Posts Tagged ‘The Nia Technique’
Posted by terrepruitt on May 4, 2016
If you have ever taken a moment to look at the list of the Fifty-Two Nia Moves you might have wondered what the “Power Finger Crossover” is. You probably figured out it has something to do with fingers as the name contains “finger” but perhaps that is as far as you had gotten. You may have thought, “What is crossed over what?” Well, the middle finger is considered the power finger in Nia. It has a lot of power. In some cultures it is considered a finger of communication ;-). In Nia it is also called the balance finger. With the power finger crossover in the 52 Nia Moves it can be used at many different times during a Nia routine.
First: how to – the way you do the power finger is to cross the middle finger, the power finger over the index finger. Then you release the index finger and cross the power finger over the ring finger. The arms remain long and extended. The cross of the fingers is small. Use both hands, doing the crossover at the same time on both hands.
Go ahead, try it.
I can do the middle finger crossed over the index finger on both hands. I can do the middle finger crossed over the ring finger on the left hand with out help. But I have to use my left hand to cross my right middle finger over my right ring finger. As you can imagine it takes a little strength and dexterity to cross the fingers over each other unaided. It is obvious to me I need to practice more.
There is a routine in which we cross the ring finger over the pinky finger and for the longest time I could do it on my left hand, but had to help my right hand out. But now I can cross both ring fingers over both pinky fingers without help. So it really is just a matter of practice.
If you can do the crossing without helping great! But if you can’t, it is fine to help your fingers until you can do it without the help of the other hand. The fingers still get the benefit of flexibility. And your brain gets the benefit of your digits being crossed.
According to The Nia Technique (page 164) “practicing this move helps you extend energy along your arm bones and out through your hands, which keeps your neck and shoulders relaxes. It creates positive tension in the hand and adds to awareness of the integration of the hand and arm.”
And as I said it helps strengthen the hands/fingers and brings dexterity to them.
This move is part of the moves of the upper extremities and is grouped under “Fingers”. It can be done in combination with many of The Fifty-Two Nia Moves and during many of the Nia Routines. It can be done at almost anytime in a Nia class. During FreeDance or as part of a routine. It can also be practiced throughout your day.
So did you try it? Can you do it? Can you do it on both hands without the help of the other hand?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: Balance Finger, Fifty two Nia Moves, flexibility, freedance, middle finger, Nia routine, Power Finger Crossover, strength and dexterity, The Nia Technique | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 18, 2014
Sometimes when I need to write a blog post I am inspired. Sometimes I have an idea. Sometimes I have something to say. Sometimes I even have a few ideas lined up and I have to make a schedule of what I am going to post and when. Then sometimes, like today, like now . . . I got nothing. When I have nothing I usually look at all my books, all my pictures, all my notes on “things to blog about”, all my “stuff” and I usually can find some inspiration to come up with something, but today nothing is coming. I have been sitting here for hours and I’ve gone through what I have access to and I am not feeling a particular pull, so I am going to share some information from my Nia White Belt Manual. I am going to remind you that I participated in the Nia White Belt Intensive in 2008. My manual says, “The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual, March 2001, V3” Which is not to say the information I am going to share is out of date . . . because a lot of it is pretty general to many, many, many fitness forms. I state date and volume information for those of you that might have a Nia White Belt Manual but perhaps this information is no longer a part of it. Or it is worded differently. Because Nia is always adapting and, even though these guidelines are — for the most part — general, Nia might have changed the wording or taken this piece out of the manual.
These are the basics of Basic Fitness Guidelines found in the Nia White Belt Manual *directly from the manual*:
1. *Do not eat for at least two hours before you work out.*
2. Wear comfortable clothing you don’t mind sweating it. Something that makes you FEEL good, but that you don’t mind getting down on the floor while wearing.
3. *Start easy.* As you become familiar with the moves you can add more intensity. But, like all things, get the basics first – crawl before you walk, walk before you run, that type of thing.
