do it.  One of my students recently took the brown belt intensive and there she experienced a class with no cues.  She requested we try it.  Well, it so happened that I started on the path while she was gone so I asked a fellow Nia Teacher and Black Belt what she did in HER silent classes.  I was wondering if there was no cueing and NO SOUNDING.  I figured it would be a huge challenge for me not to cue, but I really was doubtful I could make it through a class without making a sound.  Her response surprised me in that she said she claps to indicate a move change.  Well, that just threw another wrench in the mix.  So . . . that meant that there was SOME type of cueing.  I mean cueing is alerting to a change.  LOTS of cueing is telling people what the change is and when and . . . etc.  But a clap is a cue.  So . . . to me that would mean it is a class with no VERBAL cueing.  She also mentioned that sounding would work depending upon the mood being sought for the class.  With her class — I think she does a specific routine — she does not sound.

So there are different ways to have a silent class.  There could be NO cueing at all.  There could be a clap to indicate the next move is a different one.  There could be pointing and indicating in some fashion something – either direction or side of body or body part or that something new is coming.  I really think that any of those ways is good.  Because all of them offer something different for the student.  And all of them allow the participant to focus on different things.

So for the past four weeks we have been dancing a routine with the intent of doing it without cueing.  I was going to dance it for three weeks, but I thought my student who requested this would be back for the fourth week (the planned silent class), but she wasn’t so I did it one more week so she could join the silent class.

We danced it without verbal cues today and it was very interesting . . . . .

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Like Seinfeld, It’s About Nothing

Posted by terrepruitt on November 7, 2015

Oh wow!  Oh man!  You might know from reading past blog posts that I am not a fan of Daylight Saving Time.  I actually wish we did NOT have Daylight Saving Time.  I also believe that the time change itself is bad for us.  I think it is bad for us in the sense that it messes with our body’s clock.  “Losing” and “gaining” an hour is just hard on the BMES.  So this time change we “GAINED” an hour, but everyone I have talked to is exhausted.  I remember this from the past couple of years, too.  I remember thinking how odd it is that we “GAIN” an hour, but everyone is so tired.  Could be because our animals/pets don’t understand that we have changed the clock so they still want to be on the schedule they have been trained to be on for the last eight months.  So they are waking us up, they are expecting to be fed, played with and walked at the same time they have been for the last eight months!  I feel that even though it is only an hour it really messes with things.  So, I have been really tired this week, how about you?

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniquePlus, there is this change going on where I teach that is something to have to think about because it requires a decision.  One of those kinds of decisions that make you really think and feel.  It is also getting colder, and to me that just lends to hibernation.  Also, we had a new Nia class start this week.  So more work, both prep and DOING.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueFriday, I had a moment where your stomach gets a sharp nauseating pain and you think your heart is going to stop and you can’t breathe.  I arrived a few minutes earlier for class than I had been for the past few weeks, but I didn’t really realize that.  As I pulled into the really crowded parking lot, I thought, “Where are all the yoga students?  They are usually leaving by now.”  But I quickly forgot about that thought because I was trying to find a parking place.  Then as I was walking to the building it occurred to me again there were no yoga students.  So I pulled out my phone to see what time it is, and I realized I was maybe three minutes early, but really the yoga student should’ve been walking out by then.  I looked up and the board announcing the day and the classes said, “Happy THURSDAY”.  I stopped.  My heart sank into my stomach.  For a second I thought, “It IS Thursday, and I totally missed my class.”  I pulled open the door as I make eye contact with one of my students, I ask, “Is today Friday????”  And she said, “Yes,” with a confused look on her face. And I said, “The board-” And her face changed as she realized, and she says, “Yeah, I saw that, too, and thought the same thing.”  I think she saw the panic in my face.  She had to have heard it in my voice.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueEarlier in the week I told a supervisor I would sub a yoga class today because I was thinking I had nothing to do so I could spare the time in the morning.  When I got home from teaching I putzed around because I though I had all night.  At 5:00 pm we got a call asking if we picked up our tickets to the Shark’s game.  We had forgotten we had a game.  Thank God, we got a call reminding us.  But that didn’t do anything to help me as I was sitting at my computer trying to decide on what to write for a blog post.  I had to stop and get ready for the game.  We had plenty of time, but that still meant I had to stop so that I could give attention to the cats, one of which was demanding it, get something ready for dinner, eat dinner, and then take a shower and get ready.

It has just been a busy kind of week.  Busy isn’t really the right word, but I tend to use that word, it is more like tiring and well, I don’t know.  It has me sitting here at 11:17 on a Saturday night writing about how my week flew by, and I forgot about the game tonight so I didn’t write my post during the day when I should have.  They lost, by the way.

You?  What did you do on Saturday night?  How are you adjusting to the time change?  Ever have weeks that aren’t really “busy”, but are full?

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It Is Ok To Do What You Need

Posted by terrepruitt on October 17, 2015

Remember when you attend a class (Nia, yoga, Zumba, Spin, Boot Camp, whatever), it is for you.  Remember that it is important to do what you need at the time you are in class.  So you don’t have to do the pose, say you are in a yoga class, to your fullest if you need to save your energy for other things you have to do in the day or the rest of your week.  You don’t have to prove to your instructor or other classmates that you can do it.  It is more important to do what your body needs.  Don’t be afraid to listen to your body intelligence.

I might have posted about this before.  If not an entire post, I know I have mentioned it, but sometimes we need reminding.  I recently took a class in which I was doing more than I should have.  It was what I was capable of doing, so I was doing it.  I had told myself before the class that I needed to hold back a little because I was feeling a bit fatigued and I had three more classes left to teach in the week, and I had a long weekend ahead.  My allergies had been bothering me, and if you have allergies (hay fever) then you know how exhausting they are.  I was tired.  My plan had been to do modified poses, but then I got caught up in just DOING the poses and not in doing what I needed.

I found myself thinking to myself, “Listen to what you always tell your students.  Do what you need to do at the time.  You know you need to conserve a bit of energy for the rest of the week.”  So I backed off.  I was actually more proud of myself for doing less because I needed to, than if I would have done more just to prove that I could.

In saving a bit of my energy I was able to teach my Nia class the next morning with renewed and full energy.  It was a great class.  So again, I was so glad I listened to what I always encourage my Nia and yoga students to do.

Now, I am not saying not to push yourself, I am just saying that there might be times when it is necessary to do less than you are capable of and that is ok.  I think you do more for your body, mind, emotions, and spirit if you respect your needs.  I have a feeling this is not new information to you, that is why I started out this post with “remember”.  However, it is one thing to know something and to actually do it.  As I said, before class I told myself to be mellow and then once in class I didn’t listen to myself at first.  I understand how easy it is to get caught up in the moment of doing, but with some modalities, like Nia and yoga, they are mindful practices.  A great exercise in a mindful practice is to do it mindfully, which could mean doing less.  Don’t be afraid to listen to your body intelligence.

Have you ever needed to do less in an exercise class?  Did you?  Did you have to keep reminding yourself?

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