Posts Tagged ‘Nia’
Posted by terrepruitt on September 30, 2014
One of my Facebook friends shared a link to a video. (See below. Watch video.) I LOVE this. The idea is so awesome, to me. I think it would be so cool if dancing on the street while waiting for a crosswalk light to change in your favor was acceptable and actually encouraged. I think this is so fun. I really love this idea. I was so happy to see that little red dancing figure, I was squealing while watching it. Then when I saw that it was NOT a computer program just set to play, I clapped with glee. People dancing while their moves are being reproduced onto the crosswalk signal in real time —- AWESOME.
How fun is that? It would be so much more fun to stand and wait. Also it would give you something to do. I always feel silly standing there waiting, not doing anything. Then I feel silly for feeling silly because I am supposed to wait. I shouldn’t feel silly. I am being courteous (and following the law) by waiting my turn and not darting out into traffic. It is rude when people walk out into the street against the crossing light hoping to can make it across the street before a car comes or worse yet, expecting the car to stop. GRRRRRRR. I get upset when I see people do that. Because if they get hit and die what will they care . . . they will be dead, but they will have ruined someone else’s day and perhaps their lives because they were too rude to just wait a minute or two. So this dancing would give them something to do.
I can see how it just might promote safety. The non-waiting people (that might normally cross against the light — jeopardizing their safety and the safety of others) might not dance, but they might be interested enough to stay and watch. To me it didn’t look as if that many people were dancing. The video said that 81% (THAT IS A LOT) more people actually followed the law (psstt . . . yes it is the law) while at the dancing crosswalk signal light. So, more people stopped from crossing the street when they did not have a signal to go, while at this signal. I did not see on the video a percentage given of how many people actually danced. But with the reported increase in the number of people that stopped it got people’s attention. I wonder how they measured that?
So fun. The title of where I saw the video said something about, “safe and happy!” Oh yeah. It would make me happy. I would be happy dancing while waiting at the light OR dancing to make the signal dance. Fun stuff. We could have a Nia crosswalk where we led people through Nia routines. Ha, that would be funny. The Nia Crosswalk Signal . . . .
The video is on Smart’s Youtube channel. Check out the video.
So what do you think? Would you watch? Would you dance if you were waiting at the crosswalk? Would you dance in the signal (the room they had set up) and be the dancing crosswalk signal? Do you think this is cool?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: crosswalk signal, Dancing, dancing on the street, Facebook, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia routines, pedestrian law, pedestrian safety, Smart cars, Youtube | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 27, 2014
I teach a cardio dance exercise called Nia. But it is more than that. At one point in its history Nia was NIA and stood for Neuromuscular Integrative Action. I have mentioned this before. I have also mentioned that I am not sure why the name has gone through many changes. I personally think that Nia has changed its name trying to find a wide audience. Trying to become more popular. It is sometimes the way with things that there has to be a catchy name or something in order to get people’s attention. Sometimes the name that best describes something is not catchy or marketable enough to attract people. Neuromuscular Integrative Action is really a great name. It describes Nia very well. But I don’t think it is very catching. It is difficult for some to remember, perhaps, and it might not come easy to understand to many people. But it really is a perfect name for Nia.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary states:
Full Definition of NEUROMUSCULAR:
of or relating to nerves and muscles; especially : jointly involving or affecting nervous and muscular elements
A Google search shows the following:
integrative:
serving or intending to unify separate things.
[In] • Medicine — combining allopathic and complementary therapies.
So the actions during the workout will have to do with nerves and muscles. The movements, in addition to moving the entire body, also bring together the Body, Mind, Emotions, and Spirit (BMES). So it truly is Neuromuscular Integrative Action. But that truly is a mouthful. Even though it is a great, descriptive name, I think it might have been decided it was too difficult. I don’t know. I am just speculating.
I mentioned in my post about Knee Sweeps how it is beneficial to the brain for our limbs to cross over the midline of the body. I want to write a little more on that . . . . imagine you have a string that starts at the top of your forehead and it fall down the middle of your forehead, down the middle of your nose, in between your breast down the middle of your chest, over your belly button, continuing down in between your legs. That is the MIDLINE of your body. So when your cross your left hand/arm or foot/leg over to the right side of that line you are crossing the midline. And vice-versa. This type of action is good for your brain. This type of action is good for your nervous system. It is action relating to nerves and muscles. You use your muscles in action and this stimulates your nervous system.
