Terre Pruitt's Blog

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

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Posts Tagged ‘Nia Teacher’

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Yoga Bodies

Posted by terrepruitt on May 2, 2016

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitRecently I attended a yoga class just to observe.  Sometimes just observing is difficult because the desire to get up and participate is often there.  But I thought this class was beyond my level of doing.  I like slow mindful classes.  I am not a fan of the speed of a flow class.  I also know this teacher to be a bit of a tough cookie.  And I have come to the studio AFTER this class – in the past – and the participants are just dripping and wobbly legged, so I had never thought to participate before.  So . . . I thought that observing would be a piece of cake.  There would be no desire to jump to participate.  Now, let me explain this “observing,” it is for me to become a better teacher.  I am not there to judge or criticize the students nor the teacher.  But I am there to gain knowledge.  Observe how one sequences a class.  To observe how assistance is given.  To observe the yoga teacher’s pacing and volume.  To learn by observing.  I have three separate papers for three separate types of notes.  I have POSES, for poses I want to either do myself or bring to my classes.  I have Cues and Things I want to bring to my classes.  And I have just notes that I will refer back to.  While I was doing my best to listen and look without staring at the participants I got a little misty eyed.  My breath caught in my throat and I thought, “Damn!  Bodies are beautiful!”

You probably know I have a tendency to ramble on and on when all I really wanted to tell you is –  if you want to learn yoga stop staring at the Yoga Journal, stop looking at models on websites – GO TO A CLASS TO OBSERVE!!!!!  Look at REAL people DOING yoga.  Look at REAL bodies doing yoga.  Just watch, just observe, don’t judge.  We do this in Nia all the time, we call it witnessing.  We “witness” without judgment.  So just go to a class and witness.  Appreciate what you see.  Notice the strength.  Notice the weakness.  Notice the flexibility.  Notice the stiffness.  Notice the intention.  Notice the determination.  Notice the frustration.  Notice the effort.  Notice the triumphs.  Notice the concentration.  Notice the distraction.  Notice the trying.  Notice it all!

I was struck by it all when I looked up and saw someone in a pose perfectly.  I thought, “Dang.  I will glance back over throughout the class because that is awesome and I want to see more of that.”  Then I looked back a few poses later and I thought the person had moved spots because what I saw was misery.  The person could barely get into the pose.  And the next person was Yoga Journal perfect whereas they couldn’t do the previous pose.  A few of the people I noticed in pose “perfection” in one pose were in the total opposite of perfection in other poses.  The class was full of perfect poses and not perfect poses . . . all at different times by the same and by different people.  And I wanted to jump up and join in!

This was not a beginner class, it was a class of real people doing yoga in real bodies.  Some bodies whose arms are not long enough to hold the foot when the leg is extended.  Some bodies whose hamstrings are too tight or too short to do a straight legged fold.  Some bodies whose bones or bodies get in the way.   Bodies that come to class and do real yoga.

The models in the magazine and on the websites more-than-likely were chosen to do that particular pose because they can.  Their limbs are just the right length to do the poses.  Could also be that the model only did that one pose or was put into that pose whereas in a yoga class there is a sequence and it could be that by the time you get half way through your muscles are tired and so the poses might not be picture perfect.  Yoga is a practice not a photo.

So, while there are correct and more importantly SAFE ways to do the asana try not to get caught up in doing it “perfect” or doing it exactly like someone in a magazine.  Do what you can and keep practicing.  Remember to breath.

