We dance Palm Directions all the time in my Nia classes. It is an easy thing to do. Palm Directions is a great move to incorporate into freedance. It is also often one of the moves choreographed into a Nia routine. Palm Directions is one of Nia’s 52 Move.
It might not be something you think about, but the direction the palm is facing affects the shoulder joint. When the palm is facing down (or towards the body) the shoulder joint is closed and when the palm is facing up (or away from the body) the shoulder joint is open. When your arm is straight that is when the shoulder joint gets the open and closed action. Along with the shoulder joint, the entire arm is affected. The arm bones are twisted with the movement of the palm.
It really is as simple as facing your palms in one direction then another. Unlike Webbed Spaces – another move in Nia’s 52 Moves (you can read about it by clicking here) – in Palm Directions the fingers are kept together. If practicing to affect the shoulder joint, lengthen the arm straight out in front of your body or straight down next to your body, then turn the palms up/face them out away from the body to open the shoulder, then turn the palms down/turn them towards your body to close the shoulder joint. You can observe the radius untwisting as it switches places with the ulna. You can sense the movement of your humerus, the upper arm bone.
In addition to opening the shoulder joint, the Nia Technique book reminds us that, “Palm Directions also express emotion. Palms up, for example, is a universal body language indicator of openness.” So it can open things other than the shoulder joint. Changing palm directions also moves the energy around. In Nia classes we move the arms all around the space around us, changing the palm directions, pushing and pulling and mixing up the energy. Also, while we are dancing and our arms are moving around us with the palms facing different directions we vary the speed of our movement. When Varying the speed that are arms are moving and our palms are changing direction allows us to play with agility – one of Nia’s five sensations (click here for more information on that).
This type of movement helps us connect with the space around us. Palm Directions, the Nia Move, also helps with keep the shoulder joint mobile.
This move is also a great move with which Nia participant’s can practice their own body’s way. The body was designed so the humerus rotates in the glenoid fossa or shoulder socket. But life sometimes affects the body so that it cannot move the way it was designed, so all of us have different levels of how much we can move the arm. So while playing with Palm Directions and dancing the arm around the space each individual can do it in their own body’s way. This will allow them to get the work that their body is capable of and needs.
Ready? Straighten your arms then change the direction of the palms. Are you able to sense your arm bones twisting/untwisting? Are you able to sense the action in the shoulder joints? What do you sense when you move your arms around while playing with Palm Directions?
I remembered the Goodie Jar check in! Yay! How about you? Are you remembering to put good things in that jar? I know that some weeks are easier to find good things than others, but that is part of this — to find good things to focus on even in the midst of the things that bring us down or try to keep that smiling from surfacing.
My birthday was last week so I received a few cards. As I was pulling the cards out of the envelopes to display — yes, I put up my cards — I realized what great goodie note paper the envelopes would make. As you may know not only am I filling my goodie jar, but I like to use colorful paper to document my good things. I like different shapes and sizes and textures. So to me it was a good thing to realize I could use the envelopes as paper for my jar. Yay! Now I will have bright pink, red, and yellow to add to the jar! And do some recycling!
Fun stuff.
One of the good things I have added to my jar is my Nia students — again! I know, huh? — this week the traffic was stopped as I tried to make my way to my Nia class. When I looked on the freeway as I was getting on I thought it was just slowed for a bit because there were signs that said, “Shoulder work”. The actually direction I need to travel is not visible from where I make the turn on to the entrance ramp. When I made the turn onto the actual road to enter, it was stopped. So I just got right back off. But every single street I drove on had construction. So at times two lanes were reduced to one lane. Every time I was near a freeway entrance I thought I would get on the freeway there, but, nope, the traffic was backed up. So I slowly made my way all the way across town via city streets. I kept thinking I would make it to class on time or really close to it, so I didn’t pull over to call. But finally I stopped to call and tell them I was on my way even though I was already late! I finally made it, I was twenty minutes late! And guess what? My students were still there! WOW! I was so humbled and grateful it was JUST what a person needs after spending over an hour on the road to make a 20 minute trip. My annoyance and embarrassment at being late was washed away by my understanding and eager-to-dance students. They said, “That’s ok. Let’s dance it away.” And we did. So grateful. Definitely a GOOD THING for my goodie jar.