I often remind my class how we are “working” the brain when we cross the midline of the body, when it really is so much more than that. Because, as you know, each side of the body is controlled by opposite sides of the brain so when you cross the midline both sides of the brain are forced into working. Both sides must communicate with each other. This communication with the nerve-cell pathways linking both sides, but strengthening them.
Many exercise classes do this. That is because it is important (I believe I have said this before.) Even yoga does it in some of its asanas. So the crossing does not have to happen in a cardio class or during a cardio exercise. Crossing the midline in stretches also helps “stretch” the brain. So even if you don’t participate in Nia, you can do things to help your brain. But I just wanted to share again – I know I’ve mentioned some of this a few times – how Nia is a lot more than a dance exercise, it really is neuromuscular integrative action.
So, with the reminder that it is good for your brain and nervous system, are you gonna cross that line?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: BMES, Body Mind Emotions Spirit, cardio, cardio class, cardio dance exercise, cross the midline, dance, dance exercise class, exercise, exercise the brain, exercise the nervous system, exercises, Knee Sweeps, marketable, midline, Neuromuscular Integrative Action, Nia, Nia class | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 23, 2014
It only takes one. One person, that is it. One person besides me, that is. I have observed different groups of Nia students and I have seen them alter their sounding practices. It is so fun to witness a silent class become noisy. I feel that making noises in a dance exercise class, or “sounding” as it is called in Nia, depends a lot on the music. There is specific music that just lends itself to making noise. There is some music that people instinctively just join in singing or making the appropriate sounds during the music. There is also specific moves that lend themselves to sounding. Chopping seems to cause “Hi-yas!” to erupt from the practitioner. Blocking tends to cause loud “Has!” But not all the time. It does help when they are made a part of the choreography. It helps when the sound is the same or at least consistent throughout the song. My sounding often just comes out. I am dancing to the music and perhaps thinking of the next move or discovering a pearl and noise just comes out. It is not always the same as the last time. I feel that sometimes makes people shy. They want to have others saying it with them. And it really only takes one. That ONE person who seems to just have noises inside that have to come out. That one person who doesn’t need the teacher to lead them. That one person to just make a noise and it encourages others to do so.
I often feel that there are some that want to make noise, but they don’t. There are many reasons people don’t make noise. I think I mentioned it before, but I kind of remember it being a “thing”. I am not saying we were told NOT to make noise, but you would never have walked into a women’s gym and heard grunting. (Eye roll) I guess that is because we aren’t allowed to breathe. HA. I don’t know, but I do have a sense that it was not something women were encouraged to do. Exercise was done in silence. So I think that has a lot to do with it. We were not taught to make noise while exercising. So we don’t.
But I sense there are those that want to. What I see happening, is we will do the move with me making the noise for seven times. The eighth time comes around and since we are changing to a different move I might be at the point when I need to use that time for instruction. It just happens that on that eighth time the person finally got up their nerve to make a sound and then it is as if they are left hanging because I didn’t do it with them because I had to introduce the change. Yup . . . I feel that happens a lot.
But not when there is that ONE person. All it takes is ONE person. That one person can — by example — encourage the rest of the group. I love it. I silently cheer that person on. I send waves of gratitude out to that one person that is not me that is sounding and helping the group find their voice. I have some GREAT sounders in my Nia groups. And I am so happy and excited that they are finding their voice.
I know how it is to move silently through a class. Nia is wonderful and freeing, so the dance is meditation to me. But when I first decided to join in on that sounding — YEOWZZZAAAA! Whoa! That just took the movement, the dance, the freedom to an entirely different level. It was invigorating. So I know how it is to be shy about making noises in class (I know if you have ever taken my class you might not believe that). I know how it is to take up almost the entire song before you allow that sound out. But I also know how it FEELS and the senses my body experiences after a really loud and noisy class. So I will keep sending out waves of applause to that one sounder as they lead the entire class into becoming sounders.
Do you make noise when you work out? Perhaps you sing? Do you breathe loudly?
