Posts Tagged ‘Nia Teacher’
Posted by terrepruitt on November 15, 2012
I recently participated in the intensive that is the second level of training in the Nia practice. Nia trainings are called intensives which is a great thing because it gives you an idea of what the training will be like —– INTENSE! The second level is Blue Belt. Nia borrows from other practices and uses belts and colors to signify levels. The levels are White, Blue, Brown, and Black. There is a Green for teachers that can be taken at anytime after white. Part of the reason the trainings are intense is that they are over 50 hours of instruction. The instruction includes lectures, dancing, participatory exercises, and workout classes. Each level of the practice has its own focus, intent, and principles (except Green). The Blue Belt focus is Communication, Relationship, and Intimacy. While the concentration is on how these things relate to Nia it is probably easy to imagine how lessons involving these three things can be related to everyday life. Since the training CAN be related to life outside of teaching Nia there are many people who take the intensives with no intent of teaching. You might also be able to imagine how the focus can apply to many things in relation to Nia. One way is how a Nia teacher communicates with a class, the teacher’s relationship with the choreography, and intimacy to the music. This is just one little facet of the focus. I am sharing it to give you an idea of what the focus of “Communication, Relationship, and Intimacy” means.
The intent of the focus is to energize personal connection through self-discovery and communication by following The Body’s Way. Since Nia is a body based practice we do our learning through the body. As I mentioned in my I’m Blue, But No Tears Here post we were shown how to use the Nia 5 Stages or the Developmental Anatomy to answer questions about what stage we are in when learning something new. Very amazing. This is the part that I need to practice — really listening to my body and believing what it is telling me. The believing part will take examination time . . . I’ll have to really figure out why my body says I am in one stage where I might THINK I am in another. I might think I am in the beginning stage, embryonic, but my body might say I am in the crawling stage. For me this means I need to pay attention to the details of what I actually know and what I still need to learn. I could know 11 out of 15 things, but since the 15th thing seems to be so big to me, I might think I am just beginning whereas it turns out I know over 73%. All part of the communication, relationship, and intimacy!
Also this training has familiar things you might have heard of in other trainings, for instance: pay attention to what you sense, feel, think, and have within you then communicate accordingly. I know that this type of idea has been taught in corporate trainings as an effective way to communicate. A Nia related example would be: Knowing the choreography and really know how to do the 52 moves, then having an intimate relationship with the music which will allow you to clearly communicate to the Nia participants.
I can almost talk myself into circles because it is all relates so well and ties in together and just connects. The more I type the more things I think of so I really have to concentrate on just a tiny portion so my sharing does not get so confusing. I am trying to share to clarify. I want you to want more. I want to understand that in addition to a great workout, Nia has stellar training and continued education.
Can you see how Communication, Relationship, and Intimacy is important for a teacher?
Posted in Blue Belt, Nia | Tagged: Blue Belt Focus, communication, Developmental Anatomy, Green Belt, Intimacy, Nia 5 Stages, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia Intensive, Nia Music, Nia Practice, Nia Teacher, Nia trainings, Nia workout, Relationship, the body's way | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 6, 2012
I love teaching Nia, but it does not earn as much as my corporate job. I have always loved shopping for Christmas presents. I am a catalog shopper. My hubby and I tend to watch the same movies over and over, so while we are watching V For Vendetta for the 50th time, I will thumb through a catalog. Plus at one time catalog shopping was not that common and very unique items could be acquired that way. Now with the internet you can get anything from anywhere so many things are not as unique. I don’t shop that much any longer. My friends, family, and I are very blessed and we have enough, so I don’t buy them all the cute decorations any longer. I try to stick to stuff that will be used, sometimes I really feel strongly about something that might not rank up there in usefulness so I succumb, but mostly we try to keep it useful. I am not one to go out and do my shopping all at once. To me that makes it a chore. I like to do my shopping throughout the year. So I just look and if I see something that I think someone will like, I get it. For me that also helps out with the I-don’t-make-corporate-bucks because it spreads the cost out over the year. One problem with shopping all year long is I don’t have a lot of space to put stuff because I have so much stuff. So I end up putting it in odd places wherever it will fit. Yes, I have forgotten about things. Just recently I gave someone a birthday present I bought for her years ago because I forgot about it. Found it. Forgot about it. Found it again . . . and you get the picture. Which leads me to my point — yes, I have a point! Instead of keeping a list of what I have gotten over the year I have been taking pictures. I am finding this to be much easier to keep track. I can just glance at the picture and remember exactly what I got for whom.
