Posts Tagged ‘San Jose Nia class’
Posted by terrepruitt on October 5, 2010
I teach Nia in the San Francisco Bay Area. One thing I am trying to do is increase awareness of Nia and also, at the same time, increase my class sizes. So recently I hosted a Playshop in San Jose at the studio in Willow Glen where I hold my Nia classes. My topic for the Playshop was some of the 52 Moves of Nia. It was a success. I felt good about it, even though I put my students to work.
I had spent a day and a half or so preparing what moves I wanted to go over in the Playshop and what Nia katas from the various Nia routines I wanted to use in the Nia Class. I wanted the class routine to include all the various moves we explored in the Playshop. I spend a couple of days between doing other things reviewing to make certain I was comfortable with my presentation and to make certain I could get through it within the allotted time. So I was confident the Playshop and the Nia Class would go smooth. What I was nervous about was being able to get in and set up.
If you are a teacher of almost anything, you know that here is time needed to set up. Showing up early to set up and be ready to greet your students is not always possible with the time allowed in between workout classes. In exercise class situations sometimes there is NO time in between classes. They are scheduled to end on the hour and start at the same time. So I had scheduled 15 minutes in between, but there was still things that needed to be done and I wasn’t wanting to rush the class before us out.
So I came up with an idea . . . . now, I would bet I am not the only one to come up with this and I bet if I were to do minimum research I would find all the “Planning a workshop” information to tell me exactly this, but I am still going share it.
I realized that I could put my students to work! So I did. Most of the time people are more than willing to help. One of my students showed up really early—before me even. So I knew she was ready to do something. So I set her on one task. Then two of my students who I had been plotting to do this work all along were assigned tasks.
This assigning of tasks can also be connected to my post about “If You want something done right“. Because I had to be willing to “let go” and let my students do the tasks. And I have to say they did them beautifully. I was so proud. I was proud of myself for having thought of having them do it and I was proud of myself that I just let them do it. And I was especially proud that they did it so well. I believe they did better than I could have–it was awesome.
It was a great learning experience for me.
My hubby (thanks, Hubby!) also came to help. With him mopping the floor and some of my students setting up the room, I was able to concentrate on the participants coming in that needed to sign waivers and get settled. All of this allowed us to start on time . . . which allowed us to end on time — for the Playshop at least. The Nia routine I put together was a little longer than an hour so we went over on that. But all-in-all it was my students that allowed me to have a successful Playshop.
(Thanks Students!)
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: exercise class, katas, Nia 52 moves, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia exercise class, Nia katas, Nia participants, Nia Playshop, Nia routines, Nia San Francisco, Nia San Jose, Nia students, Nia Teacher, Nia Willow Glen, Nia workout, Nia workshop, San Francisco Bay Area Nia, San Francisco Nia, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, SFBay Nia, Willow Glen Nia, working students, workout class | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 30, 2010
With Nia you get a workout. It is not necessary to have any experience in any type of dance modality or martial arts, or any type of practice (Yoga, Pilates, etc.). Any BODY can walk into a class and join in and following their own body’s way get a great workout.
In the Nia practice there are three stages. So if you want you can take your workout into these areas. The stages are:
1—Learn the Move
When you learn the move you are learning the name, you are thinking about the move. The concentration is on placing your feet in the proper place, learning where your limbs are supposed to be. Maybe trying some of the different intensity levels and the different planes. This is the stage where you are actually doing a lot of thinking.
2—Move the Move
This is the stage we you move the move. You are doing a routine and just moving. Getting the moves into your muscle memory. Your body is learning the move. Here is where you are learning the combinations. This stage is where you let your body lead and you don’t think too much. The body has an intelligence of its own and if you let it sense it can flow.
3—Energize the Move
This is the stage that you can achieve once your body knows the move. This stage could be during a song the first time you do it, if you feel comfortable and your body senses the moves you might be able to just put the energy into it from one of the Nine Movement Forms. Or it could be the stage you get to once you have done the song a few times. It really depends on the you. It depends on how you feel and how you sense the music. But this is where we really get to play with our routines, where we can energize with the energy of T’ai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Jazz Dance, or Yoga.