Posted in Nia, Sounding | Tagged: dance exercise, Nia, Nia clsas, Nia group, Nia Music, Nia sounders, Nia students, sounding in Nia | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 9, 2014
I am not sure many websites have Site Maps any longer. Websites now-a-days are so full of bells and whistles not many have site maps. Not many just have a place where you can go to one page to see a list of everything that is on the site. I find sometimes when I am on a website, I am just going in circles trying to find the information I want and I think it would be nice if there was that one page . . . that site map . . . that showed me the list of pages so that I could click on the page I want instead of getting dizzy clicking around. I think I have a lot of information on my site so I know that one might get a little overwhelmed. I know that some of my pages repeat information on other pages. I do that because when I am on a website sometimes I don’t see the information if it is only on one page, but the more it is repeated the better chance that I will see it. But I do have a site map for my site. I have a lot of information so I wanted to have a list that people can look at in case they wanted an idea of what the whole site contained.
Since I teach at several different places and I have both a FIXED (on-going) schedule and one that changes all the time it can be a bit much for people to keep track of. In addition to my teaching schedule, I have information regarding Nia on the site because I want to educate people on the classes they can take from me. So, yeah, there is a lot on there. So here is what I have created to help.
What’s on www.HelpYouWell.com at a glance! The BOLD indicates the links you see at the left, the others are in the drop down menu if you put your mouse over the links at the left. And, you can just click the link from this site map.
Hopefully this helps people navigate the site. The site map is a list of all the pages on the site with hot links so you can click on the page you want to visit. What do you think? Do you ever get “lost” on a website? It seems as if you are just going in circles? Do you find many websites with site maps?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance exercise classes, gentle yoga, Group Ex, Group Exercise classes, Helen Terry, ia Class Cycles, Nia, Nia 5 Stages, Nia at the YMCA, Nia Belts, Nia Classes, Nia for the City of San Jose, Nia FreeDance, Nia in San Jose, Nia in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nia schedule of classes, San Jose Nia Clases, Site maps, teaching Nia, Terre Pruitt, The Nia Technique book, www.HelpYouWell.com, YMCA Silicon Valley Classes, Zumba | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 6, 2014
I like this pose, Utthita Hasta Padasana (Extended Hands and Feet Pose). It is an easy pose. It is one of those asanas that can be used in so many places in a yoga routine. It can be used in the beginning to allow you to “come into your body” and start the process of concentration. It can be used in between other poses, either to rest or reset, or to allow for an easy transition. It can be used at the end. It can be used to help practice awareness and learning sensations in your body. I often use it as part of the cooldown in my Nia classes. It is basically something almost everyone can do. Sometimes it might present an initial challenge for some needing help with balance, but after a bit it becomes easy. I like it. It is very versatile.
Generally no matter when or where in the routine this pose is placed in my current yoga classes we do not hop into it. We step into the wide stance. The feet are beyond the width of the shoulders. If we have come from a mountain pose then we continue with our reaching, lengthening, relaxing, and lifting, but if we are stepping into this from another pose then we check our posture. We want to reach with the crown of the head to the sky, lengthening the neck – creating space between the ears and the shoulders, we allow our shoulders to relax and our shoulder blades to “drip” down our back, we lift the ribs off of the hips, and lift the knee caps by activating our thigh muscles. The feet – in the wide stance – are parallel to the edges of the mat and each other. The chest is open. Arms are stretched out to the side, elbows and hands are at an even height with the shoulders. We are reaching for the opposite walls.
Standing there you open your chest and create space in the joints. Reach up to be taller and reach out to be longer. The head reaching up, the arms reaching out. Feet are firmly planted, weight is evenly distributed over the entire foot (both feet), toes are spread. Here is where you sense the strength and stability while opening.
This pose is traditionally done from the mountain pose with hands at chest level, finger tips touching in front of the heart center. Then when you hop your legs into your wide stance you put your arms out at the same time. In order to be “gentle” we step into our Utthita Hasta Padasana.
Many yoga poses are challenging. Many test strength, many test balance, many test flexibility. The ones, like this one might be very easy so the possibility that they are over looked and not practice in many yoga classes could be very high. But it is the easy asanas where sometimes we learn the most. We learn to take a moment to sense the body. What does it feel like to stand wide, reaching and lengthening? What is the sensation in my bones? What is the sensation in my muscles? Can I open my chest any further? Can I make my arms longer? Check into these sensations. Allow yourself to learn and become familiar so that you can do more challenging poses with the body knowledge you have gained from the easier poses.
