Posts Tagged ‘Nia students’
Posted by terrepruitt on February 1, 2014
The other day prior to the start of my Nia class a student walked in sharing a situation and asked who to call. The group of students gathered suggested she call 911. I was on the other side of the room preparing to teach so I am not certain, but I thought she said had been, but could not get through. Then she asked, “Who should I call?” since it was NOT an emergency situation I suggested she call 311. One of my students said, “You mean 411?” And I said, “No. 411 is information, I mean 311. It is the police but it is a non-emergency number.”
Apparently this group was not familiar with this service. The conclusion reached by the group was: call 911 and ask them what to do. That is exactly the type of call the 311 is designed to handle. 311 is there to assist in NON-EMERGENCY situations that may require municipal services. So it is not exactly police, but municipal services. It is there to allow people access to public services, such as police, but in situations that are NOT emergencies. After experiencing a group of people who was not familiar with this public service I asked more people if they were aware of this number and I was very surprised that most of the people I asked were not familiar. So that prompted me to write this post. The number 3-1-1 is available in a lot of major cities in the United States and communities in Canada. Now, remember this is a number you can call when IT IS NOT AN EMERGENCY. So, if you call it and it is not available in your area you can always call the local police number for instructions and information. Since it is NOT an emergency you have time and the mindfulness to research the correct number you should be calling instead of 911. The number 911 is for EMERGENCIES and if used in non-emergency situations could be considered a crime. While I think if you were truly trying to help someone or something you probably wouldn’t have charges brought up against you, it seems that if you could keep the EMERGENCY lines open for actual and true EMERGENCIES you would be doing us all a service.
Wiki states: A promotional website for 3-1-1 in Akron described the distinction as follows: “Burning building? Call 9-1-1. Burning Question? Call 3-1-1.”
You can call 311 if you want to report graffiti . . . or someone parked blocking your driveway . . . or someone in your neighborhood is lighting off fireworks . . . . or it is 2:30 am on a Monday night and the neighbors are playing the music so loud your windows are rattling . . . there is also that car has been on your street for a few days and every time you see , has “less”(first the tires are gone . . . then the bumpers . . . etc.) . . . basically things that are NOT EMERGENCIES, but are causing you concern or might require municipal services.
The first use of this number as a non-emergency service number was in 1996 in Baltimore, Maryland. Previously it had been used in Hollywood as the area code for phone numbers in such movies as “When a Stranger Calls”, “The Rockford Files”, “Ghostbusters” and more according to Wiki.
If 311 is available in your area, calling it instead of 911 could free up EMERGENCY services for actual EMERGENCIES. It is possible that if more people were aware of 311 people would not get a busy signal or be put on hold when they call 911 in an EMERGENCY SITUATION.
Do you have 311 in your area? Have you ever called it? What type of non-emergency would you use 311 for?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: 311, 411, 911, abandon cars, graffiti, Hollywood Movies, illegal fireworks, illegal parking, municipal services, Nia, Nia class, Nia students, Non-emergency situations, police emergencies, public services | 10 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 January 21, 2014
Nia is a cardio dance exercise . . . . yes, it is much more than that, but that is sometimes where we start. The Nia Technique produces DVDs that teachers use to learn the Nia routines that have been choreographed by the Nia Trainers. The teacher-learning-routines process is similar to many exercise formats that are taught in group exercises classes across the board. Most often the music is adored by my students. They don’t like every song, but I would begin to wonder if they did. Nia uses a large variety and I would think it odd if EVERY SINGLE SONG was liked by every student. Every so often though there is a song that someone asks about. They want to know who sings it. They want to know the words. All of Nia routines are available for purchase as an album*, but sometimes it is just a song. Currently I am teaching a Nia routine with one of those songs.