I must not have taken very good notes in the past because I would look at the list and think, “What? What kind of ‘funny T-shirt’ did I get him?” Then I would have to go look at the actual shirt to know which one I got so I didn’t buy the same thing. I mean I bought it once it would make sense that I would be attracted to it again right. And yes, you would think I could remember what I bought, but sometimes if stuff is on sale you buy it, then months later you remember you like it but forgot you bought it. So I am finding that this picture record keeping is working very well.
For some people I buy a few things, so I just piled it all together and took the picture and labeled that picture “So and so”. So now I know if I am “done” with that person’s give buying or if I want to get a few more things. Then I have all the pictures in one folder on my computer and I just pop in there to see, “Did I by her something already or not?” So much easier than trying to decipher my list.
Also with the picture I can snap a shot of where I have hidden the item so I won’t forget that either! Yeah, I have done that too, I know I have purchased it but I can’t remember where I stashed it. Yeah, I should just clean out a closet and have a designated space, but . . . . for now I have adopted this new method that seems to be working just great!
Do you shop early for Christmas gifts? Are you a Christmas Eve shopper? Do spread out your gift buying?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: 5th of November, catalog shopper, Christmas gifts, Christmas presents, Christmas shopping, corporate job, keeping track of gifts, Nia, Nia Teacher, V for Vendetta | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 23, 2012
I love the grocery store that is near the facility in San Jose where I teach Nia on Tuesdays. Right after Nia class I can easily stop by because it is literally on the way home. It seems so new because it is fresh and clean! They have a very large produce department. Today I purchased some dandelions greens. Yeah, I bought a weed. You might know that I have mentioned that different plants fall into different botanical families and how we might think of it as a vegetable but it is really a fruit according to the world of botany. I have shared how I cannot keep track of that. Well, I am going to have to start at least when it comes to greens. Apparently when you eat a lot of greens over an extended period of time you risk eat high level of toxin. It is important to rotate the family of greens.
The science behind it is that plants, what we call greens have a survival mechanism where they contain small levels of toxins. These toxins are contained in the plant in order to keep the entire crop from being depleted. The toxins build up in the body and cause reactions. So that keeps them from being eating in large quantities. The toxins are specific to a family of greens. Here are some families and the vegetables/greens that belong to them:
Plant Family: Brassicaceae/Cruciferae (cruciferous vegetables) – kale, collards, arugula, cabbage, bok choy, radish greens, mustard greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, turnip root greens, rutabaga, daikon
Plant Family: Amaranthaceae/ Chenopodiacea Family (beet family) – beet greens, beet root, spinach, chard, beets
Plant Family: Asteraceae – Romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, leaf lettuce, escarole
Plant Family: Apiaceae (carrot family) – carrots, parsley, cilantro, anise, celery, chervil, cumin, dill, fennel, parsnip,
Plant Family: Poaceae – wheatgrass
I’ve been mixing a bitter green, such as kale, with a mild green, such as baby bok choy or spinach. Now according to the families it’s ok to mix the kale with the baby bok choy, but if I want to rotate my greens by doing it between the different families then I shouldn’t mix kale and spinach. For me I think rotating between different families and keeping them separate will be easier than try to track two families then switch to another, but we will see. I love spinach and baby bok choy so I think it would be better for me to keep them separate so that I can have one or the other more often.
I have yet to try lettuce in a smoothie. As I mentioned, I just bought my dandelion greens and I have not used them because I have a large amount of spinach I want to try to make a dent in first. I did read they are bitter so, maybe this will be an opportunity for me to try lettuce in a smoothie. I feel that mixing a bitter green with a mild green cuts the bitter so that is what I have been doing. The information I have seen said that spinach is mild and that is what people start with so I was using that as my “mixer”. But now I will try to use something from the same family in order to keep with my plan of rotating between families.
I don’t know that I am really so concerned about these toxins building up to unsafe levels because I think I do a good job of switching, but this type of information gives me an extra push to really work to get the variety of greens in my smoothies. I mean aside from wanting to have more greens I do think of my smoothies as a way to get nutrients from greens that I would not normally eat. As an example, I eat spinach all the time so it is good to for me to “have” to branch out with some of these other greens. A good variety of fruits and vegetables is how we get the most nutrients out of our food.