Do you do this pose as part of your practice? Do you do this pose in the yoga class you attend?
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: asana, body sensations, chest open, Extended Hands and Feet Pose, gentle yoga, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia cool down, shoulder width apart, stability, strength, Utthita Hasta Padasana, yoga classes, yoga poses, Yoga Practice | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 2, 2014
If you have read more than one post on my blog you know (probably) that I teach a movement class called Nia. Nia is very much about “dancing” and moving to the music. The training required in order to teach is called the Nia White Belt Intensive. The training is over 50 hours long. Believe it or not there is hardly anytime in that 50 hours learning a routine. In fact, I don’t remember learning any part of a routine in my White Belt. But I know people who have taken the training more recently and they said they did review a song. I remember when I first arrived at the training I literally had NO IDEA what it was going to be like. I signed up rather late and if there was any pre-training at that time, I didn’t get it. I had thought I would walk out of the training ready to teach. Ha. Nope. I was given tools to help me be ready to teach. There might be people who are ready to teach when they walk out of the first training . . . but I wasn’t. I wasn’t that familiar with Nia to begin with so the way we were taught to learn a routine was very new to me. As you may know we were taught to map our music by “barring” the music.
I know that Nia is making an effort to make things easier on teachers. Nia Headquarters actually documents the choreography on the bars now. So, I feel that the focus has shifted a bit away from barring the music the way I was taught. I think the way I was taught was very cool. I love the way Nia had at one time had us learning the music. But I also understand the need to learn quickly or to have tools available to allow people to do things faster. That is just the way our society is. Things need to be done fast.
I also understand that we all learn differently. We all have our own ways of doing things. I honestly don’t do EVERY step that I was taught to do. I also mix it up and I don’t always do each routine EXACTLY the same. But pretty much.
For all the routines so far, I do bar the music myself. Sometimes I have trouble with some of the songs so I might rely on the bars from HQ a little more than with other songs. But I bar the music and I document the choreography myself. I “fix” any discrepancies I might see on the DVD. But I do this in steps. First I bar the music. I count the music and I dress my bars. I have found the more detailed I am with the dressing the better it is for me. I put as much detail as I want on there. I don’t just put the sound I hear for the cue for the Nia routine. I put the music on the page. Then I scan the paper into my computer. Now I have barred music. So what I can do with that the barred page — without the Nia choreography on it — is use it for whatever I want. I can add my own choreography. I don’t just have the places marked where I would do or cue the already-created-Nia kata, I have sounds that I am familiar with document. So noting my own choreography to the page is easy.
Then, on my paper I just scanned, I add the Nia choreography. Once I do that then I scan my sheet again. So now I have an electronic image of my complete and final bars. I always know where it is. I admit to taking my sheets of barred music with me either to teach or around the house, then I misplace them. Or I mixed routines up so I have one song in with another routine. Then after a year when I go to do a routine, I am missing a song. I am pretty particular so I will look for it, but sometimes I let go and just look at my electronic copy. I know that eventually I will find the hard copy so I just use the one I know where it is.
I am so happy though because I finally got a HANGING file system. So much easier to file my routines that way. I used to have them in a pile on a shelf in a cabinet. So in order to get to them I had to take out the entire pile and go through it to find the routine I wanted. Or to put one away . . . that is why I would end up with “lost” songs because I didn’t always want to take the time to take out the stack and deal with it. But now, it is so much easier with them hanging! Yay.
So, if you teach a dance class, how do you document your moves? How do you note your choreography? How do you store your notes?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: barring music, dance class, dance exercise, mapping music, movement class, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia Music, Nia Teacher, Nia training, Nia White Belt Intensive, scanning your bars | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 21, 2014
In 2009 I posted a blog post about cooking popcorn in a pot. I was pretty smug because I could do it. And it came out really good. I could use a tiny pot, the smallest one we have, and end up with at least two good sized bowls of popcorn. I think I jinxed myself! I have had an almost impossible time popping popcorn in a pot. Hmmmmm . . . . it just occurred to me that maybe my popcorn is old. Does that make a difference? Actually, I should say, my popcorn IS old, does that make a difference? I am not a fan of all the “stuff” they put in microwave popcorn. Also, I actually not to use my microwave that much. I use it, it is convenient, but if I can I would rather use another appliance. But apparently I can’t any longer. Sigh. I don’t know what it is. Probably old popcorn. Now that I think of that I will have to buy new popcorn. I have been wanting popcorn though, but not wanting to try to cook it because of my awful results I have had. Today, I found some microwave popcorn I thought I would try.
