Posts Tagged ‘San Jose Nia’
Posted by terrepruitt on May 4, 2010
Nia White Belt Principle #5 – Awareness – Dancing Through Life
I have been avoiding this principle because it can be very complex. To me, all of Nia’s White Belt Principles can be complex because they can be applied strictly to the cardio workout that is one aspect of Nia, they can be applied to Nia as a practice—which translates into, they can be applied to life, or they can just be applied to life.
Debbie Rosas Stewart talked about Principle #5 in this month’s Nia Teleconference for EveryBODY. She kept it simple. In all the calls she talks for about 15 minutes then she takes questions for the last 15. The call is 30 minutes. I will share with you what she said, but I recommend you listen to the call when they have it up on the site. They record each call every month.
Since I like to keep my posts relatively short, I have realized that I can post short summaries of Nia information and re-visit the information in additional posts.
One of the first things she said is very true, and I would like you to think about it. She pointed out that we are often aware of pain whereas we are not aware of pleasure. If we have a sore body part, we are aware of it. It makes its presence known and we listen. I personally don’t think we always listen to what it needs, but that is topic of another post. But we certainly don’t always pay attention to pleasure.
With Nia we seek pleasure. We seek to move away from the pain and go towards the pleasure.
There are a few things we can do to assist with that. One way is to be aware. Be aware of what brings us pleasure. As we move throughout our day we can make our movements a dance. While we are “doing”, we can dance through life. As you are reading this and you shift in your chair, notice the movement of your hips, notice to tilt of your head, do it like a dance.
While you are not moving, while you are “not doing”. Notice the stillness in your body. Allow the stillness to bring calm, relaxation, a sort of meditation, if you will. Notice what it is you are touching. Not just touching with your hands, but with your entire body. Are you sitting on a chair? Are you leaning on a desk? Benefit from that touch and that “not doing”.
Life as art so notice the art around you. Notice the noises and allow them to filter in as sound. Breath in the sensation of life. Not talking about “art” that would be in a museum art, but just the beauty of the world. Whatever you find beautiful.
There is so much about Nia I always find myself saying, “Another thing . . . one thing . . . Nia this . . . and Nia that. . .” but really. Another thing about Nia is that it is kind. Nia believes that we receive what we need to receive. We are not expected to hear something and walk away knowing it all or knowing it perfectly. With that in mind, understand that this is what I heard. These are the notes I took. Please, I invite you to listen for yourself and glean from it what you need. Focus on what resonates with you. Take away something you can share.
My site shows Nia class schedule in San Jose and San Carlos. On Nia’s main site you can look up classes in your area. There are classes all over the world.
Touching and Being Touched / May 3, 2010 Teleconference call is the call I have summarized here.
Presently in your life, do you dance through it? Do you practice awareness? Do you notice life as art?
Posted in Nia, Nia White Belt Principles | Tagged: Awareness, Cardio classes, cardio workout classes, Dancing Through Life, Debbie Rosas, Debbie Rosas Stewart, Nia, Nia Awareness, Nia cardio class, Nia Classes, Nia Dance, Nia movements, Nia pleasure, Nia Principle #5, Nia San Carlos, Nia San Jose, Nia Teleconference, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Principle #5, Nia workout, San Carlos Nia, San Jose, San Jose Nia, workout classes | 5 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 20, 2010
Some of the reasons behind Bay Area National Dance Week is the hope that the Bay Area will celebrate all the different forms of dance; to have the Bay Area be a place where people who love dance can learn, enjoy, and participate in all types of dance; to show that the Bay Area understands that dance is a part of an area’s identity and pride; to let the Bay Area demonstrate that dance is more than just fun and exercise, it is a large part of humanity, a part that helps define us.
The dance community in the San Francisco Bay Area, being one of the country’s largest, is offering hundreds of free classes and events.
There are going to be free Argentine tango classes, jazz dance classes, hip hop classes, hula classes, fire dance classes, Samba classes, modern dance classes, aerial classes, belly dance classes, Zumba classes, ballet classes, yoga classes, Nia classes, and more! There will also be performances and many other events.