The song is Shine by Joshua. The lyrics are as follows:
People want freedom in life
People want freedom in life
come seek a, come seek a
People want freedom in life
Verse I
(Shine within)
My sun is blossoming my dreams
aloft amidst the winds and the promises they sing
walking in the stream
lovin’ runs often in my veins
become light
so I breathe softly when it rains
crossing over phases of the moon seas change in a whisper
risen from the chambers inner wisdom
painted with the pigments of a vision(ary)
dancing in the plumage of illuminary
I ruminate the way that newness carries me towards my selfness fragrances in praises form a shelter
waves of vibrations pour over relics saturated in wellness precious moments envelope me so my language is angelic
tell it – like a picture spoken in scripture
listen – to the morning born from hope in the mists of enigmas ocean of rhythms sweet ambrosia of beginnings openness is living
Chorus
People want freedom in life
come seek a
way of living, breathing the light
it’s gonna be the
eve before the dawn song before the rhyme
open up and let your love shine
(love shine)
(repeat)
Verse II
Rays of sun trickle down my throat coated with sounds of growing abound
and hope flutters on a melody telling me to develop these heavenly grounds of mine
*Shine* *Shine*
Soul surfing the divine
nurturing intuitions relearning to visualize the moment’s gift it’s open like an infant’s mind
an intimate design a wish up in the sky wisps by “Spread your wings! Come let your spirit fly!” (fly fly)
Ascending inside levity mending the mind states to befriend a sublime face of a love you always knew and present beside waves of benevolence, rise, bathe and through cleansing your eyes you’ll see:
that love was always you!
flow through the mirror to embrace your destiny it’s beckoning so hold it dearly to your breast and feel the blessings the fibers of your being vibrant reasons to let me be me – free
a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love shining to eternity, a love me to . . .
Chorus
Let your light shine, let your light shine
Let your dreams shine, let your light shine
Let your heart shine
Let it all shine, shine, shine
Shine now, shine now
(repeat)
Chorus
Heart shine, dreams shine, mind shine
I shine, you shine, we shine… we shine… we shine…
Composed, written, arranged, performed,
produced, and engineered by Joshua Seaman.
Give it a listen at: http://music.relicpro.com/shine/ You can buy it from this site for a dollar, or you can *buy the album that this song is on from: http://www.nianow.com/product/music/r1-cd
I first looked up the words when I heard the part I have in bold. I love that. I hope you enjoy this song. It is a look into some of the music that we dance to in Nia.
What type of music do you like to workout to? Do you have a favorite song that really helps you get your “exercise on”?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: cardio dance, cardio exercise, cardio workout, Joshua Seaman, Nia, Nia cardio, Nia choreography, Nia DVDs, Nia routines, Nia Song, Nia students, Nia teachers, Nia Technique, Nia trainers, R1, Shine | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 18, 2014
I know – well, I am pretty confident that I have mentioned before in a blog post that I don’t think of myself as teaching people Nia. Even though I say I teach Nia, I usually prefer to say I lead Nia. I wish I could find that post because I would like to check what I said exactly because I am feeling a bit different these days. Or maybe I have it clarified in my mind better. I believe I said that I don’t like to say I teach Nia because I feel that a dance teacher is one that demonstrates the steps and then has the student try to do them while the teacher watches. Then maybe the teacher demonstrates again and the student does it again and then maybe there is some adjusting done by the teacher. Or even in a group dance class setting the move is done over and over until it is somewhat learned and then the next move is added on. Sometimes there is a sequence of moves that is demonstrated then practiced over a few times and then a new sequence added on. That is what I think of as teaching dance. So in THAT way I don’t teach Nia, but I DO teach Nia.
I do not show the move then have the students practice it over and over before we dance it, but sometimes when the song allows we do a preview and practice. It could be that the song has a long introduction in which there is no specific choreography and in that time we demo a move. While I might not tell a participant in particular a way to tweak the move I will look out into my class and see something that could use tweaking so I might say or even do something that I hope will lead to a change. Say, we are doing a move using our toe and I look out and see someone using their heel, I might suggest using the toe like squashing a bug or testing the water (depends on what we are doing). So in essence I hope to teach the students that we are using our toe. I teach the move as we are doing it as opposed to the aforementioned way.