Have you ever gone into a grocery store and thought about buying something, then changed your mind and not bought it. But then on the way home you are thinking about having it when you get home. You are looking forward to making it and eating it or opening the package and eating it or whatever . . . just having it. 
Then you get home and you realize you didn’t get it? That is sort of what happened to me. I was looking at the already popped bagged popcorn . . . ya know like Smartfood or something. But I didn’t want to buy that because I try to avoid Canola oil. I saw one that used Olive Oil and I was going to try that, but it said it had pepper in it . . . .and you know (perhaps) that I don’t like pepper. I knew that it would be too hot. So then I started looking at the popcorn to see if there was some organic kind. And I saw the organic popcorn that you microwave. Really? Just a few ingredients so I thought I would try it.
It was late, I went out for coffee after my morning Nia class, and I was hungry. As I was putting my bags in the trunk I looked at one bag that had a few items in it. Then I looked at my other bag and I thought, “What? Where is my popcorn? Did he put all my veggies on the bag? How is that possible that all of the veggies and that puffy bag of popcorn fit in one bag with room still?” So I moved the lettuce which revealed the BOX of microwave popcorn and thought, “Well, I guess I won’t be eating any of that on the way home!”
Anyway . . . the popcorn was really good. I think. I popped well, and wasn’t greasy. It didn’t have any “butter” on it. I liked it. According to The USDA Agricultural Research Service’s web site there is 31 calories in a cup of air-popped popcorn. The package from the popcorn I bought says the same thing(-ish). You can see the rest of the nutritional info from the package in the picture. The National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference says:
Nutrient per 3 cups (24 grams)
Energy/kcal 92
Protein 2.88g
Fat 1.01g
Carbohydrate 18.70g
Fiber, total dietary 3.6g
Minerals
Calcium, Ca 2mg
Iron, Fe 0.64mg
Magnesium, Mg 31mg
Phosphorus, P 72mg
Potassium, K 72mg
Sodium, Na 1mg
Zinc, Zn 0.83mg
Vitamins
Thiamin 0.049mg
Riboflavin 0.068mg
Niacin 0.467mg
Vitamin B-6 0.059mg
Cholesterol 0mg
So for a snack food it is relatively low in calorie and high in fiber. Low in fat and cholesterol. Of course, cooking it in oil and adding butter adds more calories and fat. I like it both ways. Sometimes I want light and salty and sometimes I want a heavier snack so the butter is better. But, as I said, I haven’t been able to cook it properly in a long time so I have not had it in a long time.
My husband doesn’t like popcorn. Not even the smell. So I usually try to have it while he is not home.
What about you? Do you like popcorn? Do you microwave it? How about the grocery store . . . do you think about eating something you were going to buy then didn’t (and forgot you didn’t buy it)?
Posted in Food | Tagged: buttered popcorn, Canola Oil, microwave popcorn, Nia, Nia class, Popcorn, popped corn, snack food, USDA Agricultural Research Service | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 12, 2014
Our focus in Nia this morning was laughter, happiness, joy, comfort, and support our intent was to find it (from within) and share it with those in the world that need it (or even just want it). We danced in honor of Robin Williams(/Armand Goldman*). I know clinical depression is not fixed by someone just “snapping out of it” nor is it a matter of just “being happy”. We were sending laughter, happiness, and joy out. Along with comfort and support. So even though it can’t be fixed or healed simply with those things we were dancing our support of those that suffer. And even though many of us are not clinically depressed many are saddened by Mr. Williams death. From what I am reading on the internet he touched so many people with his down to earth comedy and crazy antics. While we were dancing . . . . in my enthusiasm, I clapped so hard I broke a blood vessel in my hand. At least that is what I thought I did. In order to be sure it was nothing more serious, I did what a lot of us do . . . I posted a picture on Facebook and asked my friends.