4. *Move the way you walk, using your whole body.* – If that is not how you walk, practice it. Move through the Nia workout using your entire body. *Step heel to toe when you move to the side or to the front, and shift your weight from one foot onto the other. Lead with your heel, gently rolling forward to the ball of your foot, and then push off to change directions as you feel your toes lightly touch the floor.*
5. *Don’t force a motion. Don’t strain. Strive for a balance between control and relaxation as you listen to your body’s signals.*
6. *Make the movements an expression of you. This is your workout.*
7. *Use “belly breathing.” When you inhale, first feel your belly expand, then your ribs, laterally expand, and then your chest and clavicle rise.”
8. *Step back onto the ball of your foot, keeping your knees soft and your heel high as you lower your body weight.*
9. *Draw your knee up toward your chest before you kick out.*
10. *Use your arms to express your feelings, emotions, or mood.*
11. *Contract your abdominals to round the spine, don’t lean.*
12. *Get in as much non-stop movement as possible.*
13. *Take at least three classes a week.*
14. *Combine a good diet with internal and external exercise to balance your fitness program.*
Pretty basic stuff. Some – perhaps – a little unique to Nia, but not so much so they can’t be applied to other fitness/dance exercise classes.
What do you think? Do you follow these guidelines?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance exercise class, fitness class, good diet, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Intensive, Nia workout, The Nia Technique | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 16, 2014
I am learning a Nia Routine and the focus is the Nine Movement Forms (of Nia). All routines can be an opportunity to connect with the Nine Movement Forms, but when it is the designed focus of the routine it really helps to emphasize each one. There are nine songs to the routine and each song was created with the specific movement form in mind. It is an easy way to practice each form. It is a wonderful way to learn more. There are three arts and three movement forms from each art. The Arts are Healing Arts, Martial Arts and Dance Arts. The movement forms are the Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais, Alexander Techinique, Yoga, T’ai chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, and Duncan Dance.
Each movement form can be used to guide the movements. Each movement form can energize the moves.
The below is from the Nia Technique (page 101)
(Healing Arts)
“Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais: Reflective, healing, conscious. Move with sensory awareness and feel life as it happens.
Alexander Technique: Transformative, exploratory, natural. Move as a whole person, connected up and balanced.
Yoga: Timeless, linked, expansive. Move in ways that link your body, mind, and spirit to the outer world.
(Martial Arts)
T’ai chi: Flowing, tender, fluid. Float like a balloon, and move like a willow tree in the wind.
Tae kwon do: Sharp, powerful, active. Move with confidence, and feel* your own speed and strength.
Aikido: Harmonizing, peaceful, cooperative. Connect and blend with everything around you.
(Dance Arts)
Jazz dance: Playful, peppy, sexy. Move with pizzazz and express your most passionate emotions.
Modern dance: Languid, moody, balanced. Create different shapes with your body. Play with balance and contrasts.
Duncan dance: Soulful, spontaneous, unbounded. Move like a child enchanted by life.”
*I believe that should say “feel”
In the song matched up with the Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais we move in the space. Sensing our bodies and the space around us. Sensing the space with our bodies. The T’ai Chi song has us moving fluidly both slow and fast. The movement is a flow. The third song takes us to a dance art and it is jazzy. We do jazz squares and move with pep and we snap our moves. In the song where we are focusing on Modern dance we make shapes with our bodies. We also sense the moods created by the different shapes. In the Duncan dance focus song we play rushing in and rushing out. The sixth song has moves that are to be done sharp and powerful. It is presented first slow than fast. And that gives the participant options to do either speed. In the song that focuses on Aikido we do a lot of turns . . . Aikido turns or four point turns. With the eighth song we are doing a cool down and use the idea of “long bones” and “short bones” which allows us to expand and stretch connecting to the sensation of yoga. The last song inf our floorplay, we explore the Alexander Technique by moving from the top.
Just a different way to experience the Nine Movement Forms (of Nia). A great way to delve deeper into Nia and its movement forms.
What do YOU think of when you think of these movement forms? What do you think of when you think of Moshe Feldenkrais? Are you familiar with the Alexander Technique? What comes to mind when you think of Yoga? What do you know of T’ai chi? Have you ever done Tae kwon do? Does thinking about Aikido make you dizzy? What could you show me about Jazz dance? Are you into Modern dance? Do you know who created Duncan dance?
