Posts Tagged ‘San Jose Nia’
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 September 16, 2010
I am turning to the bloggey-sphere for answers. The corners of our sidewalks were curbs and not ramps. I don’t even know if that is what they are called–ramps. Not too long ago people came and jack hammered up the corners and put in ramps. I don’t remember exactly when it was but you can see that the new ramp is still bright and new. I actually think it has been in the last two years because I think I was teaching Nia when they put in the ramps. I remember commenting on it because we always see the work trucks and the “don’t park here” signs but we can’t always figure out what work has been done. With the ramps it was obvious. The whole corner section was bright cement. 
Well, just this week the jack hammers have been back. Again they have made cement rubble of the corners. They did it rather quickly, I think. They have redone all the corners and they have replaced the ramps they created not too long ago with this metal knobby stuff.
I tried to Google it, but what I came up with was how to get a permit in San Jose to work on the sidewalk. What I want to know is what is the knobby metal for?
I would think things that need the ramp, things with wheels, like wheel chairs, skates, and strollers would not roll well over the knobs. You might be able to tell in one of the pictures that the knobby plates don’t seem to come together but it actually looks like the plates are already rusting or something.
So . . . . do you know what the knobby metal plates in the sidewalk ramps are? Also, do you know WHY the knobs are better than the cement?
I am so curious.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Metal knob plates, metal knob sidewalk plates, Nia San Jose, San Jose Nia, San Jose sidewalk, sidewalk corner ramps, sidewalk curbs, sidewalk ramps | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 26, 2010
As you know from my first post on water, the body is made up of a huge percentage of water. As you probably also know, sweating is a process that the body utilizes to cool off. I must always be hot. 🙂 Here in the California Bay Area we had record temperatures. San Jose reached 102 and San Francisco reached 94. For me, when it is that hot, it is easy for me to drink water. I drank a bottle of water right after teaching Nia class today.
It is much easier to become dehydrated in the heat because your body might be sweating more in order to stay cool. Also, because air conditioning takes the moisture out of the air, drinking water even if you are not in the heat is a good thing to do. Often times when the temperatures get high outside the air conditioner goes on or stays on longer, which seems like it would dry the air out more. So even in the air conditioned office or home or mall, drink the water.
I often been told that by the time you are thirsty you are already mildly dehydrated. I like the idea of drinking water throughout the day, but it is really important on the hotter days. There are different stages of dehydration so when you get thirsty drink don’t wait for until you are lightheaded, or get muscles cramps.
Of course there are other more serious reasons people become dehydrated. There are also other treatments when the dehydration is severe. I am just addressing the normal everyday don’t-let-yourself-get-dehydrated-in-the-excessive-heat kind of thing. Funny because my last post regarding water was because it was nice and cool and sometimes a challenge to drink water. In the heat please remember to hydrate!
Posted in Water | Tagged: Bay Area, Bay Area Nia, bottle of water, dehydrated, dehydration, mild dehydration, Nia Bay Area, Nia class, Nia San Jose, San Jose Nia, Water | 4 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 10, 2010
I like to cook. I like to go into the kitchen, have some ingredients, put them together and have something to eat. I like that. I think it is cool. But cooking is not like Nia in the sense that: Nia I like to do every day, cooking I do not. When I cook, I like to cook in a way that leaves us with leftovers. I know a lot of people that won’t eat leftovers and I kinda don’t understand that, but . . . to each their own. I LOVE leftovers. Some, like pasta, are even better the next day.
My husband doesn’t mind leftovers. That makes him really easy to cook for. But at the same time I don’t want him to have to eat the EXACT same thing a few nights in a row. So one thing I do to allow me to cook once but not leave us eating the EXACT same thing for a few days is I cook chicken in foil packets. Yup, just like those aluminum foil ladies on TV showed us.
This also enables me to get one more servings out our a “two serving” bag of chicken. (From Costco the boneless, skinless Foster Farm Chicken Breasts are packaged in twos—-hmmmmm . . . . ? . . . ) I separate the chicken onto foil pieces then I just put whatever seasonings, spices, fruit, sauces, veggies I want in each package. I have to label them because my husband is not a fan of teriyaki and I am. Plus he likes spicy hot and I don’t.
So then I cook them up and we have chicken for a few days. Even though it is chicken it is not that same flavor chicken every night. Then each night I can cook up different veggies, and either rice or pasta. Or we might throw the chicken in or on a tortilla, or maybe even on some bread. Either way it makes making dinner that night much easier and faster. I love it.
Come join me for a Nia class in San Jose and see why I like to do it every day. And here, share with me your thoughts on cooking every day or leftovers. Do you like leftovers? Do you cook every day?
Posted in Food | Tagged: chicken breasts, chicken packets, cooking, Costco, Foster Farm Chicken, leftover chicken, leftover pasta, leftovers, Nia, Nia class, Nia in San Jose, Nia San Jose, Nia San Jose class, San Jose Nia | 12 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 May 15, 2010
People always ask me how I found Nia. Here is my story: I had just begun exercising. I had found Turbo Jam and I liked it. I did the DVDs in my living room before work. At the time I worked in San Jose not too from where I lived so I would get up early in the morning and do it before work. The women I worked with always told me that they loved to dance, but they couldn’t get their partners to dance with them. They also would tell me that they wished they could find a dance exercise.