Also, having this information is good because if you do start feeling ill/off you could look to this information to see if you are consuming too much of one thing and it may be the cause.
Do you rotate your greens? How do you do it?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: baby bok choy, beet family, beet greens, bitter greens, collards, cruciferous vegetables, dandelion greens, family of greens, green smoothies, Kale, Nia class, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Rotating greens, San Jose Nia, spinach, survival mechanism, toxic greens | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 16, 2012
I stopped at the grocery store today on the way home from teaching my Tuesday morning Nia class for the City of San Jose and I had to stop myself from buying mushrooms. I love mushrooms. It would be nice to enjoy some mushrooms this week, but I have way too many other veggies from both the organic box that was delivered and from my trip to the Berryessa Farmers market. I need to make sure we eat those vegetables and don’t need to buy more . . . although I did by additional greens. When I went to the Farmers market I went to buy greens, but didn’t see any I wanted to I ended up with other veggies. I have gone to the store for spinach. So many greens means we don’t need the mushrooms. Which is fine because we have had them twice in the past seven days, so we will survive. We usually have them at least once a week. I always wash my mushrooms. If I don’t buy them already cut I wash them. If I buy them already cut it is too difficult to wash them. And I’ve learned that sliced mushrooms must be used the day I purchase them or the very next day. They cannot sit in the fridge for a couple of days. When I buy whole mushrooms I wash them. There are many, many, many who say not to wash mushrooms. Some say there is no need, while others give specific reasons as to why not to wash them. The reasons I hear for NOT washing them is that they absorb too much water or they will taste woody.
Well, I have always washed my mushrooms just because I like the thought of getting matter in which they grow off before I eat them. 😉 And a long time ago, about twelve years ago, I saw Alton Brown on Good Eats do an experiment that showed mushrooms really don’t absorb that much water when they are washed. It was a little, but not enough in his (and my) opinion to affect the mushroom. If you would like to see the weighing and washing for yourself it is on YouTube. Good Eats S02E13 The Fungal Gourmet. Alton starts talking about the waterlog theory about 2:30 into the video and true to the silliness of the show, he doesn’t actually get to the result until 3:50.
Some people still prefer to just use a brush to get the clods of dirt off the mushrooms. Some people use a damp cloth or a damp paper towel and wipe the mushrooms. I really like to wash them. Sometimes as I am working to get the dirt off they start to peel, it is as if they have an outer layer that just peels right off. When that happens that feels like a REALLY clean mushroom. It shed its outer skin. Now that I think about it, I think I am going to start running the sliced ones under water. Why I haven’t been all along I don’t know.
So what about you? Do you wash your mushrooms?
Posted in Food | Tagged: Alton Brown, Berryessa Farmer’s Market, Farmers Market, Good Eats, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, teaching classes for the City of San Jose, The Fungal Gourmet, washing mushrooms, wet mushrooms | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 9, 2012
As I have shared with you before, there are four different levels to Nia Training; White, Blue, Brown, Black. These are trainings anyone can take. Each level has its own focus, intent, and principles. You do not have to be interested in teaching. If you are interested in teaching and hold a current license there is an additional level, Green, that may be taken. The Green belt does not have its own principles because it focuses on teaching skills. I have been a White Belt since December 2008. In November 2012, I am going to be turning blue. The focus for the Blue Belt is Communication, Relationship and Intimacy with the intent to energize personal connection through self-discovery and communication by following The Body’s Way. I’m excited to see all that entails. I do know that when I stepped into my White Belt I had NO IDEA the type of training I would be receiving. I thought that I would spend 40 hours learning routines and learning how to teach. But that is not what it was. The White Belt is currently about (Focus) physical sensation with the intent to embody the foundation of Nia. Back in 2008 is was (focus) the physical body, the anatomy of the body, the Nia Technique, and the Nia moves. Which did not equate to learning routines. I can’t wait to see what the Blue Belt Intensive has in store.
Nia’s training is very intense. It is very deep. It is very detailed, well-thought out, well presented, and well documented. Recently a graduating Green Belt said it was “stellar”. That is a great description.