This weekend (10/03/10), in Willow Glen/San Jose I am holding a Nia Playshop where we will Learn the Move. We are going to play with some of the moves that make up the 52 Moves of Nia. Then after we are going to have a Nia Class where we Move the Move. Since we will have spent an hour Learning the Moves I am hoping that some of you will be able to Energize the moves. See you Sunday!
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 52 Moves of Nia, Jazz Dance, Nia class, Nia Class in San Jose, Nia Playshop, Nia Practice, Nia Willow Glen, Nia workout, Nine Movement Forms, Pilates, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, San Jose Nia practice, San Jose Pilates, San Jose Yoga, Tae kwon do, Tai Chi, Willow Glen Nia, Willow Glen Workout, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 23, 2010
(Click here for CURRENT schedule!)
This week I went to San Carlos to teach my Nia Class for the San Carlos Park and Recreation Department. Only a couple of people had signed up but I was hoping more would show up and sign up. As with most Park and Rec Departments and community classes, there needs to be a minimum amount of participants. Well, in this case the people that had thought were going to make it didn’t. I had just tweeted @JohnPruitt that I was going to be leaving in a few minutes when a woman came in. She said something about she guessed no one signed up and how that happens with Park and Rec classes. People don’t sign up and they get cancelled. She was hoping to just watch the class to see if she wanted to take it. Ha! I invited her to BE my class, she was game.
We did the warm up song, then the next one, and part way into the third song she said, “WAHOOOO! I like this.” After the song was over she said that was her favorite, she loved it and she could do it all night long. Made me happy. Nia is like that. She loved it. With only a couple of people signed up though, we cancelled the class, but we will try again when the next six week session starts in November (2nd, 2010).
The enthusiasm of this woman was fun and very contagious. I am confident that we have a new Nia participant in our midst. I believe that she will excitedly join in the other Nia events that happen around the San Francisco Bay Area and the South Bay Area. I love that. I love that I decided to drive up there from San Jose, to give the people that had signed up for Nia at least one class and explain in person that we need more participants. I love that even though they didn’t show up I was able to share Nia with a new person. I love that she loved it. I loved that even though it was her first time she was not worried about how she was doing—-she was just doing—and loving it.
I really enjoy working with the people in San Carlos Park and Recreation Department. They are very kind and supportive. I sense they feel sad when a class has to cancel, no one likes to see classes and programs cancelled. So maybe we can rally the troops and make the next session on Nia classes in San Carlos a huge success. I am certain my new student would love to be able to take a class with more people, more energy, more people shouting “Woohoooo!” Because Nia is like that.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: @JohnPruitt, community classes, Nia Classes, Nia enthusiasm, Nia events, Nia San Jose, San Carlos Nia class, San Carlos Park and Recreation Department, San Francisco Bay Area Nia, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, South Bay Area Nia | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 29, 2010
I often find myself defending Twitter when I meet new people. In this world of multiple social media networks, the subject of FaceBook, Twitter, and Yelp often come up. We start talking then usually someone says, “I’ve never gotten into Twitter. I mean, really (!?!?) who wants to know what I had for lunch? And I certainly don’t care about what others had for lunch?!?!” That is not the only thing Twitter is about.
First of all, that is a Twitter stereo-type. Not ALL tweeple tweet about what they had for lunch. But those that do often get a lot of responses. If you are in a circle of people that are foodies they LOVE tweets about food! ANY MEAL AT ALL. My hubby (@JohnPruitt) used to tweet and Facebook pictures of his lunch every day. Now he actually takes lunch from home and people miss his pictures. They ask him if he is on a diet, if he is sick, they miss it. EVERYONE eats. Not everyone has the opportunity to eat what is available to us in San Jose and the Bay Area and they enjoy seeing all the different things. Food really brings people together.
What I was thinking about the other day was when someone tweets me out of the blue and says, “I thought about you . . . .” WOW! People I know only through Twitter THINK about ME! How cool is that? I love that someone out there is thinking about me. I love it when it is silly, “I was thinking about you because I was wearing blue.” I love it when it is related to healthy eating, “I was thinking about you as I ate my salad.” I love when it is about kitties, “I saw a cat and thought about you and your cat.” I love when it is about Nia, “I went to a Nia class today and I thought about you.”
