Posts Tagged ‘Nia Teacher’
Posted by terrepruitt on December 20, 2013
So here it is Friday again. Time goes so quickly it seems. Only ONE more check in! Wow!
So you might know I was hired on at the YMCA. It is somewhat the same as the City of San Jose was at first. Right now I am teaching as a substitute without a regular class. But with the YMCA I am actually subbing for Nia classes. That is really nice. The participants are there to do Nia.
Today I had one woman say as she was leaving that I made her smile for the first time all week. -Oh.- While that made me happy, Nia and I made her smile, I was also sad, it is FRIDAY and this was the first time she smiled. I think something is going on in her life so I am so happy that I could allow her a moment of Joy. I am grateful for Nia that I was able to do that. So you KNOW, that is going in my goodie jar.
How about you? What good things do you have going on? I know there is a huge rush going on right now at this time of year. The Holidays are almost here, but please take a moment to put something in your good things jar!
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: City of San Jose, Goodie Jar – Check In #42, Holidays, Nia class, Nia participants, Nia Teacher, regular Nia classes, Second to the last check in, substitute Nia teacher, YMCA | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 13, 2013
The number of Goodie Jar check ins will not match the number of weeks in this year because I missed a few. I cannot believe there are only two more check ins left. Wow! I am excited. My good things are overflowing. I am excited to read them.
I taught for the first time at the YMCA this week. I was subbing a class. There is a Nia class already and I was subbing for the teacher. Today I sub again! Yay!
So how about you? What good thing is going in your jar this week? Care to share?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: good things jar, Goodie Jar, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, YMCA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 7, 2013
So, as a group exercise instructor one usually has a few jobs or venues to teach at. I have Nia classes at a studio where I rent the space, at a community center for the City of San Jose, and soon at some local YMCAs. In order to teach for the City of San Jose I had to go through the hiring process. Same with the YMCA. Today I spent a good portion of the day at a YMCA orientation. While a lot of the information they cover is common sense and a lot of it is information I have received at almost every job I have worked at some of it was unique to the YMCA. Such as the history of the YMCA. I admit I learned a lot. I knew what Y.M.C.A stood for (Young Men’s Christian Association), but that is about it. It helped that the trainer was clearly very enthusiastic about the history of the Y. As always when I learn something I think is interesting I like to share with you. Plus, when I document it via my blog, I have the information where I can always find it! So here are some facts I thought were cool about the history of the YMCA.
—-The YMCA was founded in 1844 in London, England
—-In 1859 a sea captain led the formation of the YMCA in Boston
—-In 1856 German immigrants participated in the first-known English as a Second Language class
—-Andy Rooney, Dan Rather, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jack Kerouac, and Andrew Young (U.S. Ambassador), have all stayed at the YMCA
—-In 1869 the first YMCA buildings constructed with gyms were opened
—-In 1875 in San Francisco, to serve the Chinese population, YMCAs serving Asians were established
—-In 1879 Thomas Wakeman founded a YMCA for U.S. Native Americans
—-In 1917 a Japanese YMCA was founded
—-In 1891 James Naismith, a physical education teacher at the International YMCA Training School, invented basketball
—-In the 1890s William Morgan, a YMCA instructor thought basketball was too strenuous for businessmen so he invented volleyball
—-By 1950 YMCAs operated 20 colleges in cities across the country
—-During World War II, the YMCA staff organized clubs and activities for children in the Japanese Interment camps — all in secret
—-In 1950 Joe Sobek, a YMCA volunteer, invented raquetball
—-In 1967 racial discrimination was banned in all YMCAs
—-In the mid 1970’s the Youth Basketball Association (YBA) was created by the YMCA and the NBA Players Association. The YBA promotes skills and teamwork over winning at any cost
—-In 2008 the YMCA and the Department of Defense and the YMCA partnered to fund memberships and child care services for families facing the hardship of military deployment
—-In 1891 a triangle was used a the logo, the equal sides representing “man’s essential unity, body, mind and
spirit, each being a necessary and eternal part of man, he being neither one alone . . . ”
I especially loved the last one as Nia has many triads and is greatly focus on Body, Mind, and Spirit. We add Emotion so we have BMES, but it is very much the same thing. Anyway . . . these are some of the main things I thought were interesting. Since the YMCA has been around so long it really has a long history.