IN addition, I like to share things about Nia while we are dancing. Sometimes I talk about how Nia incorporates the BMES (Body, Mind, Emotion, and Spirit) I might explain Nia’s Five Sensations while we are moving on the floor. Allowing the Nia students to be reminded of them and possibly use them in the floorplay. I often remind the Nia class about Natural Time letting them know they are free to move through the movement/choreography in their body’s own natural way and timing. Sometimes this is actually part of the song and if not people are always encouraged to move in this way.
So, I take it back if I said — as I believe I did — I don’t like to say I teach Nia, because I do teach Nia. But I don’t teach it as if it were a dance, because it is not just a dance. While we do dance, Nia is so much more. Maybe I should say I lead people through Nia Routines and I teach Nia?
Have you ever taken a dance class like I describe – the demo-do-type? Do you see the difference between two?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: BMES, dance class, dance floor, dance teacher, floorplay, Natural Time, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia five sensations, Nia participants, Nia routines, Nia students, Nia teachers | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 3, 2013
I have students who come to Nia that amaze and inspire me. After Nia class recently I saw someone walk out of class I wish I had talked to before they left. But they left before I could make it over to them. But then when I left they were still outside. It was a new student so I was so happy to be able to say hello and get their name. I realized later that I didn’t introduce myself, but at least I got their name. Anyway, we were talking about their participation in Nia and they shared one of the reasons why. It reminded me that exercise is a great way to help against depression. There are studies and research that go a long way in proving that exercise does the body good when combating depression. This is the Holiday season and some people get depressed. So getting up and moving is a great way to keep the blues at bay. I was so happy to hear this student being proactive and not letting the circumstances that have been presented get them down.
Exercise increases the production of endorphins, it also DECREASES stress hormones. So TWO things working at once. The decrease in stress hormones AND the increase in endorphins. Endorphins are the chemicals that make you feel good. So exercise makes you feel good. Endorphins also act as natural pain killers working to mask pain. Sometimes pain is a symptom of depression so in addition to just feeling good you are not in pain — two ways you are feeling good.
According to WebMD, one study — way back in 2005 — revealed that “30 minutes of moderately intense exercise five days a week reduced symptoms of depression by nearly half after 12 weeks”. This study was done at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Science Daily has a little article about how it is now believed that not only is exercise an effective way to treat depression it is also being considered as a way to prevent depression. Seems to me like that would be a given considering all the benefits one can receive from exercise. I mean, in addition to all the chemical reactions in the body you just have better stamina and/or mobility and/or strength and/or stability.
There is debate about what type of exercise, but what I am seeing is that it needs to affect the body . . . either get your heart pumping or your muscles changing. Both is fine too. It does not have to be extremely strenuous, but there should be a level of intensity that is not attained during your regular activities.
I would go out on a limb and say that most of us know exercise makes us feel better. I don’t think we need to read the studies that the researchers are writing. We have done it ourselves and KNOW without a doubt that working out makes us happy. I think that it helps even more if the workout is something you enjoy. But even if you are “doing time” on a treadmill it is better than sitting around.
So, again, I am so happily amazed by my students.
Often times the first thing that gets cut from a schedule when it starts to get busy is exercise. Don’t let that fall off your calendar.
What about you? Are you getting some exercise in? What type of exercise makes you happy?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: depression, endorphins, Holiday season, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia participants, Nia students, Nia workout, Science Daily, stress hormones, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 30, 2013
I am certain that I have mentioned the fact that Nia changes. Like many things it grows, it morphs, it improves, it changes, yet it remains the same. The basics stay the same. The core of it stays the same, but as time goes on it morphs. Sometimes it is the verbiage and the names of things, but it basically stays the same. It has been a year since I have taken the Nia Blue Belt Intensive. In that intensive we were given a Manual from August 2006 and while we were being trained we were told that a new manual was soon to be released along with some new ways of explaining, talking, and learning things. So part of what I quote here might be a little different from what is being taught now, but the idea and the process is the same. The process is Creating Space.