Per the main Nia website the description for the Blue Belt states:
“Blue Belt, the second level of Nia education, explores how to create healthy relationships through body-centered communication. This intensive introduces the next set of 13 Nia principles, which focus on the mental, emotional and spiritual realms of the body. While the White Belt curriculum focuses entirely on awareness of physical sensation, Blue Belt applies these skills to explore internal sensations as perceived through – but distinct from – physical sensations in the body.
Blue Belt Principle #1: The Joy of Being in Relationship, integrates the sensation of Joy with the awareness that Joy is something outside the self, which we can invite into our physical experience. As a result, we begin to deepen our ability to listen with clarity and sustain awareness of details outside our body.“
If you have never been to a Nia Intensive it is impossible to describe, but I know it will be wonderful. I know I will learn a lot. I know that it is what I need because it is happening, so I am going to do my best to keep my energy allies present along with having a beginner’s mind so that I am able to get all that I can out of it. You know that I will be sharing a lot when I get back. I am so excited to be changing from White to Blue. Just because I am moving to the next level doesn’t mean there won’t more posts about White Belt things, there is still a lot to share and learn about the White Belt, I will just have that much more to share!
Can I get a, “Woohoo Blue!”
**update: I forgot to clarify and tie in to my title, silly me! First I went Green as in drinking green smoothies and now I am going Blue. I have not yet taken the Nia Green Belt. I am hoping that there will be one in this area again. There has only been one.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 13 Nia principles, beginner's mind, Black Belt, Blue Belt, Brown Belt, communication, Energy Allies, focus and intent, Green Belt, https://terrepruitt.com/2010/03/30/energy-allies/, Nia Belt levels, Nia Blue Belt Intensive, Nia Intensive, Nia license, Nia Teacher, Nia training, Nia website, NiaNow.com, relationships, White Belt | 12 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 22, 2012
Since I am still busy with my Nia classes and I have my Zumba teaching debut coming up, it really helps to have produce delivered. I know Nia and Zumba instructors that can learn a routine in an afternoon and teach it that night. I am not one of those teachers. It takes me a long time, so something that saves me a trip to the store is awesome. But then I do spend a little time trying to figure out what to do with the new-to-me produce. I also like to look up the nutrition. One thing I didn’t remember when I received my beets is that the beet greens can be eaten. I forgot about my own post Borscht Is Beets and I just chopped them off and threw them away. Now I know. I do have faith that beets have more nutrition than dirt, but I don’t actually know the nutrition value of dirt, so I really am just going off of faith.
As a reminder beets have anti-inflammatory affects along with antioxidant properties. According to World’s Healthiest Food website here are some numbers on a cup of raw beet:
1.00 cup raw
136.00 grams
58.48 calories
folate 148.24 mcg
manganese 0.45 mg
fiber 3.81 g
potassium 442.00 mg
vitamin C 6.66 mg
tryptophan 0.03 g
magnesium 31.28 mg
iron 1.09 mg
phosphorus 54.40 mg
copper 0.10 mg
The website states that the phytonutrients in beets are called betalains and the longer the beets are cooked, the less there are in the root. They “recommend that you keep beet steaming times to 15 minutes or less, and roasting times under an hour.” So some of the nutritional value is higher the less they are cooked. I had mentioned something similar in my Borscht post.
The paper that comes with the produce I have delivered states that the beets were gold beets. Being unfamiliar with beets I say, “Ok.”, but they were not yellow. They were deep red/purple — as you can see. And I KNOW, I have seen yellow beets before. I had a co-worker who loved beets and she would eat them in all the colors. Maybe the yellow ones aren’t called gold beets and these really were gold beets? I don’t know. The red and yellow pigment in beets lose their “super powers” the more the beets are cooked.
Since I have had my first foray into cooking beets and making something with beets I think I can do it again. I know I just made a salad, but it wasn’t terrible. I think I need to move onto something my husband just loves. In fact when I asked him if he liked beets he said yes and he reminded me that he loves borscht. I forgot he loved borscht and I forgot I posted about it. So I think I will actually purchase some beets and give it a try.