The studio where I teach in San Jose will be celebrating Bay Area National Dance Week 2010. Several instructors are welcoming students to attend for Free, from April 25 – May 1.***
Sunday, April 25:
Three separate classes are free
Monday, April 26:
Six separate classes are free* including Nia
Tuesday, April 27:
One class
Wednesday, April 28:
Three separate classes are free* including Nia
Thursday, April 29:
Four separate classes are free*
Friday, April 30:
One free class
Saturday, May 1:
Two separate classes are free
*some classes are free to new students only, please see my site for more information, or contact me if you have any questions.
I hope you can make it to one of the free classes being offered. Plan your week. Get your workout on! Get your dance on!
***(04/21/10) Some classes have actually been added and the end date at the studio now matches the National Dance Week, Sunday, May 2, please see my site for the added classes. Thank you.
2013: (My site no longer contains information regarding the 2010 Bay Area National Dance Week, but you can see my site for Nia Class Schedule).
Posted in Exercise and Working Out, Nia | Tagged: aerial classes, ballet classes, Bay area dance classes, belly dance classes, fire dance classes, hip hop classes, hula classes, modern dance classes, Nia Classes, Nia San Jose, Samba classes, San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose Yoga, San Jose Zumba, Zumba, Zumba classes, Zumba San Jose | 4 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 »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 8, 2010
I am using today to post My Easter in pictures.
I started out the day doing my Nia workout. . . . thank God, I got my workout in before brunch.
We went to a friends in San Jose. It was a small gathering so I thought it would be pretty causal, and it was, sort of, this was the spread that met us . . . . pretty fancy, but very relaxed.
We probably could have stayed there visiting all day, but we had to rush off to an early dinner.
We went straight from brunch to dinner in Milpitas. Since the family was done with dinner this is from dinner.
We had a good day. Good food and visiting with friends and family. Very nice. What did you do? What are your traditions?
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: cardio workout, Easter, Easter Brunch, Milpitas Cardio, Milpitas Nia, Milpitas workout, Nia, Nia cardio, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, San Jose Cardio, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 1, 2010
I have learned a lot from our backyard here in San Jose. One thing I have learned is even rose bushes change.
I am posting pictures of our roses because they have changed over the years. When we first moved in there were ORANGE. I had never seen roses so orange. My husband wanted to rip out all the rose bushes and rearrange the yard and I requested that he keep the orange rose bush. I didn’t care about anything else in the yard but that one bush. I was fascinated by the orange roses. And so were many people that saw them. When we first moved in we had a ton of roses, all the time, or it seemed like all the time. We would have flowers in the house all the time. I would also take them to work. People would stop and ask me about the orange roses. That is how vibrant their color was. 
While I am not sure about how my hubby felt about the orange roses, I know how he felt about the rose bush. He HATED it. It was one of those bushes that had thorns everywhere. At the top of the stem near the flower there would be hundreds of little tiny thorns. When they got in your fingers, they felt like fiber glass. The thorns were progressively larger as they went down the stem. There was never any room on the stem to put your fingers. So working with these roses always resulted in bloody fingers. The thorns at the bottom where huge, sometimes as big as a half of an inch.
Also the blooms had “less petals”. I think of the “less petal” roses as “real” roses.
Early this week, while I was practicing Nia, I looked out the window and saw a huge rose on the bush. I decided I wanted to have it inside. So I went out to cut it. Even though the rose was next to a bud, I decided to cut them both so the stem would be long enough to put in a tall vase. I also cut another rose. I was holding them while I was looking for a vase to put them in, it occurred to me that there was one (ONE!!!) thorn on the big rose’s stem. And the other one hardly had any. Then I looked at the rose itself and noticed it too is different. I had previously posted about the color change of our roses, but I had not noticed the lack of thorns nor the increase in the amount of petals before.
They are still very beautiful and I love having roses in the yard and in the house. But, there are not the same roses that we had when we moved in. So I learned that roses morph. The rose bush that has been in our yard since we moved in eleven years ago has changed. Interesting. I guess most things change huh? I had noticed that the flowers were not longer the striking orange color they had used to be, but I just noticed the flower itself is different and there are less thorns. They have been changing over the years. Do you know why? Is it cross pollination? Do all roses do that?