In an intensive, before every session we gather and create the space. This practice was discovered as something done in martial arts. Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, the creators of Nia, recognized its value and brought it into Nia. It is the responsibility of the participants to create the space. It is the responsibility of trainers to hold the space.
The Blue Belt Manual states: “Creating space is the conscious act of preparing the environment, which includes your body.”
It is an incredibly powerful act that enables an individual and a group to become prepared for receiving. It is — at its core — coming into stillness. In preparation for creating the space we use a prescribed process. There is a schedule that is kept. A bell is rung seven to ten minutes before we are to start creating the space. This allows for people to wrap up any conversations they might be involved in and to do any last minute things that need to be done. Then there is a five minute bell and another one at one minute. Then, the students create a circle in which we sit quietly while we create the space. The things we do is quiet the mind, stop the inner dialog and just let the mind rest and become open to hearing and receiving the teaching that is about to happen. The body is also stilled. The emotions are balanced and not taking over. We are connected to our higher self . . . the manual says, “open, but you are not seeking at the moment”.
A main point is to not allow for distractions of any kind. No physical distractions . . . that is one reason why we sit still. No mental distractions . . .that is one reason why we stop the inner dialog and the thinking. All four bodies, Body-Mind-Emotion-Spirit (BMES), are stilled.
The space we create is “a way to set up an energy environment that supports your practice and learning.” It really is a very helpful and powerful tool to help with the learning process. We continue to sit in the space until the trainer interrupts us by thanking us.
I believe that many things could benefit from the creation of space; a meeting, family dinner time, Nia classes, a yoga practice, any exercise, and many more. I think it is a good idea sometimes to clear your head and body of distractions in order to concentrate fully on the “task” at hand. I know that for me this practice really works well in the intensives.
Is this something that you think you could benefit from? What types of tasks or activities do you think you could create space for?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: BMES, Body-Mind-Emotion-Spirit, Carlos Rosas, creating space, Debbie Rosas, inner dialog, martial arts, Nia, Nia Blue Belt, Nia class, Nia creators, Nia Intensives, Nia manual, Nia participants, Nia Practice, Nia sessions, Nia students, Nia trainers | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 24, 2013
After Nia class once a month we meet for a visit. We walk to a coffee house and get a beverage. Some of us have coffee, some of us have tea, some of us have nothing, but that is not the point. The point is that we visit. It took almost two years for me to learn one of my students is a Naturopathic Doctor. As the teacher, often times I am busy with “teacher/business” duties. I miss some of the interaction and conversations that my students have. It is so fabulous to see friendships formed and conversations happen. But I wanted to be in on some of the conversations and I wanted my students to be able to share with each other as a group. I love when I can make a connection . . . when one person can meet the needs or desires of another. So, so, so fulfilling. It is difficult to learn about people while dancing . . . so an after-class visit is just the thing. Students can share what they do and what is going on in their lives and we can get to know each other a bit off of the dance floor. Also, I learn a lot of other things about my students and what they like about Nia.
I was sharing with one of my students something about the moves. I was using a specific example and I said, “You know when I am talking about because you were giggling.” And she said, “I was giggling because I messed up.” She said after we did the move over and over and over she was still getting it wrong and so she was laughing. She said messing up is one of her favorite parts of Nia. I LOVE that. I love that she “gets” that part of Nia. Nia is not about doing it right. Nia is about moving. Nia understands that sometimes for so many reasons, you just don’t get it. It could be a move you can normally do in your sleep but for some reason at that moment it is escaping you. Instead of getting upset and frustrated with yourself and STOPPING, embrace the mistake and keep moving. Use the opportunity to do the move in a totally different way. If you are still able to move with the count, but the choreography is escaping you for the moment, move in a different way but with the same count. If you are able to do the movement, but it is the count that you are having issues with, vary your speed even MORE. Go faster or slower . . . what have you got to lose, not the count because you’ve already lost that! Just IN JOY it, be in joy. Have fun.