Which YMCA history fact(s) is new to you? Which ones did you know? What do you know about the Y that I have shared?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Basketball, BMES, City of San Jose, group exercise class, group exercise instructor, local YMCAs, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Teacher, Nia trainer, Nia triad, raquetball, vollyball, YMCA, YMCA history, Young Men's Christian Association | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 6, 2013
We are into December. And there are only three more chances for Goodie Jar Check Ins. WOW! I think that we should get the lawmakers to pass a law that makes Thanksgiving either in October like they do in Canada or at least the second to the last Thursday in November so that we can have more time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I really like more time from Thanksgiving to December. I am feeling the rush. Part of it has to do with the fact that I am in the process of getting hired on at the YMCA as a Nia teacher. There are a lot of things to do to get hired on at the YMCA as there is with many companies.
So I am feeling the rush. But I still have time to put things in my Goodie Jar. One of them, of course, is having an additional place to teach Nia!
How about you? Are you making time to make notes of the good things? Are you stopping and “smelling the roses”?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: Canadian Thanksgiving, Christmas, December 2013, good things, Goodie Jar – Check In #40, Nia Teacher, stop and smell the roses, teaching Nia at the YMCA, Thanksgiving, YMCA | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 26, 2013
I am beginning to bet you don’t believe me when I say I was not going to post a recipe and I do. I WAS going to post a picture of the first toast I made on my Facebook page, but then when I sat down and started eating it I changed my mind. Then my hubby made yummy noises the entire time he was eating it and it confirmed my “need” to post it on my blog and tell the whole story. In my last post I talked about my fabulous day in Santa Cruz after teaching a Nia class. I mentioned two restaurants. The one we love, Rebecca’s, is closed. I was very sad because it has really yummy food and is a very nice place to eat. But, I also recognized this as an opportunity to try a new place. Having other things to do I didn’t do any research, but my student did. Yay! She suggested River Cafe. It was on the way to where we were going. So we went there. They have a menu item called “The Daily Toast”. When we were there it was supposed to be Humboldt Fog*, Pears, walnuts, and the woman behind the counter said they would drizzle honey over it. Sounds good, huh?
I ordered that. A few moments later a woman came to our table and said she could not find the pears, but she said she had persimmons or jams. She suggested the jam, but I declined and requested the persimmons. I had some on my counter I didn’t know what to do with. I thought this would be a great way to experiment. Well, even though the persimmons weren’t ripe, they forgot the walnuts and the honey (as you can see in the first photo), it was still VERY good. So good that I wanted to try making it the next day.
We didn’t have any salty cheese so I decided not to. But then the NEXT day I decided who cares. I wanted to try it anyway. I asked my hubby if he wanted cheese toast. He said yes. Then I asked if he wanted regular cheese toast or an experiment. I have mentioned before he is pretty good about eating whatever, but he does have some food “dislikes” so when my experiment includes some of them I like to ask first.
Anyway, this turned out very yummy. It is easy to make but comes out – in my opinion – kinda fancy. I have noted the recipe as I made it, but, I think the idea of the River Cafe is better in regards to the cheese. A nice soft salty, flavorful cheese seems best, but I used what I had.
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Fancy Toast
2 pieces sliced sour dough
2 pieces wheat bread
slices of marbles Colby Jack (enough to cover all four pieces of bread)
one ripe persimmon
2 tsp of shredded parmesan cheese
a handful or two of chopped walnuts
honey (enough to drizzle over the toast)
Toast the bread, not all the way (at least with my toaster oven. I have to leave it a little “undone” so it will be perfect after the cheese melts). Top the bread with the sliced cheese. Melt the cheese on the toast. While the bread is toasting and the cheese is melting peel and slice the persimmon. After the cheese has melted, place the persimmons on the toast, sprinkle the parmesan over the persimmons. Allow to warm a bit in the toaster oven/oven. Then sprinkle the walnuts on the toast. and drizzle the honey over the top.
Serve with a fork and knife!
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I was thinking that this would be an easy type of toast to serve for brunch. Toasting the bread in the oven on a cookie sheet. I also thought it would be a nice toast to serve at a tea. Yum. I used the parmesan as the “salty” and it turned out pretty good. I was surprised my husband liked it so much. He is not fond of bread, especially toast. Not like me. He also doesn’t care for walnuts. So it is a testament to its yumminess that he loved it.