Yes, I started using Twitter to promote Nia and my business. I have made business connections and friends. I have actually made some connections. Funny enough, with this post half written (up to this very point – no lie!) I had a DM* conversation with a friend today. She was asking if I thought it were possible to have “real” friends on Twitter. Ones that you only knew through Twitter. My thinking on that is “you betcha!”
Maybe the definition of “real” is different, I don’t know. But I know that I know more about a lot of my friends on Twitter than I know about my friends I have in person. I talk more to some of my Twitter friends than I do my “in person friends”. So . . . . . to me, as I always say . . . Twitter is what you make it. Connections are out there to be made. Either you know because you are on it, or you will see when you get there. It is soooooo AWESOME (inspiring, and humbling) to have someone tweet, “I was thinking about you today!” Gives me the warm fuzzies.
*DM = Direct Message
(Oh, and puleeeaase! You think I am going to write a post about Twitter warm fuzzies and not put this most excellent tweet that I received one day in my post. Ha! That would be unacceptable. Thanks, Dani!)
Posted in Twitter | Tagged: @JohnPruitt, Bay Area, Bay Area Nia, Bay Area Nia class, Direct Message, DM, Facebook, foodies, John Pruitt, Nia business, Nia class, Nia San Jose, San Jose, San Jose Nia class, social media, social media networks, Tweeple, tweets, Twitter, twitter friends, warm fuzzies, warm fuzzy, Yelp | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 24, 2010
On the way home from a little Nia class / meeting in Danville I starting craving a salad. All the way home to San Jose (its about an hour) I kept thinking of what ingredients I would need. I didn’t have the recipe with me, but since it is so easy I remembered the few things I needed to get. Recently I went to a little party where the hostess had made a bean salad. It had two things in it I REALLY don’t like, one thing I don’t like, one thing I love in teeny tiny pieces, and one thing I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE (not including the spices). So on my quest to learn how to like bean and get some legumes in my diet I decided to make my friend’s TWO bean salad recipe.
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 large red pepper – chopped (big or small, you decide)
½ large sweet onion – cut small square sizes
¼ to ½ bunch cilantro – cut ½ inch size
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon fine ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
Drain the beans, mix everything together. Like most salads it is better when the flavors have mixed so wait an hour or so, then eat. Yum!
I adjusted the recipe to have MORE bell pepper (can you tell which ingredient I love, love, love?), I used a little more salt because I bought these really low sodium beans. I mean compared to the other two brands I looked at these had about one third of the sodium. I like that idea, but I also know that if it doesn’t have a good enough flavor for me I won’t eat it, so I actually put in 1 teaspoon plus two sprinkles. I didn’t have granulated garlic so I used garlic powder and I probably put in more than 2 teaspoons. I cannot tolerate pepper, but I loved her salad and she said she put in a lot of pepper so I sprinkled pepper in. I also used 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
I am sure this is an easy thing for people to make, but I have NEVER, EVER, EVER liked a bean salad before so this recipe just thrilled me. Ya see, I REALLY don’t like cilantro either, but I think the kidney beans and the cilantro work to “cancel” each other out. Ha! I don’t know, but I like this salad. I hope you do too.
Since I am on a quest to learn to eat (and like) beans, do you have a recipe that you would like to share to help me out?
Posted in Food | Tagged: bean salad, beans, bell peppers, Garbanzo beans, garlic, kidney beans, Nia, Nia class, Nia classes in San Jose, Nia Danville, Nia meeting, Nia San Jose, party recipe, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class | 17 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 8, 2010
San Jose weather up until about June had been all over the place! One day it would be cold, one day it would be windy, the next day it would be raining, then the next day there would be sun, then the next day it would cold, rainy, and windy. Then—bam! HOT! It was all over the place. Honestly, I have a difficult time drinking water when the weather is cold. When I am cold because the weather is cold drinking water makes me MORE cold. So I had thought of coming up with things that help me when I have to work at getting “enough” water.
One thing I do is, I heat it up. When the weather is chilly I just put it in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds. I like it warmer than room temperature but not so hot that I feel as if I need to actually be drinking tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.