I love, love, love that my student loves messing up. She embraces so much that is Nia. She takes that as an opportunity to play. To “be a kid again” and just not care. You know how kids are — before they are taught differently — they just move and dance in their own way and they don’t care what opinion people have. Also in the messing up and going with it, it is a lesson in letting go . . . . letting go of judgment, letting go of feeling you have to be perfect, letting go of making your body do something it is clearly not doing well – at the moment. It is freeing to just move the best you can.
Now this is different from Nia Free Dance. I mean Free Dance is where we are purposefully dancing to stimulate movement creativity, not dancing in a choreographed way. Where we don’t think and we just move. This, when you just can’t get a move and give into NOT getting it, is you dancing what you are capable at the moment in the choreography. Get through it then join back in. I would think you would keep trying to do it or continue with the modification you made, but it is not free dance. It is more of a embrace-the-mess-up-and-have-fun kind of dance.
I was just very happy to hear that she was ok with messing up. She was ok with allowing herself the freedom to not be perfect. She was embracing and celebrating movement for Joy and not for moving exactly like the choreography. She was having fun. Awesome!
So do you enjoy messing up in a situation like an dance workout class? Can you laugh it off and keep going? Can you allow yourself to dance your way and get back on track when you are able? Can you see the difference between this and Free Dance?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: be a kid again, coffee house, coffee visit, Free Dance, Free Dance Nia choreography, freedance, letting go, Naturopathic Doctor, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia connections, Nia Dance, Nia dancing, Nia fun, Nia schedule, Nia students, Nia Teacher, perfection, tea | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 27, 2013
I remembered the Goodie Jar check in! Yay! How about you? Are you remembering to put good things in that jar? I know that some weeks are easier to find good things than others, but that is part of this — to find good things to focus on even in the midst of the things that bring us down or try to keep that smiling from surfacing.
My birthday was last week so I received a few cards. As I was pulling the cards out of the envelopes to display — yes, I put up my cards — I realized what great goodie note paper the envelopes would make. As you may know not only am I filling my goodie jar, but I like to use colorful paper to document my good things. I like different shapes and sizes and textures. So to me it was a good thing to realize I could use the envelopes as paper for my jar. Yay! Now I will have bright pink, red, and yellow to add to the jar! And do some recycling!
Fun stuff.
One of the good things I have added to my jar is my Nia students — again! I know, huh? — this week the traffic was stopped as I tried to make my way to my Nia class. When I looked on the freeway as I was getting on I thought it was just slowed for a bit because there were signs that said, “Shoulder work”. The actually direction I need to travel is not visible from where I make the turn on to the entrance ramp. When I made the turn onto the actual road to enter, it was stopped. So I just got right back off. But every single street I drove on had construction. So at times two lanes were reduced to one lane. Every time I was near a freeway entrance I thought I would get on the freeway there, but, nope, the traffic was backed up. So I slowly made my way all the way across town via city streets. I kept thinking I would make it to class on time or really close to it, so I didn’t pull over to call. But finally I stopped to call and tell them I was on my way even though I was already late! I finally made it, I was twenty minutes late! And guess what? My students were still there! WOW! I was so humbled and grateful it was JUST what a person needs after spending over an hour on the road to make a 20 minute trip. My annoyance and embarrassment at being late was washed away by my understanding and eager-to-dance students. They said, “That’s ok. Let’s dance it away.” And we did. So grateful. Definitely a GOOD THING for my goodie jar.
I hope that you use this check in as a reminder to take a moment and think of the good things that you have experienced this week and make a note.
Well, how many were you able to think of?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: birthday, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Goodie Jar – Check In #31, Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia students, re-use, recycle, reduce, September birthday, traffic jam | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 31, 2013
I am really happy. This coming week marks a year that we have had Nia on Tuesday mornings at the Camden Community Center in San Jose. Workout classes – especially group exercise classes at city community centers – can come and go. I have been blessed with a small but very consistent group of individuals who are interested in gaining or retaining their health through movement. I am further blessed that some of my students who attend my Monday and Wednesday Nia classes have made it over to the community center. Nia on Tuesdays started on Tuesday, September 4, 2012. Our year class will be Tuesday, September 3, 2013.