This is exactly one of the reasons I chose to have a produce box delivered. I never would have bought beets — obviously since back in January 2011 I talked about them and STILL haven’t done it. So now it is one of the things I can add to our list of vegetables for us to eat. I have the tendency to buy the same vegetables over and over even though I know variety is good. I just don’t buy it if I don’t know what to do with it. But when it lands on my doorstep, I feel as if I have to find something to do with it. I am so excited to be expanding my produce horizons. I also love that so many people have ideas on what to do with these new-to-me items.
Do any of you like Borscht? Do you have a recipe for it?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, beets, borscht, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia instructor, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, organic produce, teaching debut, World's Healthiest Food, yellow beets, Zumba, Zumba classes, Zumba instructor, Zumba teacher | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 13, 2012
Zumba is astronomically popular. The marketing and “it’s a party” advertising has attracted MILLIONS of people. My first few Zumba classes were fun but I left feeling as if Zumba was not a very safe product. Not all the classes contained a warm up and a cool down. Most had no instruction, just the teacher pointing and making other hand signals I was not familiar with. After having taken the required Zumba Instructor Training, I see that the Zumba Fitness Program is constructed to be safe and meets with the general fitness guidelines. It could have been that the classes I had taken were not following the program with the prescribed class format.
A standard guideline for fitness classes that is considered safe for the general pubic is 10 to 15 minutes warm-up and at least a 5 minute cool down. Since Zumba is marketed as being something everyone can do, the program incorporates these guidelines. Zumba instructors are trained to follow this set formula for the safety of all participants. It is understood that many people who attend a workout class come in “cool”, it could even be that their muscles and bodies have been in one position for most of the day. Muscles need to warm up and get blood flowing in order for there to be less risk of injury. A warm up is necessary for the body, it is also nice for the brain so that one can “shake off” the happenings of the day and embrace the workout that is ahead.
In addition to the Zumba Fitness Program following the standard fitness guidelines in regards to a warm up, a “formula” for the warm-up section of the class was created. The formula has three components, and if they are used correctly they should allow for a nice smooth transition into the remainder of the class. The warm up is built into the Zumba Fitness class model to prepare you for the bulk of the class. The bulk of the class, as you may know, has a very unique formula.
Zumba was not created to be an elite fitness class, it was meant for everyone to enjoy themselves. There are moves and steps to follow, but each participant is allowed to add their own style and their own “flavor” — as it is called in the Zumba world. That means not everyone will be doing it the exact same way. Not everyone can shake their hips as the instructors do on the training DVDS and I don’t think anyone is as loose a Beto.
While I was taking the Zumba Instructor training I kept wondering if the creator of Zumba, Alberto “Beto” Perez and the co-creator of Nia, Carlos AyaRosas know each other, even though one is from Columbia and the other one is from Mexico. Some of the same ideas and philosophies are in both exercise/fitness programs. To me they have a lot of ideas in common. I had no idea how similar the programs were until I attended the Zumba Instructor training.
I have posted a bit in the past about Zumba because people are familiar with what Zumba is but not with what Nia is so they often ask me for comparisons so they can understand. Well, in the past my answers were coming from the perspective of a Nia Teacher who had taken a few Zumba classes. Now my answers and my comparisons will be from an instructor of both Nia and Zumba. So I will be posting more about Zumba in the future. I will be sharing and clarifying a bit about the actual Zumba Fitness Program. I will also be doing my best at delivering the Zumba Fitness Program making my Zumba Fitness classes fun and accessible for everyone.
I’ll see you in class!
Posted in Zumba | Tagged: Beto Perez, Carlos AyaRosas, class format, class model, exercise program, general fitness guidelines, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Teacher, Zumba, Zumba cool down, Zumba Fitness, Zumba Fitness class model, Zumba Fitness Classes, Zumba Fitness Instructor, Zumba Fitness Program, Zumba formula, Zumba instructor, Zumba Instructor Training, Zumba party, Zumba warm up | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 23, 2012
S
o tomorrow marks our fourth box of produce delivered. Since I have been subbing Nia for a lot of other classes this month, I really appreciate not having to go to the store every other day. But it seems like two of the boxes I was too busy to cook/eat/deal with right away. But for the most part we go through the veggies and fruit rather quickly. I haven’t really received too much that is new to me. We received some tomatoes that were an odd color to me. They were red, but they were a very deep red. Except for the one that had a big moldy hole in it, they were very good. I realized a while ago when I started trying to eat tomatoes that I don’t like the jelly part with the seeds. I like the firm fleshy part. These tomatoes had more fleshy parts then “jelly” part. They were very good. So far, despite some quality that I would not have picked from the grocery store or a farmers market, I am really happy with the Farm Fresh To You deliver.