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: Aikido, Alexander Technique, body mind spirit, dance arts, Duncan Dance, floorplay, Jazz Dance, jazz squares, martial arts, modern dance, Nia routine, Nia songs, of Nia, Tae kwon do, Tai Chi, the Healing Arts, The Nia Technique, The Nine Movement Forms (of Nia), the Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais, Yoga | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 11, 2014
In Nia we have a base of 52 Moves. Not surprising they are called The 52 Moves of Nia. As I have stated before they are not unique to Nia. You have probably done some of them at one point in your life. If you have taken dance or you participate in a group exercise class that is dance oriented then you more than likely have done some of them. They are just gathered into a group for Nia because of their benefits and fun. So they are included in the Nia Routines. Not all of them are in every routine, but a good portion appear in each routine. Plus whenever there is Free Dance they might make an appearance. One of the base moves . . . . moves we do primarily with the base of our body . . . is Lateral Traveling.
Lateral Traveling is specific and different from Traveling In Directions. Traveling in Directions is a move done in all directions . . . . Lateral Traveling is done to the side. The Nia Technique (have you gotten your copy yet? Click here to go to Amazon to order your copy.) describes Lateral Travel as a step together step or a grapevine. The specifics are to start in a closed stance, then take one step to the side, then place your feet together (moving the other leg to the first leg that stepped), then take one step to the side, then move the leg toward the other one, but instead of placing it next to your leg cross it back.
A grapevine is where you step one leg to the side then the next step is BEHIND, then step to the side, where the next step goes depends. Sometimes you can land on the heel or behind or with the knee up. Grapevines are a nice replacement for four point turns. There are many reasons why people don’t turn so using this lateral move, the grapevine, is perfect.
With both methods the instructions say to use your hands to lead you. Have them out in the direction you are going. The instructions also say, “When you step behind, step onto the back ball of the foot and keep your knees spring loaded and your spine vertical.” For clarification, the “back ball of the foot” is the foot that is in the back or behind.
This is a “two side” move. To practice you do to one side then the other. To the left, then to the right. (Or to the right, then the left.)
So this is the specific Lateral Travel: Step together step or grapevine. I have found my self using the phrase “travel laterally” at times when I am leading my San Jose Nia class (or any Nia class for that matter) and I am not instructing them to do the specific Lateral Travel. But I guess that is the difference. There is “travel laterally” and do the “Lateral Travel” move.
Many moves in Nia are good for the coordination. This is one. Step together step is not necessarily a difficult move but depending on the speed and what comes before it and after it, it can call upon your coordination. Although, I would say this is one of the easier 52 Moves of Nia.
Varying the speed and adding some movement to the body can change it up a bit and perhaps add a some challenge to it.
So there you have it another move in Nia’s 52 Moves.
You probably find yourself doing this one often, huh? Even when you are not on the dance floor?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: 52 Moves of Nia, Amazon, Ball of foot, Classes in San Jose, closed stance, dance exercise, dance mehtod, exercise method, four point turn, Free Dance, grapevine, group exercise, Lateral Travel, Nia, Nia Practice, Nia routines, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia Schedule, The Nia Technique, Travel in Directions, workout method | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 25, 2014
Nia is a body/mind type of practice. Or mind/body . . . however you want to say it. I tend to say body/mind because the first step is to get into the body. But it is different from a lot of other exercises. It is much more like yoga and Pilates then say . . . weight lifting or running. I recently taught a class where a woman told me afterwards that she really loves it because she is very athletic, she runs, she plays other sports, but she wanted something that was more freeing and more connected so she decided try Nia and now she is hooked. She still does all of the other stuff and continues to love it, she is just rounding out her workouts and exercise with Nia as a body/mind addition. Nia is really great to add to any type of workout regime you have.
Since Nia focuses on allowing the participant to participate at their own level it can easily fit into your workout schedule. I have had many people who love more traditional sports tell me that Nia is a great addition for them. They all love that body/mind connection and the way it allows them to feel like a kid. They love the play of it.