Posted in Flowers | Tagged: Changes, Flowers, Nia Practice, Nia San Jose, Practice, rose bushes, rose thorns, Roses, San Jose, San Jose Nia | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 30, 2010
When I attended the Nia White Belt Intensive I had not heard of the Four Agreements so I was very captivated by what we refer to as our Energy Allies. When I decided to attend the Intensive I had only been to four Nia classes and I had decided I wanted to teach it. I had no idea what to expect. So these Energy Allies came in handy for me.
We call them friends and rely on them as you would friends. I am posting these because I often need to be reminded of my friends and I thought I would share them with you.
I was taught:
1–Speak with impeccability
–We were reminded to stay “on task”. Often times in a group setting questions are asked that do not actually relate to the subject being discussed. Or people like to tell stories about something “sort of” related to the subject.
–We were also instructed to use “I”. When we talk we often tend to project what we are saying instead of saying “I”.
2–Don’t assume anything
–Don’t “make up” stories in our head. We don’t really always know what the story is so we shouldn’t make it up.
-Quiet our inner mind’s conversation.
3–Don’t take anything personally
–Don’t get caught up in self-pity or self importance.
–Try not to get emotional about a comment.
4–Always do your best
–No holding back
–Follow instruction
–Recognize what is required
I thought this was a GREAT way to start a seminar or in this case an “intensive”. I wished we could have employed these agreements when I was a corporate trainer. I think they really assist in keeping the group on task. When people are allowed to share information that pertains to the subject yet understand that off topic issues will be put on a back burner, that helps keep the subject flow steady. Keeping the inner mind silent assists in hearing what is being said. Not taking comments that were made personally allowed the information to be given and received so that it could be useful and not destructive. Following instructions assisted with the energy in the room. When we all understood what was required we were all able to focus on the moment’s assignment.
Keeping these four allies around really enabled our group to keep our energy going. When listening is not at a premium and/or people are emotional about something it really can zap the energy of the collective.
These are friends that can be invited to anything in one’s life. Do you have these Energy Allies as your friends? Or are you familiar with the Four Agreements?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Classes in San Jose, Energy Allies, Four Agreements, impeccability, Intensive, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia San Jose, Nia trainer, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Intensive, Nia workouts, San Jose Nia, seminar, trainer, White Belt, workout classes in San Jose | 11 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 18, 2010
My husband does the grocery shopping. I know, cool, huh? Sometimes, when he is busy, I will do it. On my way home from teaching a Nia class on Wednesday, I decided to stop by the store.
Now, the store that is most convenient to us in San Jose we can’t always go to because they have bad milk and, I believe that my husband told me they also don’t have the bread I like. So we drive a little bit out of our way to go to the store where we can buy milk that will is not sour and bread that is what I like.
While standing in the bread isle I almost had to call my Hubby because I forgot what kind of bread we get. As I am scanning the packages I see this.
Oh yeah! THAT IS the bread that we get. But, I did a little dance because of that bright yellow label. See that is one of the reasons why that is the bread we get. The label made me happy.
Then while I was standing in line I was even made more happy because I was able to share with a woman in line why I looked like I just worked out (because I did) AND tell her about Nia. Awesome!
But, Honey, if you are reading this, I still don’t like grocery shopping. 🙂 It can still be “your job”. (Thanks, btw.)
Posted in Food | Tagged: bad milk, Bread Dance, Earthgrain bread, grocery shopping, happy, Happy Dance, HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nia, Nia class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Safeway, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Workout class, Savemart, teaching Nia, Wednesday Nia Class, work out | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 2, 2010
A month or so ago I received a call and was told that there is a woman who is going to make a movie about making a difference in the world and that I had been picked to be a collaborator. I was intrigued. I was told it would be a two hour meeting in San Jose at which I would be told about the project and then I would have the opportunity to decide if I wanted to be involved. (This clued me into the fact that there was a price tag.)
Well, I went to this meeting. First of all, I hadn’t seen the information that might have been out there that it would be a small meeting. I also had not seen the website so I had no idea what The Difference was about. I was surprised that it was a small meeting. But for the small amount of people the energy from the women there was amazing. There were all types of different women who do different things to make a difference; there was massage therapist, psychotherapist, feng shui designers, personal assistants, energy workers, Nia teachers (ok, that was me!), etc. Jacqueline Bignell was leading the meeting and she spoke to us in a very conversational manner. She was amazing at presenting her passion. She was great at getting the group excited and yearning for more.