I hope that you use this check in as a reminder to take a moment and think of the good things that you have experienced this week and make a note.
Today after Nia Class a Nia White Belt and I were talking. We were talking Nia over coffee and a friend from her past happened by. So she joined us. She was coming from Jazzercise and so, of course the conversation turned to us sharing some information about Nia with her. She sounded as if she was willing to try it but also as if she was never going to move away from Jazzercise. I love that she is moving. I think it is important that people exercise and one of the ,best ways to ensure that is to find something you like or better yet — love. I appreciate that there is so much out there for people to participate in. Of course, I would love for you to come to my Nia class. I would love for you to love Nia. I think it is great because it addresses the BMES, but not everyone likes that in their exercise. In the course of our conversation she said she tried Zumba, but it didn’t work for her that well. She had already mentioned that she takes it easy on her knee so I felt justified in recommending the correct type of shoe. I often hear people don’t like Zumba because it hurts their knees and it often has to do with the shoes they are wearing. In Nia we dance bare foot. We do not twist on our foot or scoot, we pick our feet up off the ground. When doing a dance exercise or a fitness class, like Zumba the need for shoes is apparent. In Zumba there is a lot of twisting, shuffling, and sliding. You need the right shoe for that.
Exercise sneakers, tennis shoes, cross trainers, and running shoes are not the correct shoe for doing Zumba or any type of dance that requires shoes for that matter. An exercise sneaker or tennis shoe has what you want in regards to cushion, construction and support. A cross trainer has even more support in the shoe because with cross training you are moving forward, backward, side to side, and even up and down. So the shoe itself is made to support your foot and keep it secured in the shoe. And running shoes are great for the cushion. They cushion your step and help absorb the shock of your foot landing on the earth. So these types of shoes are great, the “upper”, because they are built for impact and moving in different directions, but it is the sole you do not want to dance on. These shoes are made for traction. They are made to stop you from twisting and sliding. When you are playing tennis, doing cross training, or running you don’t want to be slipping, sliding, and twisting around. So the soles are made to keep that from happen. I mean, have you seen some of those soles? They look like tire treads. Great for outdoors.
Now a dance shoe, say a jazz shoe or a ballet slipper is perfect for dance. Without all of the cushion and support that is an athletic shoe they are usually light and easy to lift and move in. The bottom of the shoe has material that allows you to slide and glide, spin, turn, and twirl on the dance floor. Perfect for moving to the music and getting your groove on. And THAT is the kind of sole you want. Something you can twist in. Something you can slide in. Something that won’t stop you foot dead as you dance across the floor. But then again, those shoes have the SOLES you want, but not the support. Since you are doing cross training type of motion (forward, backward, side to side, and even up and down) you want that type of support. And it would be nice to have some cushion too, huh?
Well, do your knees a favor and do not do Zumba in tennis shoes, cross trainers, and running shoes. And do your feet a favor and do not do Zumba in a jazz shoe or a ballet slipper. What you need is a dance sneaker. Someone, somewhere – I don’t know the origin of them – decided to combine the two. Brilliant. Someone added the support, cushion, and comfort of an athletic shoe to a sole that can slide and glide. Whew! This is genius. This will help save your knees and other joints!
I know Zumba has a brand of shoe that has a great dance sole, I don’t know about the cushion and support of the shoe. I bought Capezios because they don’t have a sole over the arch so they allow for the foot to really move.
Since you are investing in your health and wellness by going to a dance exercise class, please take it a one step further and splurge for those dance sneakers. They don’t have to cost more than $50.00, and you will be saving yourself so much more in the long run. You will be allowing your body to move with greater comfort on the dance floor.
What do you think? Do you think a shoe that allows you to slide a bit is better for dancing? Doesn’t it make sense to have a dance sneaker?