Namaste~

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

My Cootie Catcher For Nia

Posted by terrepruitt on April 22, 2016

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitIn my last post I told you how I was recently reminded of the Cootie Catcher.  I explained how you can make your own.  Did you?  What did you use it for?  Well, I also mentioned that I would be using mine for picking a focus and an intent for Nia class.  Well, I used it today and I liked it.  It worked.  In Nia we set a focus and an intent for each class, which allows us so many different things.  It could help us move differently to a familiar routine, it could allow us to help work out some kinks in the body and mind, it can do many things.  It is a powerful tool in the Nia tool box.  Most often I ask my students if they have anything they would like to focus on.  Then we go from there deciding an intent.  One of the most requested focuses is shoulders.  So many of us hold tension in our shoulders.  Rarely is there a time when no one has something they want to focus on, but I thought it would be fun to mix it up giving us an alternative for picking the focus of the class.  Plus I thought it would be a good way to get some focuses in use that we don’t use that often.  So I made a cootie catcher to assist us.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI wrote four of the seven Nia Class cycles on the outside.  I used the number of the cycle.  Warm-up is cycle 3, Get Moving is cycle 4, Cool Down is cycle 5, and Floorplay is cycle 6.  I could have just used numbers but I wanted to remind people that Nia has cycles.  I wish I could have used all seven.  So we have someone pick the cycle, then we open and close the catcher that number of times.  Then someone picks a focus or I might have them choose a number . . . that way they won’t really know what focus they are picking.  Ha, I will probably do it both ways.  Anyway . . .we now have our focus.  Then the catcher is opened and closed as many times as the corresponding number.  Then someone picks another number and we open that triangle and read the intent that is behind it and that is our intent for the class.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitToday in class we picked Natural Time . . . to empower us to connect with our body.  NICE!

Each focus can work nicely with each intent.  So no matter what combination is picked it will work.

You may notice the underlining on the focuses (Joints is underlined, Extension is underlined), originally I was going to use the words, spelling them out to open and close the catcher, but I decided to go with the numbers.  But again, I might try that way, too.  There are so many ways you can do it.  That is one thing that makes it so fun!

There are many ways we can decide on a focus and intent, this is just one.  If you are going to make one to use to help with a focus and intent you need FOUR things for the outside (that is where I put the cycles).  Then you need EIGHT focuses and EIGHT intents.  So that would be the same formula for anything you are going to use the catcher for.  Four, eight, eight.

I would love to make more and have all kinds of different focuses and intents.  So, you Nia teachers and Nia students, share with me your favorite focus and intent!

 

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Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

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

Try Something Other Than What You Want

Posted by terrepruitt on February 17, 2016

I know I have said that if you are trying an exercise class go at least three times before you decide you don’t like it.  Have you seen me say that before?  I think that in order for you to decide you honestly don’t like it you need to try it at least three times.  I think there are enough factors in a group exercise class that you have to experience it more than once to make an educated decision.  I also think that sometimes what you want is not what you need, so you might want to step out into the unknown.

As I said there are many reasons not to like a class, if you think it is the instructor, don’t condemn the whole modality.  If you go to a Jazzercise class and the instructor runs around the room shouting encouragement at individuals and that is not your style, try a different teacher.  If the Zumba teacher only plays one type of music instead of sticking to the Zumba formula, try a different teacher . . . but it doesn’t seem fair to you nor Zumba if you claim you don’t like Zumba.  If you can, it is really nice to give that instructor another chance, but time is short and so sometimes that might not be the answer.  Every teacher has her own style and it might not be one you like, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t like the exercise.

Also keep in mind that you are only seeing one routine, and those change.  If you go to a Nia class and think you don’t like it, try it again because the routines can be vastly different.  It is good to check out the different routines.  Also, find an appropriate class for your level.  If you take a circuit training class and it is too difficult try a different one or talk to the teacher.

When it comes to yoga, though, I would like to suggest a way to find the appropriate yoga class for you.  Try the opposite of what you WANT.  If you want to lie around on cushions in poses for 5 minutes at a time, try a more active class.  If you want a super aggressive active fast-paced class try a restorative class (lying around on cushions).  If you want gentle yoga try a class that you think might be tough.  You might walk out of class thinking, “Wow!  That was great.  I never would have thought.”

It could be that while you are in the class you are thinking that you wish the torture would end.  And by torture I mean, if you are a very active person and you want to be in a power yoga class and you take a restorative class and are having to lie still for ten minutes . . . that can be torture. If you just wanted to lie around on props and you are having to hold your left leg up for 45 seconds while twisting to the right and grabbing your right foot that might be torture.  But with the right teacher you will be able to do the yoga that is being taught in the class and you will walk out saying, “That is exactly what I needed.”

There are so many different types of yoga and yoga is only regulated when it is trade-marked and there are licenses to teach otherwise yoga class definitions vary.  Classes with the same names can vary greatly.

I am not saying to go to a class that is way beyond your level, but I am suggesting to try something you may not have normally thought of doing.  As I said, you might end up getting what you really need when you don’t go after what you want.

