Posts Tagged ‘Nia Practice’
Posted by terrepruitt on May 1, 2014
This class was held in San Ramon on April 30, 2014!
As you probably know I teach a dance exercise called Nia. It is a cardio workout. If you have read any of my information on Nia you will also be aware that many of the people who practice Nia consider it to be more than JUST a cardio dance exercise. But . . . on the surface that is what I call it, in brief, to let people know what it is. If they are interested then we can discuss some of the other facets of it. Like many exercise disciplines there are star teachers or celebrities. I’ve talked about that before. There is always some people who were there from the beginning and so they have the most experience and often times get categorized into star or celebrity “status”. Yesterday we had a long-time Nia Practitioner and Teacher do a 007 Nia class.
Jason Alan Griffin is one of the first First Degree Black Belts. Nia has created an additional training intensive, they have added a “degree” to the black belt. It is so new that not a lot of information is out regarding that, and I didn’t even think to ask Jason about it. I am Facebook friends with Jason and yesterday was the first time we met in person. Jason likes to travel, so he drives around with his dog River bringing Nia to cities around the United States. He created a routine he called Bond Girls, but recently re-named it to Goldfinger and that is what he is delivering on his current trip. He was in the East Bay last year (I believe) but he packs his travel schedule so tight he doesn’t stay long and so I missed the classes he had. Maybe he was in the North Bay too. I don’t remember. I couldn’t make it. So this trip I was very excited to get to take his class, meet him, and his dog.
Jason is one of those dog daddies that takes his pet parenting seriously and he posts a lot about his dog. So through his Facebook and blog I feel I know both of them a bit so I was happy to finally get to meet him.
Not to use the current happenings in my life as an excuse, but I found myself leaving for the class much later than I intended and also the directions I looked up gave me a different travel time than the day before. I ended up being late for class. And while I felt very bad about that . . . I decided to forgive myself which enabled me to jump right in to his already-started-class. It was so fun.
While the invitation to dress up in something shimmery was there, I completely forgot, but Jason did not disappoint. He had on some shiny silver pants. He led us through many of the 52 Nia moves while we focused on pelvis, chest, head. We used our spear fingers in true James Bond fashion. We danced in our own body’s way and laughed and sang while doing so.
Every time I take a Nia class I realize I am not a Nia student often enough. I love being able to laugh at myself because I don’t get the moves on the first (or how many ever it takes) go around. I love being able to just follow as someone else’s lead. I love being able to learn new pearls and moves. It is so fun. I am so glad that I was able to join the East Bay Nia community while they hosted Jason’s class. It was super fun. I want Jason to come to San Jose to deliver his FreeDance Playshop. 🙂
I hope you jump at the chance to dance with Jason when he is in a city near you. He is really fun to dance with. And if you are lucky, River will sneeze on you!
Thanks, Jason and River. I look forward to your next visit!
Jason leading the class in his silver pants!
Janet and I doing our Bond Girl impressions – with spear finger
Jason and River. River was more interested in the grass than posing!
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 52 Nia Moves, Black Belt Nia Teacher, Bond Girls, cardio dance exercise, cardio workout, dance practice, East Bay Nia, exercise disciplines, Facebook, First Degree Black Belt, Free Dance workshop, Goldfinger, James Bond, Jason Alan Griffin, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia dance exercise, Nia information, Nia Practice, Nia student, Nia Teacher, North Bay Nia, pelvis chest head, pet parent, Spear Finger, star Nia teachers | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 20, 2014
In Nia we do something we call “wag your tail”. Now there are various ways one can “wag” their tail. This move is not one of Nia’s 52 Moves, but we do it A LOT. One might think that wagging one’s tail just means to shake your butt. But shaking your butt is really just shaking your backside. While that has a purpose in dance when I say “wag your tail” I don’t mean shake your tush. There is a difference. Just like there is a difference between shaking your chest/breast and a shimmy. A shimmy is not just shaking your chest or what you have on it. A shimmy is using the muscles in your upper back and shoulders to push and pull your shoulders. While the front might shake as you shimmy, the sensation is entirely different from just shaking what’s on the front. For more info you can read my post Shimmy From The Back. With the tail wag it is somewhat the same thing — in the sense that you are not shaking your butt you are wagging your tail.