I have stated in previous posts that we do moves in Nia that are not exclusive to Nia. Since Nia is three different arts; Martial Arts, Dances Arts, and Healing Arts, with three different movement forms in each art there is a large possibility that you have experienced the move before if you have participated in any of the movement forms. The nine basic Nia movement forms are T’ai chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, Duncan Dance, Feldenkrais, the Alexander Technique, and Yoga. Even if you have not practiced any of the movement forms you still might have found yourself doing the cha-cha, a jazz square, a side kick, or sitting cross legged. Nia does however have moves that are a part of Nia, say the core movements. We call them the 52 Moves of Nia or Nia’s 52 Moves. Two of the 52 moves are crosses. There is the Cross Front and the Cross Behind. The action of the cross is done with the feet.
The Cross Front is where you step across your body to the other side. Some what like taking a diagonal step forward. To practice this you can stand in an open stance and use one leg to step in a forward and diagonal direction. The ideal of the Cross Front is with a heel lead. Practice is done with arms and hands swinging freely.
The Nia Technique book states that benefits from this move is the strengthen of your inner thigh muscles.
This is a great practice in stability. Especially since often when we are doing the cross front it is combined with another move. We do not normally cross front continually from a standing still open position. So the cross front often takes on a personality of its own. Knowing how to do it in it simplest form allows for the energy and playfulness that it is normally supplied while dancing to come out. This is often a move used to play with agility because in the dance we are moving and there is a start and a stop as we cross front.
The Cross Behind, like all moves, even the one mentioned above, has its proper way to be done. To practice the cross behind start in an open stance then step with one foot back/behind on the diagonal so the moving foot comes behind and to the side of the stationary foot. The moving foot lands on “ball of foot“. The end result is the ankles look like an “x” is being made. With this further practice can be done to allow for you to sink into a lower position . . . just a little bend in the knees. But you keep the foot that crossed behind on the ball of foot. Further practice has you rising on BOTH feet onto the ball of your foot. This move helps with mobility and stability in the legs.
Again, that is the way to do it in practice. While moving, practicing, and playing with all the moves. There are routines that call for the movement to be done exactly like stated. We have our ankles crossed in the X and we are on ball of foot. That is a true cross behind. But in dancing it is often adjusted into looking a little different.
It could be that the ankles do not land that close together as we start to sense the music and dance it in our own bodies way. Could be we land on whole foot. There are many ways to dance and find this move adjusted. But as with many things, it is important to learn the base, the correct way to do it and then play from there.
So as you can tell we do a lot of moves in Nia that are familiar. I would not be surprised at all if you have done these on the dance floor at a club or a wedding reception. Maybe not exactly as we do in Nia when executing them with precision to allow us the flexibility, agility, mobility, strength, and stability available, but in a way that would make doing it in a Nia class familiar.
So where have you done the Cross Front? And the Cross Behind? Are you a grocery store dancer?
EEEEKKKK! I cannot believe I forgot two check ins a row! Wow! My Thursdays got a little busier with the addition of the morning Nia class. Definitely a good thing, but my schedule got a bit off. Even though it has been almost a month since the first class, I need to work on my schedule a bit more.
This is a reminder about the Good Things Jar! Ya know where we put notes of good things that have happened throughout the week? Are you putting things in yours? The reason we are doing this is to keep the good things at the forefront in our minds, in our hearts, and in our lives. Yes, there are things that we can easily let bring us down . . . . believe me, I know, but that is when it is most important to remember the positive.
I am not a believer that you have to be positive all the time. I believe that it is important to feel your feelings. If you are sad go ahead be sad. If you are angry go ahead be angry. If you are frustrated go ahead be frustrated. Experience all the emotions that you have. BUT . . . . my point is don’t deny the good. Don’t let all the things that CAN bring you down, bring you down and KEEP you so low that you don’t recognize the good stuff.
It could even be a matter of having to look at your Goodie Jar . . . . look how full it is and realize that there are a lot of good things that have happened. Maybe you are struggling to find a good thing NOW, but that jar is full of good things . . . . and that in itself is a good thing, right?
Well . . . . . even though I forgot to remind you, are you still filling up that Goodie Jar?
I am not certain “touching” is included in any other workout. I am not certain if it is included in any other cardio dance exercise. Now I am not talking about “putting your hands on your hips as you shake them” or “putting your hands behind your head as you advance forward” or “touch your elbow to your knee” or “putting your hands on your shoulders”. I am not talking about that type of touching. I am talking about touching. Touching for the sake of touching. Touching to gather sensation from your hands. Gathering information from the nerves in your fingers, palms, and the backs of your hands. In Nia we touch.