One friend said that she does it all the time in her fingers. I have done it in my fingers at least a couple of times that I remember. So her comment made me feel a little better. But I had never done it in my hand. When it happened, I had clapped and sometimes I do clap long enough that my hands itch. So this time I just thought . . . “Hmmm . . . that is weird, I wasn’t clapping that long.” And I scratched viciously at my hand. Then I looked at it and I was surprised to see this large purple spot on it. But I kept dancing because I was teaching. So I thought I would deal with it later. Then I forgot because right after my Tuesday morning Nia class I have a gentle yoga class. I rushed off to that and completely forgot about my hand.
I forgot about it until I had to fill out a survey. The questions were answered by filling in the “bubbles” or circles on a form. We used to call them Scantrons. There were 1400 of them. My hand started to bother me then I remembered my injuring clap.
So onto Facebook, one friend — the one who said she breaks blood vessels in her fingers all the time — suggested arnica gel. I have arnica oil. I just put that on. I also have my Trauma (that you know I love) and my Zheng Gu Shui. But I am using the oil. Another friend . . . a nurse said – “Your body has already healed the blood vessel, now time will reabsorb the blood in the tissue.” Good to know. I didn’t THINK it was anything serious, but I wanted to check. 🙂
Amazing that the body can begin to heal so quickly. If only the heart healed as fast. Yesterday, August 11, 2014, marked four months that my mom has been dead and the suicide of such a beloved celebrity made it that much more sad.
Not that this site should be used to treat or diagnosis ANYTHING, but if you find yourself with a spot on your hand looking like a bruise and nothing else appears to be wrong or damaged with your hand, it could be just a broken blood vessel. For anything serious, please seek medical help.
I will look within to find laughter, happiness, joy, comfort, and support and I will share it with those in the world who need it or want it.
*Birdcage was one of my favorite movies I ended up with by some odd thing. Someone at work was giving away movies and I grabbed the tape . . . .yes, the VHS tape, that is how long ago it was. My husband and I watched it and we loved it . . . . who wouldn’t? What a cast! Since we love it and watched it often we bought the DVD. It is one of my favorite movies to watch over and over. It is one of those ones that I will stop to watch if I see it when I am flicking channels. It will make me sad now.
Have you ever had a broken blood vessel in your hand? On your finger? Do you have a favorite Robin Williams movie?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Armand Goldman, Arnica oil, August 11 2014, Birdcage, broken blood vessel, clinically depressed, Facebook, Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia focus and intent, Robin Williams, Scantrons, Trauma, Zhica shui | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 31, 2014
One of Nia’s 52 Moves is Head and Eye Movement. Yes, we intentionally and specifically move our head and our eyes in Nia. A long time ago when I first started teaching I had a student who had come to about three classes and after the third class she said something to affect of since starting Nia she actually moves her head to look around while driving. So my first thought was, “Yay! Nia helps make people better drivers.” If people are not moving their heads and then start doing so after Nia – YAY! – especially while driving. Nia really is about full body health and movement. So we don’t do just a cardio workout that works your heart. We don’t do just a dance exercise that moves your legs. We don’t do just some choreography that involves our hands. We involve the whole body. As you may have surmised from the post on Creepy Crawlers. It is very important for people to move their heads.
I see a lot of people with very stiff necks who in fact do not move their heads. There are a lot of reasons. I know some reasons include stiff muscles. They can’t move their head without pain because their muscles are not used to moving or are holding too much stress. I know some people who can’t move their head because it causes them dizziness. I also know some people who rid themselves of stiff necks and dizziness by moving their head. Moving one’s head will not solve everyone’s issues of stiff necks or dizziness, but I do know some people who were helped by it.
In Nia we move our head a lot. We engage our eyes a lot. But as with all of the 52 Moves of Nia there is a specific way to do it. In just practicing Head and Eye Movements you look all around and move your head to match your gaze. Letting the action of your head follow the intent of your eyes.
Just like with Catching Flies, this move requires looking BEFORE moving. So LOOK and then move the head so you are facing the direction you are looking. As I said look in all directions. Look up, then move your head so you are facing up. Look down, then move your head so your chin is at your chest. Look left, then turn your head left. Look right, then turn your head to the right. Look in a different direction then move your head so you are facing that direction. After looking around nod your head “yes”, shake it “no”, roll the head around both directions. Vary the speed at which you do all of this. Be aware of any sensations that come up. Also, if you are not accustomed to moving your head be careful that you don’t get dizzy or too dizzy.