The focus is the very bottom portion of your bony spine, the coccyx — your tail. When you wag your tail the outer portion of your body, your glutes/your butt is going to move and shake, just like when you shimmy your chest/breast will shake, but that is not the focus. And believe me, I have ample of both to know the sensation is entirely different. 🙂
For many this is not something they sense right away. It is one of those things you practice. I know many belly dancers who hold classes just on shimmying . . . So by comparison shaking top and/or bottom is different from a shimmy and/or a wag of the tail.
One way I describe it to my students is to just relax the spine. Let the hips hang and then wag the tail. Some understand this and are able to do it. While it might take practice, when they focus they can do it, hips hanging tail wagging. If you can do this the sensation is amazing. It is a HUGE release to the spine. It is very relaxing. Wagging the tail is one of my favorite moves. Ask anyone on my Nia classes and they will tell you, “Yeah, she says that all the time.”
I recently posted about how my students are my teachers and one thing they taught me was to come up with a different way of explaining “letting your hips hang”. The looks I received recently while having my students practice wagging their tail was, “I am not getting what you are saying!!!” So I had to think about it and I came up with something.
Sit down on the ground with your legs out in front of you. Then use your hands to push yourself off the ground. Your lower legs and feet can still be touching but you want your tush to be off the ground. Now relax your spine. Do you sense that hanging sensation? THAT is what you are going for while standing. That is what will enable you to wag your tail.
So try it. Can you sense your hips hanging? Can you sense the difference between wagging your tail and shaking your bum?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Belly Dance, coccyx, glutes, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia Practice, Nia's 52 Moves, sensation, shake your butt, shimmy, Shimmy From The Back, spine release, wag your tail | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 11, 2014
In other forms of exercise I learned the dead bug. Where you lie on your back and put your limbs up in the air as if you were a dead bug. In Nia one of our 52 moves is called Creepy Crawlers. I ALWAYS call it Creepy CrawlIES and sometimes I say, dead bugs. In Nia the move is part of the Upper Extremities in the Nia 52 moves, the hands to be exact. It is where we turn our hands to allow the palms to face up and we wiggle our fingers. Truly NOT a dead bug because dead bugs don’t wiggle there legs . . . in general. I will work on calling it by the correct name Creepy CrawLERS.
This is a simple, simple move that provides great benefits. I don’t know how often you are around the elderly if ever, but losing the use of their hands, losing the dexterity is a very common issue. So as the Nia Technique Book says, “Practicing Creepy Crawlers helps your fingers, hands, and forearms remain strong, flexible, and agile.” It is very important to move your hands. And not all of the things we do in everyday life allows for that type of flexibility and agility. So this move is so great.
To practice it according to the Nia Technique Book you just wiggle all of your fingers, including your thumb. Keep the elbow bent which helps keep the shoulders and next relaxed. Change palm directions.
This is one of those moves that is pretty much always teamed up with another move. Usually we have a foot pattern while we do the Creepy Crawlers. Or we are moving around the room. Usually, but not always. Sometimes it is nice to concentrate on the movement on the fingers. Really wiggle them with intent. Make certain ALL ten fingers are moving. Notice how it affects the tendons in your hands and arms. Watch the movement in your arms.
If you are constantly moving your fingers in a wiggly motion while doing choreography with your feet you are allowing that brain to work. Most people understand that the brain needs to stay active . . . just like the body . . . in order to function well, so we consider it fun to get our brains going as part of our movement, as part of our dance.
So as with all of the Nia 52 Moves that I have explained. Sometimes we do them a little different from perfect as described in the book. Doing Creepy Crawlers in a routine might have us straightening our arms. Or we might even be moving the hand all around while the fingers are wiggling. But the point is the fingers. Moving the fingers, wiggling the fingers. Bending each and every joint in the finger.
This is also a really fun move to do with kids. They love the idea of Creepy Crawlers, bug legs. You know kids? So many of them love anything to do with bugs.
So, I encourage you to do some Creepy Crawlers. Especially if you work at a computer or do repetitive motions with your hands. This will help keep them moving in different directions/ways.