Touching gives us a lot of information. A Nia Routine might have us touching the air around us. We touch to sense the air. We touch the space around us. All around us. Above our heads, behind us, below us. We use our open palms and webbed spaces. We use the backs of our hands. We push and pull the energy. The Nia Technique book, by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, states “Practicing Touching is excellent training for increasing your Sensory IQ and for improving body awareness.” Touching the space that surrounds the body also moves the energy around — as mentioned the push and the pull. In addition to moving the energy you can draw energy in through the touch or send it out.
There is also the touching we do to things. We can touch things while we dance in a Nia class or throughout our day. In a dance class we can touch the floor, the walls, the mirror, the other things in the room. They give us information through touch.
We can also touch our skin and our own bodies to gather information. We can touch to create heat. We can touch to supply energy to a specific body part. We can touch to heal. We can touch to allow for sensation or attention. Touching brings awareness. If you are touching your elbow, as an example, with the touch you receive information from two sources. One is your hand that is doing the touching. It senses your elbow. It might feel dry skin, causing you to think you need lotion. The second source is your elbow. Your elbow senses the hand. You might think, your hand is soft/warm/moist. Exchange of information. Awareness. Attention. Touch is amazing.
No matter whether we are touching the space around us, the things around us, or our own bodies we can use fingers, palms, and back of hands. With different “touches” we are exchanging different information. Moving and/or releasing and/or gathering energy. Touch is a powerful tool in the Nia toy box.
Another way touch can be applied is in the common way of touching as measurement. In the beginning of class, say, before your body is warmed up, you can only touch as far as your shins. Then after was have moved warming the muscles all of the attachments you can easily bend all the way over to touch your toes. Touch. It is a great thing to use for many reasons. In Nia we use touch. Touching is one of Nia’s 52 Moves.
What sensations have you received today from things you have touched?
In Nia we have the five sensations that we dance and move with. I always feel that one of them is a personal favorite of one of the co-founders of The Nia Technique. I think that Debbie Rosas really loves stability. I imagine she loves them all because she does a superb job of ensuring they are all included in a each Nia Routine, but sometimes I just get this feeling that practicing balance is her favorite. It could be because sometimes stability, being balanced, requires flexibility and/or agility and/or mobility and/or strength. So you can practice and play with all of the five sensations when practicing balance. In yoga there is at least three of the five sensations we experience in Nia. In yoga there is flexibility and/or strength and/or stability/balance. In the Gentle Yoga class I am teaching I really like to put a huge emphasis on balance. I think balance is very important and yoga is a great way to practice it. There are many poses in yoga that are balance poses. Not all of them are standing poses.
One pose I really like to use for enhancing balance is the Gate pose. This pose is a kneeling pose, somewhat.
In the gentle yoga class we start on our knees. Up off our calves, as in we are not sitting on our legs. Then we lean forward and over to one side, say the left. We lean forward to the left placing both our hands on the ground in front of the left knee. Then we swing our right leg out so it is pointed out to the side. The heel of the right foot is aligned with the left knee or slightly in front. The right foot is flat on the ground and the toes are pointed away from the body. We then lift up so we are kneeling on our left leg with our right leg posed out to the right of our body. Then the left arm comes up reaching straight over the head. Palm towards the right. The right hand is palm up resting on the right thigh. If stability and balance is achieved then those that are comfortable lean over to the right, allowing the right hand to rest lower on the leg, at the shin, not the knee. If comfortable we turn the head to gaze past our left arm. All the while the crown of the head is moving away from our body and the tail is moving in the opposite direction. We are lengthening our spine. The shoulders are being drawn back and down. Even though one arm is up we still keep the space between the ear and the shoulder open and large. The same with the side we are leaning towards.
Whether you are staying up right or leaning over to the side, keep your body from leaning forward. Stay in the pose for a few breaths. After you perform this pose on one side, do the other.
Parighasana, the Gate pose, is a nice way to pursue balance. The foot that is out can be adjusted to a parallel (to the body) position if that allows it to be more comfortable or stable. Or the foot can be lifted leaving just the heel on the ground. The depth of the side bend is always a point that can be adjusted for the individual’s needs at the moment.