As I mentioned some people get dizzy from lack of moving their head. It is not because of any condition, it is just lack of practice. So, be cautious when you first practice Nia’s Head and Eye Movement. Now, go, look around, move your head.
How do you feel when you move your head? Do you move your head around? Do you have a stiff neck? Do you get dizzy when you move your head?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: action follows intent, cardio dance, cardio workout, dance exercise, ease neck pain, ease neck tension, Head and Eye Movement, health and movement, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia student, Nia Teacher, Nia's 52 Moves, San Jose Group Ex class, teaching Nia, whole body workout Creepy Crawlers | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 24, 2014
Recently someone asked me about the Nia Belt system. I pointed him to my original post on Nia’s Belt System. The one where I mentioned having seen many articles back then (in 2009) talking about the belt levels as if people had to progress through them in order to participate in Nia. That is not the case. Nia is a dance exercise. It is a workout. You can go to a Nia class just like you can go to a Zumba Fitness Class, a Jazzercize class, a UJAM class, a Hip-Hop class, a yoga class or any other class where you just walk in and do it. You can just walk in and do Nia. No strings (or belts — tee hee!) attached. Just move your body to the music and enjoy the sensation. Get a workout. Get some exercise in. Dance. The belts are for people who want to learn more.
Nia has a “self discovery” program. I don’t want to say self-improvement because some people might think, “I don’t need improving.” and you would be right. The intensives are workshops of about 50 hours that show you how to experience movement in your body, show you how to relate to things. The intensives show you many different things. Each intensive is labeled with a belt color to help distinguish it from the others. I also pointed him to my website which has the belt colors and the focuses of each belt. But I was reminded that the information on my site, from 2012, is not the current information. Nia is always updated herself. She is like the co-creator, Debbie Rosas, she like to be current. Below is the information from 2012. I want to make record of it. Plus I wanted to keep it available in case anyone was interested in remember it and/or comparing it to the newly worded focuses. You can go to my site at Nia Belt Levels and Focuses to see the newly worded focuses and intents for each belt.
In 2012 when I put the information on my site there was a White Belt, a Blue Belt, a Brown Belt, and a Black Belt available to anyone. There is now a 1st Degree Black Belt. There is a Green Belt for people who are teaching and have a Nia Livelihood Membership.
“Each of the four belts mentioned has a separate set of principles. There are 13 principles for each belt, each belt also has a focus.
The focus for a White Belt is physical sensation. (Terre earned her White Belt in December 2008.)
The focus for a Blue Belt is communication, relationship and intimacy. (Terre earned her Blue Belt in November 2012.)
The focus for Brown Belt is sensing and perceiving energy.
The focus for Black Belt is unlimited creativity.
As I said, there is an intensive, Green Belt, that is just for Nia teachers, the focus for a Green Belt is the craft of teaching Nia. This is an optional intensive.” **
When I originally took my White Belt in 2012, the Green Belt was just being created and the original thought was Nia was going to have White Belts that are teaching take it next, before blue. But by the time I had enough money saved up to take my next belt (yes, it took FOUR years) they had relaxed that requirement and now allow people to take the Green Belt when and if they want. I want to take it. However there was a Blue Belt Intensive that was closer and did not require air travel and hotel expenses. So I took the Blue Belt Training prior to the Green Belt Training.
Except for the Green Belt there is no testing as in a martial arts type of setting. And the Green Belt test is written. There IS 50+ hours of movement, lectures, thinking, sensing, learning, agreeing, disagreeing, discovering, connecting dots, ah-has, oh-nos, and ooo-ahs. It is incredible and intense. The training that Nia delivers is excellent.
My posts about the principles of the White Belt and the Blue Belt can help give you a better idea of what we study in the intensives (at least those two), but it is really something one has to experience for oneself.
I hope you click over to my site to see the new verbiage for the focuses and the added intents.
**The belt information was taken from the Nia Now website on November 14, 2012.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: a Hip-Hop class, a Jazzercize class, a UJAM class, a yoga class, dance, dance exercise, Dance Workout, Debbie Rosas, Nia, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt, Nia Belt system, Nia Black Belt, Nia Blue Belt, Nia Brown Belt, Nia class, Nia Green Belt, Nia Intensive, Nia Music, Nia White Belt, self discovery program, self-improvement program, Zumba Fitness Class | 2 Comments »
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