So, did you try it? See how easy it is?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: Creepy Crawlers, Dead bugs, exercise, hand dexterity, Nia 52 moves, Nia Benefits, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia Practice, Nia routine, repetitive motion, The Nia Technique book, the Upper Extremities | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 25, 2014
I love my students. They are a great source to me; they teach me and they make me laugh. Recently one of my students happen to mention a policy that was told to her – a facility stated she could try the class for 10 minutes without charge, but would have to sign up for the class to stay longer. The comments from those that she was sharing this with was that 10 minutes was not really long enough to get a sense of the class and if they would like it. She said, “I know, if I would have only stayed 10 minutes I would have missed the nap time at the end!” That was the best. She, of course, was kidding . . . sort of. She was talking about Shavasana. A very important part, yet for many, one of the most difficult times in yoga.
She was kidding in the sense that we all know it is not nap time, but not having been familiar with yoga she would have missed seeing that part of the class if she had only been allowed to stay for 10 minutes. Shavasana is a pose of total relaxation. It is where you allow your body to rest and relax from the workout it just participated in. In some classes this is a necessary time for recuperation of the body, but in others it might not be so much about the body. In a Gentle Yoga class it could be more about the mind. In Nia we have BMES – Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit. We could say that shavasana is a time for those four things. So after a nice gentle class it could be more a time more for the mind, emotion, and spirit to relax. While the inner dialog should be kept to a minimum while practicing the asanas it is even more important to do so during shavasana. This is the time when the body absorbs all the goodness from the poses it just performed.
I had once thought that you DID shavasana IN the corpse pose, but the name comes from the Sanskrit words Shava meaning “corpse” or dead body and Asana meaning “posture”.*
One of the reasons shavasana is so difficult is because there is not supposed to be any inner dialog going on (as I just mentioned). This is not the time where you begin making your shopping list for your trip to the store after class, or where you decide what you are going to say to your boss/friend/spouse. This is a time of quiet, a time of reflection, a time where you do a “body check”. Check in with each body part or area of your body to see if it needs any attention, see if it needs to be relaxed and focus on allowing it to relax. Sometimes because of this relaxation one might fall asleep. When I first started every time I did shavasana I fell asleep. Now I don’t, I am better at being mindfully relaxed. It is a practice though. This might not be something that comes easy to you, it might be a challenge, but it is something worth practicing.
I’ve heard different ideas on how to hold shavasana in a class. Some say that a guided meditation is the way it should be done. Some say that total silence is the only right way. Some say some music or nature sounds should accompany this pose. In my classes I usually softly lead the participants into a relaxed state. Then I allow them quiet time with this pose — I do have sounds playing during class and I don’t turn that off, but sometimes I turn it down. Then after the time allowed I talk them back to awakening their bodies and moving again.
If this pose and time is not something that you include in your yoga practice, I encourage you to give it a go. Try it. If you fall asleep that is ok. But keep doing it and when you are able to achieve that relaxed state while staying awake you will see how powerful this simple pose is.
Do you practice shavasana? Have you ever fallen asleep during shavasana? How long do you stay in this pose?
*Wiki and Jaisiyaram
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: asana, BMES, body check, corpse pose, inner dialog, Jaisiyaram, naptime, nature sounds, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Practice, relaxation pose, sanskrit, savasana, shavasana, Yoga, yoga poses, Yoga Practice, yoga students | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 11, 2014
In Nia we have a base of 52 Moves. Not surprising they are called The 52 Moves of Nia. As I have stated before they are not unique to Nia. You have probably done some of them at one point in your life. If you have taken dance or you participate in a group exercise class that is dance oriented then you more than likely have done some of them. They are just gathered into a group for Nia because of their benefits and fun. So they are included in the Nia Routines. Not all of them are in every routine, but a good portion appear in each routine. Plus whenever there is Free Dance they might make an appearance. One of the base moves . . . . moves we do primarily with the base of our body . . . is Lateral Traveling.
Lateral Traveling is specific and different from Traveling In Directions. Traveling in Directions is a move done in all directions . . . . Lateral Traveling is done to the side. The Nia Technique (have you gotten your copy yet? Click here to go to Amazon to order your copy.) describes Lateral Travel as a step together step or a grapevine. The specifics are to start in a closed stance, then take one step to the side, then place your feet together (moving the other leg to the first leg that stepped), then take one step to the side, then move the leg toward the other one, but instead of placing it next to your leg cross it back.
A grapevine is where you step one leg to the side then the next step is BEHIND, then step to the side, where the next step goes depends. Sometimes you can land on the heel or behind or with the knee up. Grapevines are a nice replacement for four point turns. There are many reasons why people don’t turn so using this lateral move, the grapevine, is perfect.