I loved it so much I had it again the next day! (I forgot the parmesan.)
Well? What do you think? Sound yummy?
*Humboldt Fog is a specific type of cheese: Cheesemaker Mary Keehn of Humboldt County, CA invented this cheese, so named for the Pacific mists, in the early 80’s. (According to Wiki).
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: breakfast, breakfast for a crowd, brunch, easy breakfast, Fancy toast, goat cheese, Humboldt Fog, Nia, Nia class, Nia student, Nia Teacher, persimmons, Rebecca's, River Cafe, Santa Cruz, teaching Nia, toast, walnuts, yummy breakfast | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 23, 2013
Bummer. I was so determined to remember every check in to the end of the year and, alas, I got distracted. Yesterday I forgot to post a Good Things Jar check in. It was supposed to be Goodie Jar – Check In #39. Sigh. I do hope you are still filling your Goodie Jar. I will only forgive myself because I was off doing things that actually are notable for the Good Things Jar! I was so excited to be subbing a Nia class in Santa Cruz and I ended up having such a beautiful day, that I just plumb forgot. We had a great focus in class, but I lost my blog focus when I arrived home. The plan is usually something like Nia, breakfast, chocolate, beach, home. This time we weren’t exactly sure of our plan. Turned out to be a fabulous day. As I said, one for the Goodie Jar.
I feel less wasteful when I have someone with me driving “over the hill”. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area we often call going to the beach “driving over the hill”. It is about a 40 mile drive and–depending on the traffic–can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. If there is a lot of traffic or an accident it can take hours and hours. When I go, I feel as if I should have at least one other person with me. So when I get asked to teach a Nia class over there I like to take someone with me. I have one student who usually is game. She has a favorite chocolate shop over there so when she is “over the hill” she likes to drop by. This last trip I was lucky enough to have TWO students join me.
The wonderful studio where I sub is in the Tannery and there used to be a great little cafe next door. My student and I would dance then go get breakfast, then hit up the chocolate shop, then drive to the beach. We have never actually walked on the sand . . . I don’t need to do that, I just need to be at the ocean. Sadly the cafe is closed — although the sign says temporarily, we missed it. So this trip we went to another place to eat, still got to the chocolate shop then went to the ocean.
A
ll week long it had been raining, both on our side of the hill and over the hill, but on Friday it was as pictured. It was awesome. We were blessed. The place we visited is called Natural Bridges. It is no longer has a “natural bridge”, but the beach is still wonderful.
Also, in regards to the focus, as you might be familiar with, in Nia classes we have a focus and an intent. Well, I had been concentrating on learning a new routine, creating a gentle yoga class, and working out my schedule I hadn’t even settled on what we were going to dance, much less a focus. I often ask my students what they might think or feel they need to focus on. So I turned to my student and said, “Oh snap! I haven’t even thought about a focus. What do you got? Do you have anything?” She said, “I feel I need some healing. I feel kinda uuughhh.” And I said, “Thanks. We can do that.” I turned to one of the other students and gave her a questioning look because she was pressing on her ribs. She said, “This is my first class back after having been in a bicycle accident.” Ah-ha! Healing was perfect as a focus.
It always amazes me and warms my spirit that it happens that one focus needed or desired by one person turns out to be the perfect focus for so many. So often we are able to apply it to what is going on and find an intent that compliments it.
After class one the other student that came with me said that she enjoyed that focus. I shared with her the way it came about and she was surprised because she had thought the woman who was touching her ribs had suggested it. So she too was amazed that it was a focus that was appropriate for all. But that is just how it always seems to happen. It is so great. It is —-ahhhhhh!
We shared a great focus although I was so focused on the Joy from class and my morning in Santa Cruz that I forgot about my Goodie Jar post. But I think you will agree it was worth it.
So, do you think I had a good reason to forget? Are you still filling your Good Thing Jar?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar, Misc, Nia | Tagged: beach, gentle yoga, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Natural Bridges, Nia, Nia class, Nia focus, Nia intent, Nia routine, Nia San Francisco Bay Area, Nia Santa Cruz, Nia sub, Nia Teacher, over the hill, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz beach, Tannery, teach Nia, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 19, 2013
As often happens on blog posting day, the day has escaped me. That is one reason why I post recipes — especially if I was not planning on posting one — the time of day comes when I need to be cooking dinner and I still have no idea what to post. I recently made a favorite recipe of mine and when I made it I didn’t think I was going to post about it. I know I say that all the time, but it is true. I was having company so I didn’t take a picture of the ingredients, the process, nor the meal. After having eaten it, I fell in love with it all over again. I decided while eating it for a second meal, when it was left over, to post about it. So I did take a picture at that time, but it is with leftover pasta and some of the noodles didn’t fare so well because I left it in the pan for a long time on the night I cooked it. Well, I did mention I had company and I didn’t rush back in the kitchen after eating to tidy up. Anyway, this is a great recipe for many reasons.