She is going to make a movie, a two-hour docu-drama that she believes will change the world, by providing answers to questions like the following:
–Why are you here?
–What do you think your life’s purpose is?
–What do you do in your life to be truly filled with love and joy?
Her vision is to get 6000 people to collaborate on this, answering these questions. Their ideas, opinions, stories, etc. will be filtered up to a National Group who will filter it up to the World Group and they will filter it up to the script writer. The idea is to have four main characters in the movie. But the idea of the script is not quite formed yet.
Her mission is to touch the lives of 6 Billion people. The idea is that 6000 people can touch 60,000, 60,000 can touch 600,000, 600,000 can touch 6,000,000, and so on, multiplying by 10.
It was an amazing meeting. Her idea incredible, change the world with a movie. A movie collaboration of 6000 people, never been done . . . . .all amazing stuff. And the real idea is to have the 6000 people fund the movie, or at least pay to be collaborators.
In addition to being a collaborator you receive a lot of other things for your part in funding of the movie. Some incredible things . . . .to me what I think of it as is purchasing a self-improvement package where the end result is personal growth, a 6 minute interview on an internet TV show, inclusion in The Difference Website and The Difference Network, and bragging rights that you were a collaborator on this historic project.
But one of the big “sells” is that one’s self, one’s uniqueness would touch 6 Billion people. Now that is a great “sell” and sounds so very appealing, but with the filtering process I am not sure that it is an accurate selling point. I am not confident that my uniqueness, would actually get through the filters. My story could be the one that was filtered out. In addition, I am not confident that all 6 BILLION people will be “touched”. See what I am saying?
If you desire to become a collaborator and you are able, I have no doubt that if you actually participate in all that they are offering it will be an incredible experience. I believe that the training and mentoring that they say they are going to provide would be amazing . . .but you have to commit to do it. This is about a two year commitment.
I admire her for attempting this. I believe that it is an amazing idea.
I look forward to hearing more about this. I look forward to watching the end product. I look forward to seeing the difference The Difference makes.
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: change the world, collaborator, docu-drama, feng shui, Jacqueline Bignell, joy, love, Nia energy, Nia joy, Nia love, Nia San Jose, psychotherapist, purpose of life, San Jose Nia, self improvement, The Difference | 40 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 27, 2010
El Camino Hospital sponsored a Free Health Fair today (February 27, 2010). It was in one of the ballrooms at the Santa Clara Convention Center. There was various Health Screenings. I didn’t actually get any done because I just didn’t feel like waiting in the lines. Although there were plenty of people that were willing to stand in the lines in the interest of learning about their health.
There was various demonstrations and audience participation dances going on. On TWO stages. It was very interesting and very loud since they had the “main stage” and the “side stage” set up right next to each other.
I was able to do a little Zumba, which I have done before. But I didn’t have the right shoes so it made it difficult. I should have stayed to do the yoga that was on the stage right after us. But I didn’t want to keep my photographer waiting that long.
A fellow Nia teacher was invited to do a demonstration of Nia so she had asked people to join her. I am not sure how many people were there from her invitation or how many were there because they joined us, but I think it turned out to be a good crowd. I would say there was at least 30 people. So many so that they did not all fit on the little dance floor she was given.
It was a great thing. I believe that a lot of people were introduced to Nia. I am thankful to Anita for doing this for us.
My husband came along to get some pictures. He was taking pictures of me and we confirmed that our camera is not able to take good action shots in low light. Here are a few. Thank you for looking.
I hope that next year El Camino Hospital sponsor another Day of Dance and you come out to see that dancing is a great way to workout out and a very fun way to get your exercise on!
You can find information regarding my classes in San Jose and San Carlos on my web site (click here).
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Anita Christensen, dance classes, dance exercise, Dance Workout, exercise, Nia Classes, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia exericse, Nia San Carlos, Nia San Francisco, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, San Carlos, San Carlos exercise, San Carlos exercise classes, San Carlos Nia, San Carlos Workout, San Francisco exercise, San Francisco exercise classes, San Francisco Nia, San Francisco workout, San Jose exercise, San Jose exercise classes, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, San Jose Zumba, San Jose Zumba classes, San Jose Zumba exercise, Yoga, Yoga San Jose, Zumba San Jose | 2 Comments »
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