With both methods the instructions say to use your hands to lead you. Have them out in the direction you are going. The instructions also say, “When you step behind, step onto the back ball of the foot and keep your knees spring loaded and your spine vertical.” For clarification, the “back ball of the foot” is the foot that is in the back or behind.
This is a “two side” move. To practice you do to one side then the other. To the left, then to the right. (Or to the right, then the left.)
So this is the specific Lateral Travel: Step together step or grapevine. I have found my self using the phrase “travel laterally” at times when I am leading my San Jose Nia class (or any Nia class for that matter) and I am not instructing them to do the specific Lateral Travel. But I guess that is the difference. There is “travel laterally” and do the “Lateral Travel” move.
Many moves in Nia are good for the coordination. This is one. Step together step is not necessarily a difficult move but depending on the speed and what comes before it and after it, it can call upon your coordination. Although, I would say this is one of the easier 52 Moves of Nia.
Varying the speed and adding some movement to the body can change it up a bit and perhaps add a some challenge to it.
So there you have it another move in Nia’s 52 Moves.
You probably find yourself doing this one often, huh? Even when you are not on the dance floor?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: 52 Moves of Nia, Amazon, Ball of foot, Classes in San Jose, closed stance, dance exercise, dance mehtod, exercise method, four point turn, Free Dance, grapevine, group exercise, Lateral Travel, Nia, Nia Practice, Nia routines, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia Schedule, The Nia Technique, Travel in Directions, workout method | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 8, 2014
One of my Blue Belt Sisters (a woman I attended the Nia Blue Belt Intensive with) posted a link on Facebook to an article about 5 reasons to do a full squat. I love when I see information like that . . . information about why it is good to do “something”, something we do in Nia. I love that. I love when people confirm and promote Nia movement. As you know, if you have read some of my Nia posts, Nia is not new. Nia has been around for 30 years. Nia incorporates moves and ideals from different modalities so most of it is not new. HOW they incorporate it is often unique, but we use a lot of movements used in other exercise and workout programs. Which is a great thing. Not that just because something is done commonly makes it good, but since Nia is based on how the body was designed to move it makes sense that we do movements done in other practices and vice versa. So I was excited to see an article talk about something we do in Nia. Nia knows the benefits of squats.
I posted about the Garland Pose and I posted about what Nia 5 Stages calls “standing“. Here I am going to touch upon some benefits of doing full squats. A few of mine are different than the 5 mentioned, so check that out too. First, the article reminds us that children squat to reach for things on the ground and will get into that position when playing on the ground. Many things that children do we understand to be beneficial yet we no longer do them as adults. In addition to the many physical benefits of a full squat, it can possibly help us remember that child-like position of play. A Nia workout includes “exercising” the BMES (Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit) and many people claim that the play we do in Nia is great for their spirit. Squat like a kid!
Small children have all that yummy flexibility. Their bodies have not yet sat in chairs for years or worn shoes that either keep their ankles from moving in a full range of motion or even keep their foot in one position, possibly even shortening their calf muscles. So they can easily squat with both feet fully on the ground, and their legs folded, and their chest to their thighs with their bum low to the ground. So a squat allows for all of that. Mobility and flexibility in the ankles. Flexibility in the knee. And balance. Being able to squat with flat feet and stay stable is proof of good balance. Think of all those muscles you use to stay tush down and upright . . . (if you need help “thinking”, do it now and just sense all of that).
If you are doing the “Garland” type squat with the wide knees you are really opening the hips and groin area. It is important to have flexibility and mobility in the hips because those things help make walking more comfortable. A body is able to stand more upright when the hip flexors aren’t tight. So squatting can help the body allow for good posture. The squat also helps with stretching the back of the legs. Squats target the hamstrings and the glutes.
And if you push up to standing you are using your glutes, so standing up from a squat is a good bum strengthener/toner. Sometimes we move into a deep squat position in Nia as part of a Nia routine. We do squats as part of the Nia 5 Stages and we push up into a walk. So as I said Nia knows the benefits of squatting. What about you?