What type of yoga do you normally do?  What classes have your tried?

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Big Paws Equals Big Cat

Posted by terrepruitt on February 3, 2016

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI think my last cat update was in October.  So I thought I would share what is up with the cats.  You may have read about me saying that I was fascinated by Esmeralda’s paws because they were so big.  It was guesstimated that the cats were done growing pretty much when we got them so I didn’t understand how such a tiny cat could have such big paws.  Well, she doesn’t.  She got big.  Her and her sister are not big cats but they both grew a lot since we’ve had them.  We used to be able to see a cat’s in shadow or silhouette and know who it was, but now we can’t tell because they are the same size.  Smokey is heavier . . . she is a solid cat, but they are the same length and height.  Esmeralda grew into her paws.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitThey learned pretty quick that when I come home the first order of business is kisses.  They are usually waiting by the door when I open it, but when I get home from teaching Nia, I usually have my arms full of stuff, and I have to run to the turn off the alarm.  I drop the stuff as I go, then swoop up the nearest cat and give her a bunch of kisses!

They pretty much rule the house. We are having a few things that have just started happening that we are going to have to work on.  Esmeralda has figured out that she can jump from the cat tower onto the wall-mounted speaker and walk across the top of the curtain rod and jump on the entertainment center.  Sometimes it takes a bit to figure out these things are happening.  I was wondering why our curtains were beginning to come off the rod, then one day I look up and I see Emmy WALKING across the curtain rod.  So we are working on altering that behavior.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitIt is difficult to discipline two cats because you don’t know who did what.  With one cat you know if something is amiss it was THE cat, but with two, it is hard to tell.  There are habits and behavior patterns so you can guess, but you don’t really know unless you see them do it.

They both love the sun.  So they have been enjoying the sun the past few days.  They both love to play.  And to our delight they actually love to play by themselves.  It is super cute.  I’ll have to do another post to post the videos.  They also love to play together.  Sometimes it is a challenge to know if they are playing or fighting, but either way they seem to work it out.

They snuggle together and bathe each other.

Esmeralda isn’t a fan of me being on the computer.  I usually have about 20 minutes before she comes in and “murphs” at me.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitEsmeralda doesn’t “meow” she makes these little noises that sound like “murph”.  Smokey meows and in a big way.  She always sounds as if someone is disemboweling her.

Because of Smokey’s meYOOOOWWWLLLING and Esmeralda’s odd and painful kneading, I think they were taken away from their mother too young.  Esmeralda doesn’t knead in a milking-mamma-kind-of-way.  She stands on us and then marches.  Pressing really hard using ALL FOUR paws.  She dances around in a circle.  It is odd.  And Smokey will just knead the air every-once-in-awhile . . . but she YEOOWWLL often.

She will be dead asleep and then wake up meYOOOOWWWLLLING.  She will meYOOOOWWWLLLING all the way through the house until she finds us.  It is that blood curdling type of meYOOOOWWWLLLING.

Cats are funny.  Which is one thing that makes them great.  They are a great source of laughter and entertainment.

We love our kitties and consider ourselves very blessed to have gotten such great cats.  They are very good and super sweet.

What silly thing does your pet do?  (I ask because they ALL do something silly!)

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Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

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Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Not Silent About The Silence

Posted by terrepruitt on November 21, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you been to a Nia class yet?

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

Thoughts About The Absence Of Verbal Cues

Posted by terrepruitt on November 19, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Different Ways To Instruct

Posted by terrepruitt on November 17, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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The Best Pet Ever

Posted by terrepruitt on November 3, 2015

The other day on my way home from teaching Nia I heard something mind-boggling on the radio.  I had to keep repeating it in my head as I drove so that I could remember it when I got home.  Of course, once I was home, I had to look it up.  Now either I heard it wrong or they said it wrong, but either way, it is mind-boggling.  Do you remember pet rocks?  Those of you that did not live through the pet rock fad might not know what that is and when I tell you, if you have never heard it before, you are not going to believe it.  What I heard was that the man who thought of it made a million dollars in two months.  Well that is not really incorrect, just differently stated than the information on Wiki.  He sold 1.5 million pet rocks in six months at $4.00 a piece.  He sold rocks and made millions.