Since I teach Nia and I don’t have a corporate job I don’t experience all of the potlucks throughout the year and especially that happen over the holiday season, but this recipe is GREAT for potlucks. It is a meal that is scrumptious hot off the stove, but it is still really yummy if it is room temperature or even cold. You don’t have to worry with this dish that it is not piping hot. So it makes great leftovers. AND it is super, super, super simple.
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Walnuts and Ham Pasta
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3/4 – 1 cup chopped walnuts, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped/minced
1 package of linguine
1/2 lb cooked ham, chopped into little chunks (ABOUT pea size or bean size)
1/4 – 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
3-4 tbsp parsley
Heat the olive oil a little bit. Add the chopped walnuts to the oil. Cook the pasta according to the directions/your liking. After cooking the walnuts for a few minutes add 1/2 of the garlic. Cook two minutes. Add the ham chunks. Since the ham is already cooked you are basically just warming it up and cooking it a little bit more. When the ham is almost cooked to your liking add the rest of the garlic.
NOTE: Since the olive oil is serving as the “sauce” you may need to add more as you are cooking. It depends on how oily you want your pasta. This is one of those “recipes” — where how much you use of the ingredients is really up to your tastes.
After you have drained the cooked pasta, mix the pasta and walnut-ham-garlic mixture together. Top with the cheese and parsley.
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This recipe makes a HUGE amount of pasta. Keep that in mind and adjust accordingly. You might decide you want more walnuts or less ham. You know how the recipes are that I post . . . they are a guide . . . an idea . . . something to get you started. Make it once, then go from there . . . or start off with making it your own.
Let me know how yummy you think this is. AND let me know what you do to it!
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: easy dinner, easy pasta, easy potluck meal, holiday potlucks, Holiday season, Nia, Nia Teacher, potluck, walnut-ham-garlic mixture, walnuts and ham | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 16, 2013
I have allergies, hay fever some people call it. It is there all year round, but worse or “more active” during specific times of the year. Spring is a really sneezy time of year. Also anytime it rains and then there is sun right after. Also when it first starts to rain in the winter. And for about 10 years, during the month of March and the month of October, I can barely be around my cat. Just 30 seconds in her vicinity will set me off on a sneezing jag. The months that I am hyper sensitive to her have fluctuated the past three years. At this time, mid-November, I am having some lengthy sessions of sneezing after I get my snuggles in. As far as I know I have always been sensitive to cats and dogs, but that doesn’t stop me from having one and wanting one. It is just something I deal with. I used to take a combination decongestant-antihistamine every night, but now it is so difficult to get one. I feel as if I am a criminal by having to go to the pharmacist and be registered. Forget that. After they made it annoyingly difficult I would just purchase the antihistamines and for a long time I took that every night. Then I stopped. Now I just take it when my nose is so raw from rubbing it and sneezing that it hurts when I touch it. A few months ago I had a thought during one of my multi-sneeze sneezing jags. I thought I would ask you guys about it. Can a gluten sensitivity present as hay fever?
I have been resistant to jumping on the band wagon and claiming I have a sensitivity to gluten. I know many people who have obvious and more annoying symptoms. I know that a sensitivity and actually being allergic to gluten/Celiac Disease is very serious so I never really thought that my sneezing, congestion, itchiness, and inflammation could be because of a gluten sensitivity. But now I am thinking about it. Could it be?
If the wheat that is in our food supply and food “stuffs” is something that is barely related to the wheat of the past and it it being blamed for all types of health issues and primarily inflammation in the body it would make sense that gluten or wheat is causing allergy symptoms. Could it be the gluten is causing the allergy symptoms?
Or maybe the gluten is causing other “issues” (such as inflammation) in my body that does not allow my body to fight off the offending pollens so I end up having allergy attacks. Hmmmm . . . .That could be it.