Are you a squatter? Do you find yourself squatting during the day? Is the squat something your body needs practice doing?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: BMES, child play, Facebook, flexibility, Garland Pose, good posture, Mobility, Nia, Nia 30 year anniversary, Nia 5 Stages, Nia Benefits, Nia Blue Belt, Nia Blue Belt Intensive, Nia exercise, Nia Movement, Nia posts, Nia Practice, Nia sister, Nia workout, squat, workout programs, Yoga Pose | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 6, 2014
My last post was about the Garland Pose or Malasana. That is a yoga pose. The Garland Pose post was long enough so I didn’t talk about the advanced positions of that pose. In Nia the pose could be compared to “Standing” which is the fourth stage in Nia’s 5 Stages. In Nia it is also a little different. Nia’s 5 Stages is a movement practice through the five stages of human development. While I have mentioned Nia’s 5 Stages before in my blog I have not written about them in depth and this post will not be in depth either. I am just touching upon the fourth stage, including it in my little series about squatting. Squatting is important and Nia knows that. Nia recognizes it as a stage of human development. Although Nia does not believe it should be abandoned and that is why we have the 5 Stages as a movement practice and why we include squatting in many of our routines. As I said standing is the fourth stage and it is somewhat like a squat.
The Nia 5 Stages are the stages we go through in development. Stage one is Embryonic. Stage two is Creeping. Stage three is Crawling. Stage four is Standing. Stage five is Walking. First we are in the womb, then most of us creep, then we crawl, we stand (squat), then walk. Stages of human development. Stage four, “Standing”, is a low or full squat.
I have posted about squats before. In fact when I did I mentioned that we don’t do them in Nia. And we don’t — or I hadn’t done the type of squats I was writing about. I was writing about squats done in a way that is more in line with weight training. Using weights and other equipment. I believe there are weight lifting competitions where people do really low squats with weights, but . . . I am not going to go there. There are a lot of things that elite athletes do that I would STRONGLY recommend the average person NOT do . . . . EVER.
I DO recommend full squats (without weights) . . . providing your body is able to do them I believe you should. And by able I mean there is no medical reason you can’t, you have joints and body parts that will allow you to do them. Doing squats will help you in so many ways.
With Nia’s fourth stage – standing – we are coming from a crawling position. The way we move from crawling to “standing” is we open our feet wider than our knees while our knees are still on the ground. Then curl our toes then push back onto our feet. Since the 5 stages of human development are based on the way the body was designed to move and how we develop ideally, the idea is to push back onto feet that are flat on the ground. However, Nia is a practice done in YOUR OWN BODY’S WAY so it is possible that both feet cannot be flat on the ground. So we take the stages in stages. What works for many is to have ONE foot flat on the ground while the other one has a heel up. Then we just alternate. This allows for each foot to engage in ankle flexibility.
The next stage in this stage is to raise the torso up, have the chest facing forward and not down . . . if you are doing the alternating of the feet. If both feet are flat on the earth the chest is probably already facing mostly forward because the buttocks are lowered and the legs are folded over so the chest is somewhat up against the thighs. In both positions lift the chest up further, sternum to the sky. When ready the arms also come up, reaching to the sky.
We stay in this stage as long as the present workout dictates. Could be just a second or two . . . could be a bar (of a song) . . . whatever is appropriate for the moment. Then we rise up – nose leading the way – onto our toes and into the fifth stage which is walking.
Squatting is important because of the benefits it provides. Being able to come up from a squat provides even more benefits. Like push-ups and/or planks, squats could easily be one of the “must haves” in ANY workout or exercise program. Nia understands the benefits. So when I said we didn’t do squats in Nia, I wasn’t talking about this type of squat or what Nia’s 5 stages calls standing.
What benefits can your body receive from Nia’s standing/squatting?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: advanced poses, Creeping, deep squat, Embryonic, exercise program, five stages of human development, full squat, Garland Pose, Malasana, movement practice, Nia, Nia Practice, Nia standing, Nia's 5 Stages, planks, push-ups, squat, squatting, the body's way, weight lifting competitions, weight training, workout, Yoga Pose, Yoga Practice | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 28, 2014
Have you seen the meme that says “Don’t get confused between my personality and my attitude. My personality is who I am, my attitude depends on who you are.”? I see it on Facebook a lot. When I first saw it I agreed with it. I laughed and thought, “Oh yeah. I can see that.” I am going through my day and encounter someone who is being an ass and I give some grump right back at them. But I saw it again yesterday and I realized I don’t agree with it. While there might be confusion between personality and attitude, I still am in control of both of mine. I realized that my attitude is a reflection of my personality and I don’t want to be an ass. I especially don’t want to be grumpy just because the person I am dealing with is grumpy. I don’t know their story. I have no idea what is going on in their life. I am not saying that it is right for them to treat me poorly because they have “stuff” going on, but it does happen. People get distracted and caught up, but that does not mean I have to get caught up in that. I am in control of both my personality AND my attitude.