I love all the poses in yoga that allow for balance practice. I think this is a great post with which to practice balance.
Are you familiar with the Gate pose? Do you like this pose?
I know this is very far from health and fitness. I know this is not even in the realm . . . . but it is in my head. It is stuck. I get songs stuck in my brain and they just play over and over. Does that ever happen to you? Do you get that ear worm? Right now I have two songs stuck in my head this one (The Fox) and one that is in the Nia Routine I am current learning/”teaching” in my Monday and Wednesday morning Nia classes. The song is Sexy from the Nia Routine Oshun. It has no words, as this group/woman often “sings”, no words. But the woman makes noises. She hums, moans, groans, hisses, and vocalizes. It is a hauntingly addicting tune and you I find myself moaning and vocalizing along with the song or just singing it out of the blue. But I always find it odd to “sing” the non-words. I had, at one time, a link to a video of it, but I can no longer find that. But the The Fox is all over the internet, including in my last post. In regards to lyrics, “The Fox” also has a lot of “non-words” but I guess that is because that is what the fox says. Because really that is what foxes says, according to recordings made by researchers. The recordings can be found on The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library website.
The the information regarding the one recording states it is a recording of Red Foxes in Ontario, Canada. It can be found here:
I think the voice on the recording says, “Young cross fox or black fox still in the puppy stage.” The recording is labeled red fox, but I it really sounds like he say black fox. I think the sound the foxes make is more comparable to the “Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!” Although the Wired blog post titled “What Does the Fox Say? The Viral Music Video Isn’t Totally Wrong” states it is “clearly . . . . a low-key version of Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow”.
The recording of a female and male arctic fox sound to me like a mixture of Ylvis’ Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow and Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! On this recording the fox noises stop at 1:18 then the researching talks about the foxes and the conditions of recording.
Whereas I think the common gray fox recorded in Sierra County, California is saying “A-hee-ahee ha-hee! A-hee-ahee ha-hee!” That recording can be heard here:
Devon Maloney, the author of the Wired Post I mentioned above, and I don’t exactly agree on what the foxes on the recordings say in connection with what Ylvis says, but I do believe we do both agree that Ylvis was onto something. They did get “What the Fox Say” pretty darn accurate. Hopefully my obsession with this song will be done by week’s end. But I won’t be surprised if it resurfaces. It is just so very funny. Very entertaining. I think the two that make up Ylvis are really interested in knowing what their guardian angels are saying. They asks “what is your sound”, but I actually think they have the sounds down pretty well. I am happy that their longing to know what the fox say has led to such hilarious entertainment.
So have you seen the video yet? What do you think?
This past week there was a video posted on Youtube that went viral. And I am just giving in and posting about it, because, honestly, it is stuck in my head. It was posted on September 3, 2013 and it has over 7.5 million views. Wow! It is hilarious. It was posted on Facebook, that is where I saw it. A fellow Nia teacher posted it. Then several of my friends posted it. As I mentioned, the first one I saw was a Nia Teacher , she was daring other Nia Teachers to create a dance using it. It already has some great choreography. It is one of those videos that you watch the first time in total and utter disbelief. It starts out as funny, then it just gets more and more funny as it goes on. Then you have to watch it again because it is just so hilarious. Then you just watch it again because you can’t believe it. It is just funny. I honestly didn’t even notice the dancing until about the fourth time. The first time I almost choked on my lunch. Then next two times I was laughing so hard I couldn’t see. I also was staring at the words.
In case you want to sing the song without the video playing:
Dog goes woof
Cat goes meow
Bird goes tweet
and mouse goes squeek
Cow goes moo
Frog goes croak
And the elephant goes toot
Ducks say quack
and fish go blub
and the seal goes ow ow ow
Big blue eyes
Pointy nose
Chasing mice
and digging holes
Tiny paws
Up the hill
Suddenly you’re standing still
Your fur is red
So beautiful
Like an angel in disguise
But if you meet
a friendly horse
Will you communicate by
mo-o-o-o-orse?
mo-o-o-o-orse?
mo-o-o-o-orse?