I was also seeing a lot of people — at that time — that were my age or even younger that couldn’t walk up the stairs or sit on the floor and get up again. Plus there were some young people around me that were going on High Blood Pressure Meds and experiencing other health issues.
So I started looking online for an exercise that was dancey. I thought maybe I could find something that I could learn to teach others. I found trance dance, but from what I saw and what I read, it said that you closed your eyes and just danced. It didn’t sound like there was ANY rhyme or reason. I sounded as if you were in a trance and you danced. The information talked of having people watch so the people dancing didn’t run into or hit each other. So that didn’t sound like what I would be interested in.
Somehow I stumbled . . . . literally, I don’t know how, just clicking on this link and that link . . . .I found Nia. I checked out the main site and it sounded interesting. I found a class that wasn’t too far. I went. I liked it. I bought the book. I went to another class. Then months later, I found another class at a different time and I tried that. Then months later, I talked my friend into going with me one more time*.
In between the second and third class I was thinking about taking the training that would enable me to teach. But I wasn’t sure. Nia sounded a bit “woo-woo” to me. So I kept reading. I really focused on the fact that it is based on science. It is based on research. The movements are movements that our bodies were designed to do. The movements tie into the way it is taught. Some of the words that are used might give the impression that it is really “woo-woo”, but it is not. There are also some elements of Nia that are like ancient practices. I kept thinking that some of these practices have been around for hundreds of years and they really have a basis in health and wellness. It was all very intriguing.
*My fourth class I attended was my “deciding” class. I went to make a final decision. I decided to do it. I decided to get sign up for the intensive that would allow me to teach. It took me so long to decide I was signing up within 30 days of the training.
I had NO idea what the training would entail. And that my friends is what another post is made of.
Nia. It is awesome. It IS an exercise. It IS a cardio workout. But I will not lie to you to try to keep you interested, it IS so much more. For some reason I cannot (nor can anyone else I talk to) put my finger on, it makes you happy. Try it and see for yourself. Try MY classes, or try someone else’s. Get a DVD, I don’t care. Just try it and then let me know what you think.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: cardio dance, cardio exercise, cardio workout, Dance Workout, high blood pressure, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia exercise, Nia Intensive, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia training, Nia workout, San Jose cardio workout, San Jose dance workout, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose Workout, trance dance, Turbo Jam, Turbo Jam DVDs, woo-woo, workout DVD | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 6, 2010
Ok, not a typical health, wellness, Nia post, but I am changing sheets today and it had me wondering. How often do you change your bed sheets? I try to do it once a week and I have been pretty good. The schedule has been Thursdays. It just works out that Thursdays has been the day it seems to work into my schedule. Sometimes I miss a Thursday so it might turn into a Saturday or a Sunday and then depending on the schedule for the week following I might do it on Thursday or wait until the following Thursday but that is usually it.
I vaguely . . . .I say vaguely because I purged the “who” and the exactly “how often”, from my mind, but I vaguely remember someone telling me their schedule and I was kind grossed out. But since I don’t know yours and I am not sure if that person’s schedule was more to the norm, I am not going to say how “not-often” his/her sheets were changed, just in case that is your schedule to, I don’t want to offend.
So? How often or not do you change your sheets?
I guess how often you sleep in your bed would help determine how often you change your sheets. Or if you have pets that sleep with you. I would imagine that sheets would get changed more often if there are animal butts involved. Also, activities, I would also imagine that if the bed sees a lot of “activity” there might need to be a more rigorous changing schedule. That brings to mind more questions, like “when?” Do you change your sheets before the weekend or after the weekend? Or more accurately before the more frequent “activities” or after?
When you do change your sheets, do you put on sheets out of the linen closet or do you wash the sheets and put them back on? I hate folding sheets (although, for the record, I am not ALLOWED to fold the sheets in our house because I can’t do it well. They are never flat enough to fit in the cupboard. My husband is a MASTER-sheet folder . . . so the job falls to him. Since the job falls to him, I try not to leave the sheets for him to fold.) I try to wash them and put them back on the bed. And I say “try” because I am famous (did you know, do you want my autograph?) for putting stuff in the washing machine and forgetting about it. So it could be all day until I go back upstairs and realize that I didn’t put the sheets in the dryer and it is time to go to bed so I end up having to get sheets out of the cupboard.
So, are you a wash and fold or wash and put back on the bed person? I guess this could depend on how many sets of sheets you own and if you have to go to a laundry mat or you have your own washing machine.
Whew! A lot of questions running through my head about sheets. Will any of you help answer them? I am curious. What are your thoughts on bed sheets? What is your changing schedule? How do you do it (wash and put back on? wash and fold?)
I recently heard from someone who hangs their sheets outside to dry, they like the fresh air dried smell (they don’t live in San Jose because they wouldn’t smell very fresh dried outside here). I can’t remember who that was. I wonder how they do their sheets. Hmmm? So many questions.
Posted in Entertainment, Misc | Tagged: bed sheets, Nia San Jose, Nia schedule, Nia workout, rigorous workout, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, sheets, washing sheets, workout schedule | 4 Comments »
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