But . . . . one of the reasons I had not linked it to gluten is I usually am ok in air conditioning. Hmmm . . . I just thought of that . . . . I have not been in air conditioning that much lately. When I am teaching a Nia class and I can turn the air on, it seems better. See, it is really difficult to pinpoint.
What do you think? Do any of you have issues with “hay fever”? Do you think it is tied to gluten? Have you don’t any type of experimentation? Does anyone have this issue?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: allergic to gluten, Allergies, allergy attacks, allergy symptoms, celiac disease, congestion, gluten sensitivity, hay fever, health issues, Inflammation, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, sensitivity to gluten, sneezing | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 15, 2013
Wow! It is Batkid Day. Well, the TV station I was watching last night was calling last night “Batkid Eve” so I figured they would be calling today “Batkid Day”. The day that San Francisco is turned into Gotham and a child gets his wish to be a hero. It is really, really cute. I’ve heard that the organizer from the Make-A-Wish Foundation was hoping to get 200 volunteers and she got thousands. I’ve heard different numbers, from 10,000 to 13,000. I am sure a lot more people will show up. I bet it will be great. I am really excited by this. I think it is so cool! I bet it is live on TV, but I am on my way to teach a Nia class.
That is one for my Goodie Jar. I am subbing a Nia class for a fellow Nia teacher. I am excited.
So how is your Good Things jar coming along? It is our Friday check in, what are you putting in your jar today?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: Batkid, good things, Goodie Jar, Gotham, Make a Wish Foundation, Nia class, Nia Teacher, San Francisco, Superhero | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 14, 2013
Nia is a cardio dance exercise that I teach. It is more than that, but that is one way to describe it. One of the ways it is more than that, is, it is a practice. If you chose to treat it like a practice, as one might treat yoga as a practice, one would become aware of Nia’s 52 Moves. There are 52 moves that get choreographed into the Nia Routines. One of the moves is Traveling in Directions. This is a great move for many reasons.
One reason Traveling in Directions is great is because it is very easy. Another reason it is great is because it is very adaptable and can be used in almost every song and in every routine. The main way to travel in a direction is to simply walk. Using the Heel Lead technique just walk forward, then change the direction you are walking, then change the direction, etc. With the simplest of forms you look where you want to go before you move in that direction. So before your feet actually start going a different direction — LOOK. There is a little bit of thinking involved because we look before we go. Allow your arms to move freely. Step confidently in whichever direction you choose to look. Move your body as a whole.
The Nia Technique book states: “Practicing Traveling in Directions keeps your body agile for moving through space in all directions, able to change direction with ease.”
When we use this move in our routines we have a lot of fun playing with it. The move really is as easy as stated, the fun comes when changing directions quickly. You can be the leader of your own movement or sometimes you are being directed by the teacher. This makes agility one of the Nia sensations we practice with this move. Moving one way then quickly stopping and going another way. Stopping, changing, starting. Varying the speed at times will allow for additional Nia sensations such as strength and stability to come into play.
When Traveling in Directions on your own you become aware of the direction you want to go, then you look, then you go. As I said, there are times when you might be listening to the direction of the teacher, which would still mean you would need to become aware of the direction you want to go, but when being told where to go your body’s reaction is quicker. There is a quick look then a move in that direction. Less thought is involved for you as the participant because someone else thought of the direction you were going to go.
Often when this move is done in a class, quick thinking, quick moving, and quick reacting are additional skills that receive attention because we are dancing with others on the floor so we might have to switch our trajectory quickly to avoid a dance floor collision.
Modifications of the traveling can be done by going backwards or sinking low or even rising high. So many ways to travel in directions. All of them are great opportunities to try out the Nia Sensations, the more you do, the more ways you move your body. If you want you can even skip. Skipping in different directions adds a new dimension to the move.
Sometimes this move is choreographed into the Nia routine with specifics and sometimes is allowed more of a Free Dance. However it is added to the Nia workout it is a wonderful way to dance.
How would you Traveling in Directions to your current favorite song?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: body agile, cardio dance exercise, dance class, dance floor, Free Dance, Heel lead, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia participant, Nia routines, Nia sensations, Nia Teacher, Nia workout, Nia's 52 Moves, Practice, stability, strength, The Nia Technique book, Traveling in Directions, Yoga, yoga teacher | 2 Comments »
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