How will you speak to that
ho-o-o-o-orse?
ho-o-o-o-orse?
ho-o-o-o-orse?
The secret of the fox
Ancient mystery
Somewhere deep in the woods
I know you’re hiding
What is your sound?
Will we ever know?
Will always be a mystery
What do you say?
You’re my guardian angel
Hiding in the woods
What is your sound?
Buppawaydo
Bubitty upupwaydo
Buppawaydo
Will we ever know?
badabapbopwaydo
I want to . . .
bababydmadom
I want to . . .
I want to know!
abittybopbopbaydom
All brought to you by Ylvis, a pair of Norwegian variety show brothers. They have their own TV show. And this video . . . shows you why. Pure entertainment. Hilarity in every second. I can’t get enough of it. And, obvious, neither can anyone else . . . over 7.5 million views in fours days.
Well, I hope this helps stick it in your head as it has been stuck in my head for the past few days. I also hope to see the creative choreography out on the dance floor, from some of my fellow Nia teachers.
Ahh, as I said, I hope this sticks in your head. My husband believes that the only way to get rid of an earworm is to give it to someone else. Maybe this will help me. Maybe you will get it stuck in your head and I will be free. Fre-e-e-e-ee! Fre-e-e-e-ee! Fre-e-e-e-ee! Ahhhh!!!
Have you seen this yet?
In case you are interested in hearing the fox for yourself: Ylvis Is Correct
When I typed in the word practice this is what came up in Google:
prac·tice /ˈpraktəs/
noun
1. the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories about such application or use. 2. repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it.
verb 1. perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one’s proficiency. 2. carry out or perform (a particular activity, method, or custom) habitually or regularly.
Nia is a practice. Yoga is a practice. Playing a musical instrument takes practice. One does not just step into a Nia class and do it exactly right the first time. One does not move into a yoga pose and get it exactly right the first time. One does not start to play a song and do it exactly right the first time. It all takes practice. With Nia the emphasis is on the body’s way. I have said it before, but I will say it again, there is a right way to do the moves, the body’s way, the way the body was designed to move. But every body is different. Some bodies do not move the way they were designed. Some bodies never will, but some just need time. Yoga is a little different in that the positions are a bit more exact, but still, if your body does not move or bend that way do not force it. It could be that your body needs to work toward that pose, it needs to practice or it could be that the actual structure of your body will not allow for the exact post to be attained. Either way it is a practice.
Nia is more forgiving. Since it is a dance there is a lot of room for freedom. With yoga people expect there to be one way to do the pose but again, not exactly true. The individual’s body needs to be taken into account. Some bodies will just not bend or fold certain ways. They might be able to bend more or fold more than the first time a yoga asana is attempted, but it might never look exactly like that magazine picture. Most pictures of people in yoga positions are just like that of high fashion and/or make up models. They are the exception not the norm. They are showing an example of what the pose in its absolute perfection is supposed to look like. They should be required to disclose how many years that person has been doing yoga or how long they were actually in that pose. JUST like people are telling young girls to give up the idea of looking like the women in magazines, some people need to go a little easier on themselves when it comes to yoga poses.
The idea is not “to look like the picture” but to be better and more comfortable at doing the pose as time goes on. In the picture the person might have their elbows on the ground and when you start you can barely touch the floor. Well, the proper way to learn (at least one way . . . another is props, but for this example we are using progression) is to practice until you can touch the floor. Practice with good form. Then practice until you can stay touching the floor – with good form. Then practice until you can stay longer each time at touching the floor – with good form. Don’t injure yourself trying to put your elbows on the ground and all the while not achieve good form.
I do not believe that practice makes perfect. Practice just makes time get used up. But good practice, practice with good form, practice that allows you to get better than you were is good. “Perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one’s proficiency.” Yeah that. Being patient with oneself and allowing one to practice and make it good practice will get one further on a the path of proficiency than just trying to get to that pose without working into it. While we all know this, I was reminded that many of us need to be reminded of this.
Nia is a practice. Yoga is a practice. Playing a musical instrument takes practice.
How are you are practicing? Do you like the process of learning or do you like to just jump right in and do it right and all the way the first time?
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