I have been teaching Nia on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Willow Glen area of San Jose since February 2009. Most of the individuals that make up the Monday and Wednesday group have been coming for most of the four years and seven months. They too are a dedicated group of students that I appreciate. I rent the time at that location.
I am not sure if many classes at city community centers go on for years. So I am very happy that we have made it to the year mark. I think that as long as the students continue to attend we will have a class. I am hopeful that we will expand our numbers as we enter into our second year. This is the community center where the students requested a second class. There was an opening so their thinking was, “Why not fill it with Nia?” So they wrote a note asking the supervisor if they could have Nia in the time slot that has just opened. The supervisor is allowing us to give it a go. If, this story sound familiar it is because I wrote about it in my Goodie Jar – Check In #27 post in the beginning of the month. I was so excited that was definitely something that went into the Good Things Jar!
The Thursday class has started out with good numbers. Hopefully that class will grow too. It is made up of the core group from Tuesdays, but with a few different people. This past Thursday they were all very kind, patient, and understanding while my music and the player were not cooperating.
As with most dance exercise workouts it is really fun when there is music. While Nia can be done without music, it is nice to have music so that each individual can dance in their own way while we do the routine. The group was very nice and let me run to my car after three songs so I could get my boom box.
So, I am just grateful and sharing my gratitude. I am grateful to have great Nia students at all of my classes. And I am very grateful that the San Jose Parks and Recreation Department is allowing me to have two Nia classes. I am jumping for joy at our one year anniversary. I have actually been working for the city for over a year, but it took a couple of months to get a class. Yay us!
Here’s to our Nia class being one year old at the community center. Here’s to more to come! Thanks for sharing in my joy!
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Camden Community Center, city community centers, dance class, dance exercise, dedicated students, group exercise, health through movement, Nia, Nia class, Nia community, Nia Dance, Nia group, Nia joy, Nia San Jose, Nia students, One year anniversary, San Jose Community Centers, San Jose Nia, San Jose Parks and Recreation Department, Willow Glen Nia | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 30, 2013
You might have read that our cat is sick. She has been diagnosed with a chronic disease. Unfortunately to get to the point of knowing there is an issue and having it diagnosed the cat has to be really sick. The disease involves the digestive system and most of you know or can imagine what that means. So in order to keep any “messes” that might occur contained we had been confining the cat to the bathroom when we leave the house and while we are sleeping. This allowed for peace of mind on our parts and much easier clean up. As things started to improve and certain “messes” became less frequent, we would confine her to my office. I put cardboard over most of the carpet so that clean up would be easier. While the litter box visits were normalizing and become less frequent there was still some vomit issue. But in my office if the weather is not too hot, I would leave the windows open and there is just more room for her. Even though it was somewhat risky, in that any mess would have been more difficult to clean I thought it was nicer for her to be in a larger room and have windows. At first I left her in her only while I was teaching, but then we started allowing her to stay in my office overnight.
I just looked at my notes and it has not been as long as I thought. I thought we started confining her at the beginning of July, but it was the beginning of August. So it progressed faster than I thought. Either way, I think she was tired of having to stay in one room. Although she does it anyway on her own, not having a choice is always frustrating — even to a cat.
Anyway . . . . this long story just to say that last night was the first night since the beginning of August that we let the cat stay out. She was free to roam the house. I doubt she did much roaming, but at least she had the opportunity. So far she has not thrown up and I think we are on our way to controlling her symptoms. She has been eating a very healthy amount and I do believe gaining some weight.
So I have a few things to put in my good jar. In addition to our cat improving, the Nia class the Nia students asked for which started two weeks ago on Thursday mornings is doing well. Our weather this summer has been awesome. Although it is going to be hot over the Labor Day Weekend least it has not been hot all summer long.
So how is your Good Things Jar doing? Is it getting full?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: chronic disease, good things, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Goodie Jar – Check In #29, Labor Day, Nia class, Nia students, sick cat | Leave a Comment »
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