I am still the one that has a say. My attitude is still in my control. I don’t have to react to the other person’s bad/rude attitude. THEIR attitude is a reflection of themselves and what is going on in THEIR life . . . my attitude does not have to reflect their attitude. My attitude reflects myself, my personality. I don’t have to be involved in their attitude. Oh, it is not always easy. I am not saying it is. Especially when I have my own “stuff” going on. I can be thinking about what is happening in my life and the suffering of those I love and not be prepared for someone’s guff. At those time it is easy to have my guard down and just let myself get swooped up in that “chicken-head-attitude”, but that is not my personality. Not getting caught up and not letting someone “get the best of me” is a practice. I believe it is part of not taking things personally and listening with love. Not taking things personally is one of the Energy Allies we have in Nia, you might know it as one of the Four Agreements. Listening with love is something one of my students reminded me of.
Sometimes the attitude encountered could just be of indifference, not even necessarily rude or grumpy, but just the “I don’t care” and when that is coming from someone in customer service it is annoying, but no matter what their attitude is, I am the one that has control over me. My personality dictates MY attitude. So I can choose to NOT be a reflection of their poor attitude (and customer service).
So here is my meme. A reminder to myself that I am in control of me. I am in control of my personality. I am in control of my attitude. I am in control of the energy I put out into the world.
What about you? Are you in control of your attitude or are you going to let someone else dictate that for you?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: "confused between my personality and my attitude", "I am in control", bad attitude, chicken head, Facebook, Four Agreements, grumpy ass, listen with love, meme, Nia, Nia Energy Allies, Nia Practice, poor customer service | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 23, 2014
In Nia we have this exercise or practice that is really easy yet packs a huge wallop! If you have The Nia Technique it starts on page 11 and is called the Thirteen Joints Exercise. In the back of the book, on pages 252 through 253, it is called the Thirteen Joints Renewal because they are doing it from a squatting position. But basically you move through the same major thirteen joints. This is one of those exercises that can be done fairly quickly, but can really help with the way you move through life. It is basic and easy to do Thirteen Joints Exercise.
This exercise focuses on the 13 MAJOR joints in the body. Starting with the left side you simple move your left ankle. I instruct my Nia students to move it in all directions. Think of how this joint is intended to move and move it that way. There is the front back motion and the circling motion. Circle it both ways. I also include in my instructions the encouragement for the person to be comfortable, so if it is comfortable for them to lift their foot off the earth and do the movements then that is the way to move the ankle. Some people are not comfortable balancing on one foot and it is perfectly fine to do the movement with the foot on the ground. The toe can be on the ground to stabilize and then the heel. The ankle can get the same type of circular motion with the foot on the ground. However it is comfortable is how you should move it. The left ankle is joint one.
Then traveling up the left side we come to joint two, the left knee. Again, thinking about how this joint is intended to move allows us to move it in a way that is comfortable and beneficial. Allowing the calf to swing forward and back. Or if you want to keep your foot on the ground then you can lower yourself down on the left side as low as is comfortable and come up again. This gets that joint moving.
Next is the left hip. For this hip joint we move the left thigh. For the person that is balancing on the right leg the left thigh can come up and be pressed back. The thigh can circle. If your foot is on the earth you can bend forward. This affects the hip joint. You can also “knock” your left knee, allowing it to go in and out. Bumping the left hip gets some joint action going, too. This joint is three.
Then we go to the left wrist. Move that hand all over. Flex it, extend it, wave it, circle it, just move, move, move it! Use your fingers to get more wrist action! This is our fourth joint.
Move up to the elbow. Your left elbow is the fifth joint in our Thirteen Joints Exercise. Swing that forearm around and move it all over.