According to Wiki, an advertising executive Gary Dahl, was in a bar in Bonny Doon, CA where he had the idea of a pet that wouldn’t need any taking care of after he heard his friends all complaining about their pets.  From about September 1975 to February 1976, the rocks were sold for $4.00.  They were in a cardboard box with “air holes” even though the pet didn’t need to breathe.  They came with an instruction manual that per Wiki was “A 32-page official training manual titled The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock was included, with instructions on how to properly raise and care for one’s new Pet Rock (notably lacking instructions for feeding, bathing, etc.).  The instruction manual was the real product: it was full of gags, puns and jokes.”

That just struck me as funny that he made millions of dollars from selling rocks AS PETS.  I mean, a lot of people sell rocks, there are rocks needed for buildings, fireplaces, walkways, decorations, and a lot of things, but a rock as a pet?  That is hilarious.  I don’t actually remember owning one, but I was at that age where I would have wanted the best pet there is to have, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I had one.  I just don’t remember.  I’ll have to check with my dad.  He might remember selling them.  At some period when I was a child, my parents owned a toy store, but I don’t know if it was at the same time as the pet rock fad.  If it was, then I am sure we carried them in the store, but that doesn’t mean I got one.

Funny things.  If that isn’t funny enough on September 03, 2012, The Pet Rock was again available for purchase.  I don’t know what they were selling for in 2012, but now they are $19.95.  Yes you can BUY your own pet rock.  It comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Do you remember Pet Rocks?  Did you have one?  Do you remember any other silly fads?  Did you participate in any silly fads?

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Somethings Bear Repeating Even If They Are In The Future

Posted by terrepruitt on October 31, 2015

Sometimes I write a post and I am not certain if I have written about the subject before.  Sometimes I write a post and I know I have written about the subject before, I am just revisiting it.  Sometimes things come up in life and I know I have written a post, but I am reminded that I wrote the post because it is a common issue or the post can be pointed to for information.  Recently I was reminded of a things that could bear repeating so I am pointed out a few posts.

One thing I was reminded of was holding the breath.  Have I ever told you that one of the things people ask me to do the most is remind them to breathe?  I wrote a post about breathing properly and how important it is to allow you to move correctly.  It is so common to hold your breath while concentrating there is a name for it.  Read more about it in my post Breathing – It’s A Good Thing.

Recently in one of the Nia classes I taught we focused on the “Healing Sounds”.  When I mention them there is always a few people who want the information . . . and that is why I wrote the post Feel Good Sounds.  It is too difficult to remember which sound is associated with what, this way it is right there for all of us.

It is sugar pie pumpkin time again, and so we are going to have a pumpkin for dinner tomorrow night.  So good, I wanted to point out the recipe, see my Pumpkin For Dinner post.

Perhaps you have been exposed to e-cigarettes lately.  I seem to see then around more now.  Perhaps you might be interested in reading my post Things I Didn’t Know About E-cigarettes?

And, this is for me, I always need to remind myself of the Nia Energy Allies or you might know them as the Four Agreements.  They are so helpful in so many situations.

And then something new . . . . . since it is Halloween.  My husband loves to dress up.  Sometimes he gets pretty extravagant.  This year he didn’t do too much, but he HAS been planning this “trick” for his co-worker for months.  For some reason he wasn’t able to do it when he first came up with the idea, for her birthday.  And then every time since that he has wanted to do it, something has come up . . . ya know, life does that sometimes.  So he decided to do it for Halloween.  Pretty much nothing was going to stop him.  The stars and planets all aligned to be even better than when he originally planned it.  But what he didn’t really plan – he said – was this video.  He had an idea of what he was going to say, but when his co-worker took it, it came out perfect.  So here is my husbandDoc Brown saving one of his friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RuBEO8yXRE?rel=o

Do you ever hold your breath?  Have you ever made any of those “healing sounds”?  Did you know some of the e-cigarettes have the same amount of nicotine as regular cigarettes?  Are you familiar with Nia’s Energy Allies/Four Agreements?  Do you get trick-or-treaters?  Do you dress up for Halloween?

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What Do You Mean Nia FreeDance Tool?