When the weather is warmer, but I am wanting something more than just plain water I put a cucumber in it. I had seen this and wanted to try it, then a friend brought it over earlier this year and reminded me. (Thanks, Friend!) I am not a fan of lemons, but some people do that. I like to put a few slices of cucumber in it.
Other things I do, I change what I am drinking the water from. Sounds weird, I can imagine, but it works for me. I pour it in a mug instead of drinking it out of my usual bottle. Sometimes I drink out of different glass, just to have a different sensation.
I find that when the weather is hot I don’t even have to think, I just drink, but when the weather is cool or comfortable, I need a little more reminder. I drink it when I am practicing a Nia routine or teaching a Nia class, but honestly, lately, just during the day I need to step up my water drinking, I have slacked off a bit and I am feeling it.
Do you drink water? Do you add things to it? Drink it plain? Have a special glass you drink from? Tell me, I love to hear different ideas.
Posted in Water | Tagged: cucumber water, drink more water, drinking water, Help With Drinking Water, hot water, lemon water, Nia, Nia class, Nia routine, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, San Jose Weather, warm water, Water, water ideas | 20 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 22, 2010
Someone pointed me in the direction of this great map that indicates what fruits and vegetables are at the peak of the season in a particular state in a particular month. I need assistance with that because I have never learned that.
This month it is June. I’m in California. Not only am I in California, I am in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay Area. In the South Bay. I have said before that we are very fortunate here in the San Jose Area because we have great weather. The map does not give specific locations as to what grows where, but I was able to get some plums and apricots off of a friend’s tree(s) (They didn’t come off of the same tree).
I ate only one apricot. I will save the rest for my hubby because he likes them more than I do. It was very good. Very sweet and rich. The plums are in varying stages of ripeness. But so far all of the ones I have had are sweet and delicious. I had a couple for breakfast before my Nia class this morning.
I am thinking of different ways we can eat the plums. Besides just popping the entire thing in our mouths. Since even the ones that aren’t that ripe are sweet I was thinking I could cut some up and throw them in a green salad. No matter the ripeness I could put them in an aluminum foil package of chicken or pork and cook that. Mmmm. I think that I am going to do a lot more cooking with fruit this summer, just to try new things.
Do you cook with fruit? What fruits and vegetables are in peak season right now in your state?
Posted in Food, Fruit | Tagged: apricots, Bay Area, Bay Area Nia, california, cooking with fruit, foil cooking, Nia, Nia class, Nia in San Jose, peak season, plums, San Francisco Nia, San Jose Area, San Jose Nia class, South Bay, the San Francisco Bay Area | 17 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 25, 2010
The first half of Nia White Belt Principle #7 is the Three Planes of Movement. The second half is Levels of Teaching. (You can learn more about Nia’s Belt Levels here) The three planes of movement in Nia can be easily described as low, medium, and high. The planes are used to allow our bodies to practice agility and mobility. We use the floor, the space in between, and the “high”. We bend and fold. We reach out and stretch up. We move in space both horizontally and vertically.
With all the movements available to us in the three planes we have the opportunity to experience energy as it moves around us. In addition to the possibilities of energies the journey should be to pleasure and comfort. As you move through the planes part of practice of Nia is to observe how our joints open and move more freely.
Just like the three levels of intensity Nia encourages everyBODY – regardless of fitness level – to work and play in all three planes. Keeping in mind everyone’s low, middle, and high is unique to their own body.
Moving through the planes can tie into the levels of intensity. For example if doing the bow stance, the lower or deeper you go could be considered a level of 3 intensity because going down and coming back up would require greater effort and be more intense than staying “high” and not lowering into a deep bow.
Strength, stability, and flexibility will also be a result of working through and in all the planes. The more we play in all of these areas we develop more ability in all of them, the more we can maintain balance in the entire body.
If you want to join me in a Nia class please look at my San Jose Nia class schedule or my San Carlos Nia class schedule. I look forward to seeing you.