We are still going up, so the next joint, the sixth joint, is the left shoulder. Here you can shrug, you can circle, you can push it back and forth and to ensure joint action you want to use the arm. Move the arm. Circle the arm, move it forward and back, lift it the arm, lower the arm, swing the arm back. Really get that arm moving to experience the action that was intended for that joint.
Now our seventh joint is really a group, it is not just one spot. The seventh “joint” is our spine. There are a lot of ways to move the spine. As with ALL the movement we do in Nia, it is important that you keep in mind your own body’s way and move your body as it is comfortable. The spine is put together so it can move in many ways, but there are many things that keep people from moving the way it was designed, so keep your own body’s way in mind as you move your spine. My instructions include looking left and right, up and down, rolling the head, bending forward and back, bending to the sides, circling around, rolling up, and rolling down . . . again, any way the body can comfortably move.
Now we are on the right side. We go down the right side of the body moving each joint as we did the left side. Now, of course, it might not be exactly the same, but I imagine you know what I mean. The right shoulder is joint eight. The right elbow is joint nine. The right wrist is joint ten. The right hip is joint eleven. The right knee is joint twelve. The right ankle is joint thirteen.
Moving the joints helps keep them flexible and mobile. This exercise can also help with drawing attention to areas that might be tight or stiff. This practice can be done in as little as one minute. As I just mentioned it could help make you realize there are areas that might need or want more attention so how long you spend on this is up to you.
So, how do you feel after doing this exercise?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 13 MAJOR joints, flexible joints, joint help, mobile joints, Nia, Nia exercise, Nia Practice, Nia students, The Nia Technique, Thirteen Joints Exercise, Thirteen Joints Renewal | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 5, 2013
In the Nia 52 Moves there are moves clumped into groups. There are moves of the base, which involve the feet, such as Heel Lead, Releve, Closed Stance, Bow Stance, Slow Clock, Fast Clock, front kicks, side kicks, etc. There are upper extremities which include moves such as blocks, punches, sticks, chops, finger flicks, Creepy Crawlers and Catching flies. Then there is a group called the core which involves Pelvis, Chest, and Head. Two of the moves that are pelvic moves are Pelvic Circles and Hip Bumps. Two relatively easy moves, I am confident most people have done them in their life time. As I said easy, but they pack a wallop!
The Pelvic circle begins in A Stance (feet a little wider than shoulder width apart) and you move the hips in a continuous circle as if you are using a hula hoop. Just around and around. Circling the hips. Don’t forget to circle the hips in the opposite direction. With this move the arms are free to move in any direction and any way they want. This particular show belongs to the hips.
Hip circles are a common move both in dance and other exercises. It is good for the waist and hips.
The other pelvic move is the hip bump. In Nia we bump our hips in all directions not just to the side. So for the hip bump stand in the A stance and move your hip to the side, then the other side, and the front and back. A quick bump. This is an agility move with the quick start and stop. The arms involved in this are also freedance . . . they can do what they want.
Again, this move is not unique to Nia at all.
As with all the 52 moves there are ways to do them correctly while in practice. Practicing them and getting them in the body’s muscle memory help when we incorporate them into a routine. While doing both the Pelvic Circle and the Hip Bumps the arms are free to move, but it could be the arms have specific choreography tied to the moves in a routine. Also the hip bump is in general done in all directions, but in a routine it could be part of the choreography that the hip just goes to one side then the other.
I am pretty confident that many, many, many people have done the hip bump. It is a familiar move.
In the routine I am doing right now there is a hip bump or two. My favorite is to assign a feeling to them. Sometimes we do sexy hip bumps . . .kinda goes without saying. But we also do angry hip bumps, silly hip bumps, and dramatic hip bumps. Each of those hip bumps brings out a different movement and with each individual it is different. It is so fun to see people interpret the feelings and emotions in a common move like the hip bump.
So these are two moves that are grouped into the Core moves in Nia’s 52 moves. I think that you should get up right now and do some pelvic circles and hip bumps. Your hips will thank you.
So are either of these moves movements you have done before? When is the last time you bumped your hip? How about a pelvic circle? What would your angry hip bump look like?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: Bow Stance, Catching flies, closed stance, core, Creepy Crawlers, fast clock, finger flicks, Heel lead, Hip bump, hip circles, Nia, Nia class, Nia Practice, Nia routines, Nia's 52 Moves, Pelvic, pelvic circles, slow clock, upper extremities | Leave a Comment »
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