Posted by terrepruitt on April 18, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYoSome of you may be wondering what I mean when I say Nia FreeDance Tools.  Recently I invited First Degree Black Belt Nia Teacher, Jason Alan Griffin, to present a playshop of his creation.  The playshop was him sharing some Nia FreeDance Tools.  I have talked about what Nia FreeDance is before, it is where there is no assigned choreography and we just dance to the music (or not).  But it is not the type of dancing you would see in a club.  It is not the type of dancing that has specific names for the dance moves . . . yeah a cha-cha, jazz square, or a pirouette might sneak its way in, but primarily it is not that type of dancing.  So some of the tools we have to practice Nia FreeDance are the 8 Stages of Nia FreeDance.  And within those stages can be additional tools.

First of all as a reminder we do FreeDance to allow our bodies to move in different ways.  To move in ways that are not our normal ways of dancing . . . so if you ARE a ballerina, the idea is to let your body dance outside of the ballet mold.  If you are tap dancer perhaps in FreeDance your feet don’t tap.  It is a way to practice different moves to music and allow our bodies to experience something away from its regular patterns.

There are other reasons and ways a Nia Teacher uses Nia FreeDance, but I am just going to keep this post on the path of tools.  So within the tool box are the 8 Stages as I mentioned.

Now, in the playshop Jason did not mention these tools in association with the stages, but a lot of the tools he shared were introduced to me in connection with the first 5 stages of Nia FreeDance.

So with Stage 1: FreeDance (Catch Phrase: Anything Goes, Movement-Wise) . . . almost all of the tools could be associated with this stage but one that sticks out for me is being silly, acting goofy.  This is super fun and is pretty close to guaranteed to get you to move in a different way to music than you might be used to.

Tools I associate with Stage 2: Being Seduced by the Music (Catch Phrase: Art of Listening) are as it says, being seduced by the music.  So just letting the music take you away.  I imagine most of you have had a song play where you can just get carried off by it.  You can just move without thinking and dance away.

There is also Tempo Change . . . this involves the art of listening because you are listening for the tempo and then dancing against it or with it or faster than it or slower than it or opposite of it.  Just listening and moving to it — in your own way.

There is also a tool that we use called “Forget the music” where you just dance in your own way — period.  People might look at you and wonder what you are hearing because it might look to them as if you are not dancing to the music.  And you could not be.  Perhaps you don’t like the song that is on or you like a different version that you know so your dance is not “to” the music.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYoStage 3: Feelings and Emotions (Catch Phrase: Pretend, Fake It, Act As If ).   This stage has a lot of tools that connect to it, if you are dancing the “Feelings and Emotions” you act “as if” you are ___________ (fill in the blank with an emotion).  You could be ACTING “as if” you are angry so you stomp around the room.  Or you are ACTING “as if” you are jealous or ACTING “as if” you are happy.  Allowing your body to move in ways that it would move if you were feeling those emotions is a great way to move.

Or you could PRETEND you are playing an instrument.  I always say that I have become the greatest musician since I started teaching Nia.  Or you could act as if you are playing a sport or a child’s outdoor game.  This type of pretending is not sticking strictly to the stage and catch phrase, but it can be connected to it because there is pretending, faking, and acting.

Stage 4: The Creative Source (Catch Phrase: The Real You).  This is where there is no story or no acting “as if”, you are moving with your true emotions.  The tool would be no choreography allowed, in fact the dance is suspended and you are moving in your own way as an emotional being.

Stage 5: Authentic Movement (Catch Phrase: Change!!).  Here is where the tool of changing every two bars comes in.  The movement is authentic.  The real you, nothing fancy just the way your body goes, but changing it every two bars.  Or the change could be applied to directions or levels.  You could dance going one direction and quickly change to go another directions.  Or you could be dancing in the high plane and switch to the low or the middle.  The idea is to CHANGE!

So that is what we mean by “tools”.  Basically ideas of how to move.  There are a lot of tools that can be used, there are so many ways to move.  One of the most fun things to experience is an individual actually practicing these tools and then coming up to me after class and saying what a great workout they received.  Many say they didn’t realize that  FreeDancing could be such a great workout.  That is one reason why we FreeDance . . . it really is a GREAT workout!  Having a lot of tools makes it fun!

Does this give you a better idea as to what the “tools” are?  Does this give you ideas for your next dancing-in-your-living-room session?  Or ideas on how to conduct your next car-dancing moment?

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