I have had people come up to me before class and say, “I can’t dance are you sure I can do this?” The answer in The Nia Technique is “if you can walk you can do Nia.” And that is true. In a Nia class you might even fine tune your walking a bit. We might train you to do that Heel Lead that often gets lost in a high heeled or runner’s gait. Get that flex and extend back in the ankle. But really anyone can do Nia.
I would bet that you have noticed the increase in the popularity of yoga . . . well, it is that mind/body connection that draws people to it. Many people are understanding that even a regularly scheduled exerciser benefits from having that mind/body connection. With Nia there is also the Emotions and Spirit. The whole enchilada. BMES. Body, Mind, Emotions, and Spirit.
I’ve posted about Spirit before. It is one of the things that many people really enjoy about Nia. It can be compared to the “feeling like a kid” again. The play in the exercise or workout. The “Wooohooo!”
So the intention of this post is just to remind people – because I am sure I have said it before – that Nia is for everyBODY. To remind you that people who like the more traditional exercise and workouts, the more athletic type of stuff, as in running and weight lifting, find they really like to add in Nia to the mix. It actually helps them in their other type of workouts. They claim — the ones that talk to me — they are more focused when they do run and/or lift weights. So if you are one of those people who prefer the more traditional exercise, maybe break out of that for a Nia class and see how it works for you.
Check out my schedule on my website Nia Class Schedule or if San Jose is too far for you look at the Nia Classes on the main website.
Do you ever find yourself wanting to try something different for a workout? Do you want to add something new to your exercise regime?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: and Spirit", athletic, BMES, body, body-mind practice, emotions, Heel lead, Lifting Weights, mind, Mind-body practice, mind/body connection, Nia, Nia class, Nia Classes, Nia exercise, Nia San Jose, Nia schedule, Nia workout, NiaNow.com, Pilates, running, San Jose Nia, The Nia Technique, weight lifting, workout regime, www.HelpYouWell.com, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 23, 2014
In Nia we have this exercise or practice that is really easy yet packs a huge wallop! If you have The Nia Technique it starts on page 11 and is called the Thirteen Joints Exercise. In the back of the book, on pages 252 through 253, it is called the Thirteen Joints Renewal because they are doing it from a squatting position. But basically you move through the same major thirteen joints. This is one of those exercises that can be done fairly quickly, but can really help with the way you move through life. It is basic and easy to do Thirteen Joints Exercise.
This exercise focuses on the 13 MAJOR joints in the body. Starting with the left side you simple move your left ankle. I instruct my Nia students to move it in all directions. Think of how this joint is intended to move and move it that way. There is the front back motion and the circling motion. Circle it both ways. I also include in my instructions the encouragement for the person to be comfortable, so if it is comfortable for them to lift their foot off the earth and do the movements then that is the way to move the ankle. Some people are not comfortable balancing on one foot and it is perfectly fine to do the movement with the foot on the ground. The toe can be on the ground to stabilize and then the heel. The ankle can get the same type of circular motion with the foot on the ground. However it is comfortable is how you should move it. The left ankle is joint one.
Then traveling up the left side we come to joint two, the left knee. Again, thinking about how this joint is intended to move allows us to move it in a way that is comfortable and beneficial. Allowing the calf to swing forward and back. Or if you want to keep your foot on the ground then you can lower yourself down on the left side as low as is comfortable and come up again. This gets that joint moving.
Next is the left hip. For this hip joint we move the left thigh. For the person that is balancing on the right leg the left thigh can come up and be pressed back. The thigh can circle. If your foot is on the earth you can bend forward. This affects the hip joint. You can also “knock” your left knee, allowing it to go in and out. Bumping the left hip gets some joint action going, too. This joint is three.
Then we go to the left wrist. Move that hand all over. Flex it, extend it, wave it, circle it, just move, move, move it! Use your fingers to get more wrist action! This is our fourth joint.
Move up to the elbow. Your left elbow is the fifth joint in our Thirteen Joints Exercise. Swing that forearm around and move it all over.
We are still going up, so the next joint, the sixth joint, is the left shoulder. Here you can shrug, you can circle, you can push it back and forth and to ensure joint action you want to use the arm. Move the arm. Circle the arm, move it forward and back, lift it the arm, lower the arm, swing the arm back. Really get that arm moving to experience the action that was intended for that joint.
