Sometimes I laugh when I start to write up my share for the Nia White Belt training. It is so rich there is absolutely no way I can share it all . . . and that is good because it is fun to get more information when you take the training. And with Nia and the Nia 52 Moves there is always more to be had. This week we went over Nia White Belt P9 – Upper Extremities.
The picture shows you Principle 9 as Upper Extremities with the tagline of Creative Expressions. And the definition being Sensory Study of Expression. The triad consists of the fingers, hands, and shoulder girdle. Then we have the spine in the middle because it helps and/or is a part of these movements along with the base and the core. We use our fingers and our hands to express ourselves and communicate, yes? Think about it, many of us “talk with” our hands, we reach out with our hands to comfort and be comforted, we can tell someone to come, go, stop, hurry up with our fingers and/or our hands, things like that. They also can be moved in ways that open and close joints and direct energy. Finger and/or hands can be moved to activate muscles. They can be used as the vehicles to help move our arms. Energy flow or lack thereof can affect our base. The spine can provide stability or enable us to move our fingers, hands, and shoulder girdle. The same with the core, it can provide stability or help us with the engagement of our upper extremities.
There is so much that can be said about each of the Nia 52 Moves individually, it is one of the things that is really fun to experience in a training (as I mentioned and will continue to mention). We review the anatomy (because, remember Nia White Belt is about the BODY) and how the moves move the joints and muscles in the body. I can always revisit any movement and according to my current list of posts I still need to post about a few of the Nia 52 Move that are upper extremities, but for now I will just post the list and links. I also want to state a reminder that the Nia 52 Moves instructions are done int THE BODY’S WAY. It could be that your body will not move that way but after practicing the moves your body starts to move that way OR it could be that your body will never move in the exact way the Nia 52 Moves are laid out. We all have different bodies and sometimes there are injuries or trauma we are dealing with. And sometimes we are just not made to move that way. That is why it is very important to keep BOTH THE BODY’S WAY and YOUR BODY’S WAY in mind when practicing Nia (or any movement for that matter).
The Upper Extremities
Arm Moves (3)
35. Blocks
36. Punches
37. Elbow Strikes
Hand Moves (7)
38. Touching
39. Fist
40. Pumps
41. Strikes
42. Chop Cut
43. Webbed Spaces
44. Palm Directions
Finger Moves (8)
45. Finger Extensions
46. Finger Flicks
47. Creepy Crawlers
48. Spear Fingers
49. Catching Flies
50. Claw Hand
51. Power Finger Crossover
52. Balance Finger
I invite you to click on the links to see how you can do each move. Then practice and play and let me know what you think. Which is your favorite? Which ones do you do throughout your day (Dancing Through Life)? Which ones do you do in YOUR workout?
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