The two things I had a problem with was the moldy hole in the tomato and the lettuce that was already wilted and was so “on the verge” that it left a green ugly smudge of itself on the box that the produce comes in. Any fruit delivered is always finished first – YUM! I love the plums I get from my in-laws, I don’t know what kind they are, but they are dark and sweet. But I loved the ones I got in the second box too. They had a flavor that brought back childhood memories of summer fruit. The nectarines were good too. Aside from the wilted lettuce I love their lettuce. It is soft and not bitter. But I could use a lettuce delivery more than once a week, so once every other week is really not enough. I believe one week the list said we would get a lemon cucumber. I was looking forward to that, but I didn’t get it. I did get the broccoli rabe which I had never had before, but it didn’t any different that brocoli. A little more tender, I suppose.
The third box had pluots in it. They were good too. I even shared one with my husband. The pear you see was a substitute. We were supposed to get a lemon delivered and we did not because I asked not to received any lemons. We have a lemon tree and while the one they were going to send was a different kind I don’t use lemons as it is so I didn’t need another one. My husband likes pears so that works. The cucumbers were awesome. So crisp and flavorful. I really like their cucumbers. Unfortunately I forgot about the eggplants, so while we ate them we did not eat them at their peak and I did a little disguise technique on them, just in case. Now those peppers, Shishito peppers . I don’t even know what those are. I looked them up online to verify that they were not hot before I tried one. They information said “sweet” so I tasted one. That has got to be one of the most bitter things I have ever tasted. So they are still sitting on my counter. They will probably sit there until I have to throw them away because I don’t know what to do with them. I will keep an eye out for those on the list and if they pop up again say, “NO THANK YOU!!!!”
So that is my produce delivery update. I am a little bummed that I have not received anything out of the ordinary. I guess I could just got BUY something myself at a Farmer’s Market that is out of the ordinary, but I am really not included to do that. So I was hoping to get if “forced” on my. Anyway, every time I cook or make something and my husband says, “This is REALLY good.” I point out that it is most likely because of our yummy organic produce that we are having delivered. He had even suggested we get it delivered more often. I have been entertaining that idea. But there are a lot of options so I have to think about it. Could be awhile before I decide. I mean it took me years to get this far, but now that I did it I am glad I did.
How about you? Any exciting summer fruit or veggie make it to your table this season?
Posted in Food | Tagged: Farm Fresh to You, Farmers Market, lemon cucumer eggplant, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, organic fruit, Organic produce delivery, organic vegetables, pluots, Shishito peppers, substitute Nia | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 9, 2012
It has been over three years since I posted about foam rollers. I know I post a lot about Nia because I teach it, but I am surprised I have not followed up with some additional posts about foam rollers. I think they might have become more common since my last post. I have seen them in gyms now, whereas I had not seen them there before. They have moved into mainstream exercise and are not just for the more therapeutic type of movements forms. It is nice to see them being used more frequently because they are a great piece of exercise equipment. They are affordable and portable. A great combination for exercise equipment. Typically they are 4 inches or 6 inches in diameter and they are 12 to 32 inches long. They are used in their whole form – round – or cut in half length wise. The different lengths are used for different things . . . obviously. So goes for the whole round or the half round.
Since the foam roller is a great tool to use for people ranging from “new-to-exercise” to serious athletes it is nice to have a variety of them. The halved rollers can be used in the beginning of an exercise program to allow the body to be accustomed to standing on a rounded surface. The flat sides would be placed on the ground while you stand on the rounded sides. This could be used as a first step in a conditioning progression. Flipping the rollers over and using them on carpet could be used as the next step. The halved rollers flat side up on carpet. The carpet would help keep the rounded side of the rollers from being really slippery. Then the progression could be the halved rollers on a hard smooth surface. The smooth surface of the floor would provide the additional challenge. Next graduating to the long halved roller. You could start on carpet then once mastered move the roller to a smooth surface. Eventually moving on to the whole roller.
That is just an example of how the foam rollers can be used for more than just stretching. Standing on foam rollers in the aforementioned progression would be a way to improve core strength and balance. And that was just a quick and easy example. There are many things that can be added to the information above to either make it easier or more difficult and/or to lengthen the progression.