Now our seventh joint is really a group, it is not just one spot. The seventh “joint” is our spine. There are a lot of ways to move the spine. As with ALL the movement we do in Nia, it is important that you keep in mind your own body’s way and move your body as it is comfortable. The spine is put together so it can move in many ways, but there are many things that keep people from moving the way it was designed, so keep your own body’s way in mind as you move your spine. My instructions include looking left and right, up and down, rolling the head, bending forward and back, bending to the sides, circling around, rolling up, and rolling down . . . again, any way the body can comfortably move.
Now we are on the right side. We go down the right side of the body moving each joint as we did the left side. Now, of course, it might not be exactly the same, but I imagine you know what I mean. The right shoulder is joint eight. The right elbow is joint nine. The right wrist is joint ten. The right hip is joint eleven. The right knee is joint twelve. The right ankle is joint thirteen.
Moving the joints helps keep them flexible and mobile. This exercise can also help with drawing attention to areas that might be tight or stiff. This practice can be done in as little as one minute. As I just mentioned it could help make you realize there are areas that might need or want more attention so how long you spend on this is up to you.
So, how do you feel after doing this exercise?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 13 MAJOR joints, flexible joints, joint help, mobile joints, Nia, Nia exercise, Nia Practice, Nia students, The Nia Technique, Thirteen Joints Exercise, Thirteen Joints Renewal | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 17, 2013
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?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: cardio dance exercise, Carlos Rosas, Debbie Rosas, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia routine, Nia workout, Nia's 52 Moves, The Nia Technique | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 14, 2013
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.
(11/08/21: Click Gate, Locust – Pictures May Help for a picture.)
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?
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: balance, co-founders of Nia, dance, Debbie Rosas, enhanced balance, FAMSS, Gate pose, gentle yoga, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia routines, Nia's Five Sensations, Parighasana, stability, The Nia Technique, Yoga, Yoga class | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 22, 2013
One of Nia’s 52 Moves is the Sink and Pivot Table Wipe. Ha! Sounds funny. I always think of cleaning when I say this move in class, but not many people LIKE to clean so I don’t like to remind them of cleaning while we are in our Joy! There are many other ways to describe the movement, but “table wipe” really gets the point across. It could be a dramatic sweep of the table. Regardless of what spirit might have me say in the midst of the move there is a particular way to do it. As with all of Nia’s 52 Moves there is a specific way to do it. And . . . as I have said . . . often times the specifics are adjusted to work into the song and the moment’s choreography. To me the Sink and Pivot Table Wipe is a combination of an arm movement and a bow stance.
To practice the Sink and Pivot Table Wipe you start in an A Stance. Doing one side at a time, say the left, you would place your left arm out. As you lift up your left foot you turn your body towards the right, your left arm sweeps across the horizon to the right. Your left foot lands gently on the earth on the ball of your foot and your left leg is bent. Your right leg is also bent. The bent legs become the “sink” part of the move. Your arm sweeping is the wiping part of the move. That “table” part is the imaginative part of the move to assist in knowing how the arms sweeps. The arm is straight out and just moves parallel to the ground. Doing the other side, you would you would place your right arm out. As you lift up your right foot you turn your body towards the left, your right arm sweeps out and around to the left. You place your right ball of foot gently on the floor with your right leg bent. Your left leg is also bent. The legs are similar to a bow stance.
In most instances — the ones I can think of — in the choreography, I usually do a tiny hop so that my front foot ends up with the toes facing the same direction as the foot in the back, the foot that is “ball of foot”. So as I continue to say, the instructions in The Nia Technique book* show the exact perfect way to do a move. Which is the way to learn it, but then once you know the move the choreography dictates the exact way it is done.
The book recommends the word “Whoosh” be said while doing this move. Of course that is just one of many words and sounds that can be made. Sounds are dictated by so many things. The “Whoosh” can be used in the practice of the move, if you would like. When in a Nia class anything goes!
I believe this move is a great stability move because as I said I am normally moving both feet in order to sink, pivot, and wipe the table so I need to “land” stable. Also, I think it is great for the legs because any sink type of move helps condition them. It is also good for coordination because you are moving both the upper body and lower body at the same time, but in a little different manner.