Posted in Nia, Nia White Belt Principles | Tagged: agility, Belt levels, Bow Stance, City of San Jose, Levels of Teaching, Mobility, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia energy, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Principle #7, San Carlos Nia class, San Jose Nia class, Three Planes of movement | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 24, 2010
I have a friend who writes a blog. She is an childhood neighbor of my husband but before meeting in person, I met her through her blog first. But we actually have met in person a couple of times when she was in San Jose. Anyway, she wrote a post about a 50 Word Story and I wrote a story as a comment on her blog.
My 50 word story was about dance. It actually was written thinking of a new to Nia student. I really like my story. It is one of those thinks that I just like and I don’t really care if other people like it or not. One of THOSE things. It is on my desktop and I want to file it away, but I know if I do I will forget about it, so I thought that I could post it. I thought that posting in today in honor of Bay Area National Dance Week would be fitting.
She walks shyly into class. Afraid of what people she might see. Unsure about dancing barefoot.
She removes her shoes. The music starts, sparking a fire in her soul. She dances with pure joy. She IS Joy.
She walks out with a sexy sway of her hips, shy no more.
I haven’t asked her so I hope she doesn’t mind me borrowing her idea of inviting my readers (most of who just read and don’t comment) to write their own 50 word story. I would love to hear a story that you want to share of 50 words.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance class, Nia, Nia class, Nia joy, Nia San Jose, Nia sexy, San Jose class, San Jose Dance, San Jose dance class, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, sexy Nia | 14 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 13, 2010
In Nia we refer to FAMSS. We practice FAMSS. We can use it for all types of things. It stands for:
Flexibility
Agility
Mobility
Strength
Stability
And by “use” it I mean, it is often incorporated into each kata of a routine. Or a kata might concentrate on just flexibility, the next one agility, the next one mobility, and so on. Or we could use FAMSS as a focus OR an intention of a Nia class. Either all of them (Flexibility AND Agility AND Mobility AND Strength AND Stability) or just one (Flexibility OR Agility OR Mobility OR Strength OR Stability).
But whatever we do with it or them, they are highly regarded as abilities needed to ensure one’s (high) quality of life. So in Nia we honor them all. In a Nia class we weave them into the workout. In this post I am just referring to FAMSS in the physical. They can certainly be applied to more than just our physical bodies, but that can be another post just by itself.
For now, I am just talking about our physical bodies needing to be flexible, agile, mobile, strong, and stable. Just to move around in daily life these five things are very important. In Nia we can bend down in a forward fold as in the familiar pose one might do in a yoga class, allowing our flexibility to be enhanced. The music might encourage us to run, stop, run, stop, run, stop or move us to play the drums calling upon our bodies to display agility in legs, in arms, in our bodies as a whole. We can move our bodies as if they are grass in a field or seaweed in the ocean, moving each part, each section, each muscle, and all major joints to help ensure their mobility. We could crouch in a bow stance moving up and down exercising the strength in our legs. Then we can we stretch, reaching to the sky as we look up, this can be stability practice, either on flat foot, on the ball of our feet, or in releve. This could be one song in which all of this FAMSS is going on or it could be spread out over the entire routine.
Just tonight in my San Carlos class a woman told me that after her first class last week her hip felt better. She said that after her hip felt better on that first night it encouraged her to do a few of the moves at home that we had done in class. So she started working on her FAMSS in the first class, she was encouraged that movement was working to increase her FAMSS so she moved more. With movement she felt more comfort and less pain. FAMSS is necessary for a high quality of life. Her ever day movements were better not because she did it once, but because she kept doing it. Nia honors Flexibility and Agility and Mobility and Strength and Stability, so in Nia we practice it.
I hope one day you will attend one of my classes (I have two in San Jose and one in San Carlos*) to see how we can improve your FAMSS.
*Please see my website for my CURRENT class schedule. Thank you!
Posted in Nia | Tagged: agility, Carlos AyaRosas, exercise class, FAMSS, five sensations, flexibility, FMASS, kata, Mobility, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia focus, Nia intent, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia's Five Sensations, San Carlos Nia, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, San Jose Workout, San Jose Workout class, San Jose Yoga, stability, strength, workout class, Workout San Jose, Yoga class, Yoga Practice, Yoga workout | 4 Comments »
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