So foam rollers are not just for stretching and improving flexibility and mobility they can be used for improving strength, coordination, and balance. They are a great thing to add to an exercise program. There are a lot of different exercise you can do with them. I am not going to wait another three years to share some of them with you. I am going to be posting some in my next few posts. So stay tuned.
Have you seen foam rollers in your gym? Have you seen people do exercises with them? Do you exercise with a foam roller?
Posted in Exercise and Working Out | Tagged: exercise program, foam roller exercises, foam roller posts, foam roller stretches, Foam rollers, foam rollers in gyms, improve balance, improve coordination, improve core strength, improve flexibility, improve mobility, Nia, Nia Teacher | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 4, 2012
I have a confession to make. It is one I might have even confessed before. I know I have done it before. It is easy for me to get caught up. I want to please people. I want the supervisor to know that I am working to keep the students IN the class. I want the students attending the class to like it and want to be there. When you are a substitute instructor leading a different format than is usually taught it is very different from when you are teaching a class of the expected format. Many people are taught that cardio – aerobic exercise – is extremely fast, high impact, and difficult so it is very hard to change that mindset. I was asked by someone who understands both the fact that cardio does not have to be extremely fast or high impact and that people are trained to think it is, if I could do Nia a little higher because people expect cardio to be a specific way. So caught up in wanting to give the students what they are accustomed to getting I put together a routine . . . kind of rushed . . . that didn’t have ALL the elements that a Nia class normally has. It was not good. It felt “off”. I was trying to make Nia something it is not. Nia is not Zumba. Nia is not Cardio-Sculpt. Nia is not extremely fast, rushed, and high impact. Nia is not Jazzercise. Nia is not UJAM. Nia is not all of or any of these other names that there are for classes that are fast, rushed, and high impact. Nia is an amazing practice. Nia is a great workout. Nia is a wonderful cardio dance exercise. And I need to stop trying to make it be something it is not just because people are used to cardio a specific way.
So I did a routine that didn’t feel right to me. I thought I would get up the next morning and do the same routine for the class I was asked at the last minute to sub, I was going to try to “bring it” to the students. As I was getting into bed a little agitated from the “not feeling right class”, it washed over me like a refreshing revelation . . . . DO NIA! Duh! Bring “IT”, and make that “IT” Nia. I got caught up and in my trying to bring the students what they are used to, I didn’t allow them the richness of something new. The richness of Nia.
Now, I want you to understand that the Nia Technique creates wonderful routines and all we teachers have to do is learn them and teach them. But we are also allowed to use other music, make up our own routines, mix and match the routines they have created, and make up our own katas. Of course, we need to follow the Nia class formula and the seven cycles which contain the traditional warm-up, move it, and cool-down. I also think when creating a routine/class – in general – it should be balanced; as an example not all songs/movements should be lateral ones or forward and back ones, there should be a mix of movement and the 52 Nia moves. I create routines from Nia routines all the time. So it was not the fact that I put songs together that created the not feeling right routine, it was ME. It was ME trying to make Nia something it is not.
I need to center myself. I need to stick to what I know and not try to give people the class they are used to. I KNOW Nia is amazing and awesome and does need to try to be anything it is not. I KNOW THAT. I just get caught up.
Another point I want to make is, I am not saying those other formats are bad. In fact, I like some of the other formats I have tried. One of these days I might even teach another cardio format. I am saying Nia is Nia, it is not any of the other formats and I need to remember that and let it stand on its own. I need to remember to trust Nia and allow it to touch the people it needs to touch and let the others attend the other dance classes. I need to remember that when I am asked to sub a class I am going to sub it with Nia and not try to make Nia be what that class usually is. I keep thinking to myself, “DUH!”
Thank you for letting me confess and do a public face-in-the-hand-plant!
Do you EVER do that in any section of your life – try to make something be something else even though what you have is just perfect the way it is?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 52 Nia Moves, aerobic dance class, cardio, Cardio-Sculpt, class format, dance exercise, dance format, exercise format, fast formats, high impact, Jazzercise, Nia, Nia Music, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia student, Nia Teacher, substitute instructor, Ujam, Zumba, Zumba routines | 4 Comments »
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