Tee hee . . . . it is really great for a lot of things, depends on what you put into it. The last couple of times I did it in the current Nia routine I am doing I had the class stretching the arm as far as they could reach as they wiped that table. It was a HUGE table and we wanted to wipe it all in one pass!
So what do you imagine you are doing when you do this move?
*The Nia Technique written by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: A Stance, Bow Stance, Carlos Rosas, Debbie Rosas, Nia, Nia 52 moves, Nia class, Nia routine, Sink and Pivot Table Wipe, The Nia Technique, The Nia Technique book | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 12, 2013
If you’ve read a post or two of mine you know there are many things I love about Nia. I think that Nia is a great workout, but I also think that a lot of the ideas, principles, values, and “things” can be used in everyday life. That is one reason why I share so many things about Nia here. I am working to get Nia out there so people know what it is, but I understand not everyone likes to do dance exercise as their type of workout, but there is a lot of Nia that can be applied to every day. Nia has a lot of ideas that can be applied to more than just the original place you hear it. For instance in the Nia White Belt, the manual states:
“New Ways – It Can Be a Stretch!
Some of this information may shake up your reality. Nia may disrupt your normal methods of doing, being and communicating. We do not intend to create disharmony or fear. We have no desire to aggressively challenge who you are, what you believe in, or what you stand for. The information we share with you is intended to assist you, inspire you, and to celebrate human potential.”
The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual March 2001, V3, page 1-5
I love that. I love that when taking a Nia intensive it is explained that you might come across new things. You might be shown a different way or something new, but they are not out to change you into what they believe, but to allow you to see something in a new way. All that is really asked of you is to have an open mind, heart, and body. It is even suggested not to examine or think about stuff too much. The belief is that you will get what you need when you need it. That is a great relief too because there is so much information it really takes the pressure off when it is understood that you will not get it all or remember it all upon first being exposed.
What is so tremendous is that this same information, this same philosophy can be brought into a Nia class. If you have never done Nia before the first time can be a surprise. It can surprise your senses, your body, your mind, your spirit. It can leave some people feeling a little unsure. I mean not every exercise class has you parting clouds, swimming in water, stepping in goo, and prancing like a pony. Some of this type of stuff can shake up someone’s reality. This type of movement might completely disrupt what they think of as normal methods of exercise. They might not be able to “get into” prancing like a pony. Prancing might not fit into their idea of exercise. But I know that if they have an openness of mind they will wake up the next day and realize that ponies get in a good work out. The “normal” methods of being might not have them pulsing their pelvis, shimmying their shoulders, or doing a sexy hip bump. Nia doesn’t want to make people uncomfortable with these things, but this type of movement is “normal” for the body by design. These moves aren’t meant to challenge you or what you believe in, they are meant to allow you to move your body as it was designed to move.
With the fun movements and ideas included in a Nia class it can easily inspire your and allow you to celebrate the human potential—to celebrate your body’s potential. This can kind of go along with my last post about spirit. It could be your spirit that lets you just let loose and gyrate those hips without fear. The idea here is to come to a Nia class with an open mind. Don’t let they way you’ve been taught exercise should be to keep you from experiencing something new. Don’t let fear of something unknown and/or different scare you off. Don’t think that just because it is unknown to you or different that the goal is to change you into something you are not. Just come and let your body move and let IT tell you what it thinks of Nia.
This week (February 10 through February 16, 2013) I am teaching EIGHT Nia classes. If you are local it would be GREAT to see you in at least one. They are at all different times on different days in many different places (most in San Jose, one in Santa Cruz). I bet there is one that would work for you: http://www.helpyouwell.com Also, in case you are not local or one of the eight doesn’t work for you check out Nianow.com. There are classes all over the world! Dare to dance?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance exercise, Dance Workout, exercise workout, Nia, Nia class, Nia classes in San Jose, Nia Dance, Nia Intensive, Nia principles, Nia San Jose, Nia Santa Cruz, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Manual, San Jose Nia, The Nia Technique | 2 Comments »
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