Posts Tagged ‘yoga classes’
Posted by terrepruitt on June 21, 2014
My niece was here visiting for a week, but because she is family she doesn’t really get treated like a guest. It is my stance that she is here visiting ME (and my husband) so I drag her along to all of my Nia classes, my yoga classes, and all the things I have to do. She is completely capable of staying at the house and relaxing as if on vacation, but — nope, she is here for a visit so I make her visit. She got out of going with me one day when her uncle took her to the beach. THEY were visiting. At the end of the week, my dad came to pick her up and we were waiting for my husband to get off of work so we could all go to dinner. My dad looked at one of my clocks, then at his watch and he said, “I always look at MY watch.” Then he said that my clock was fast. We started talking about how we can’t call POPCORN any longer. Then I realized that my niece probably doesn’t even know what that is! So I asked her, she had no idea. Awwwww. Sometimes it is sad when things I had all my life are unknown. The conversation led to, “When did it stop?” So, of course, I looked it up. And — guess what? I found all kinds of information I didn’t know. This post is about POPCORN or the Speaking Clock!
When I was young if you wanted to know the EXACT time you called 767-1234, or 767-2676, which spells POPCORN. Now, I grew up in a house with a lot of clocks (probably why I have a lot in our house), but they were set at least 10 minutes ahead of time — I am sure my parents had a reason for that, but I could NOT tell you WHY (but my dad still does it). Not only were they not set to the correct time, most of them didn’t match. So, I basically never really could figure out what time it was, so I called POPCORN a lot.
It was also interesting because after a power outage the line would be busy! Apparently a lot of people were trying to find out what time it was! My internet search revealed that AT&T stopped the Speaking Clock in California in 2007. I remember when it stopped. I remembered it was a hot topic in a lot of my social media feeds, but I didn’t remember the year. All of the information in this post is from Wiki. Wiki says that in the United States it was not known by the name “Speaking Clock.” That is nice for me to know because I don’t remember it ever being called that. The information states it was typically called “Time of Day.” I just remember we called it POPCORN. Although the 767 prefix was just for Northern California. (Wiki calls the prefix “exchanges”)
Quick Wiki facts:
–France had the first speaking clock service, it started on February 14, 1933
–Not all speaking clocks are a free call, sometimes services charges apply
–Some counties have speaking clocks in more than one language
–Some services supply local time and local weather
The following countries have speaking clocks:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados,Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France Germany, Greece, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom,
Norway had the service until 2007. Also, it could be that some of these services have since been ceased.
Ha. Cool. I never really thought about other countries having a speaking clock. Seems like a lot of the States in America have stopped the service due to the use of cell phones. Not many people using their cell phones to CALL to see what time it is. And cell phone clocks don’t need to be set. I used to carry the phone (not a cell phone) from clock to clock and set the time to the EXACT time according to POPCORN. I just was kind a little surprised the other day by the thought that my niece didn’t even know what it was. I am so happy that Deb Wong thought to video tape it and put it on Youtube for those of use that want to hear that familiar voice to see it! THANKS Deb!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-YlTQ3gSj8
So . . . do any of you local remember this? Miss it? How about you all living not local (to me)? Do you have a Specking Clock? Do you use it?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Nia Classes, Popcorn, Speaking clocks, Time of Day, Wiki, yoga classes | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 27, 2014
I teach Nia which is a cardio dance available to any age. At both the low end of the age spectrum and the high end of the age spectrum, if you can safely move about the floor and follow basic movements you can do Nia. So there are young and old Nia dancers. I teach at facilities that have age restrictions, but that is only the facilities, not Nia. Then I also teach gentle yoga to older adults. The classes are held at the “Senior Centers” so while some of the classes are open to those 18 years and older the population in class tends to be older. As I am sure many of you that teach at a facility with older people will attest, it is amazing to work with these people. They come week after week and keep trying. In my class I have a wide variety of experience levels. They come back every week and do the poses to the best of their ability. I am inspired by their drive to keep doing.
I check in with them to confirm that they are seeing and feeling some benefit to the class. With many I can see it, but I want to confirm that they recognize it. Recently one of my students was sharing some things he learned and he said, “I learned that I need to learn how to relax.” I laughed and agreed. It is not easy to do for some. It is not always second nature to breathe and “rest” into a pose. The corpse pose at the end of the class is one of those poses. In fact one class asked if we “had to” do it. I said yes. To me that is part of yoga. That is part of my class. I believe that quieting the mind and relaxing for 5 to 10 minutes after a class is necessary. For many it is a Challenging Easy Pose, it is difficult to be still. Just now as I am typing I remember this person not being able to be still at all when we first started doing yoga. Now there is stillness. I believe every one can benefit from this moment of restfulness. I love that even those who think it is unnecessary, keep trying.
A bit ago we did a pose that several students said is “hard”. I agreed with them. It is hard . . . that is why we are doing it. We are doing a very modified version, but it is one of those poses that works many if not all the muscles in your body, so yes, it is “hard”. And we do it so that they can benefit from it. In working on so many muscles it is a balance pose, that requires flexibility and strength. One of those awesome poses that does so much . . . so we do it. And what spurred me to write this post is that while they were saying it was hard they were not saying, “It’s hard, I don’t want to do it.” They were just saying, “Wow, this is hard.” And then they moved into position to do it again. Love it. Love those inspiring active people in my classes!
I just wanted to share with you that I have some amazing inspirations in my life.
What about you? Do you know any older adults that cause you to think, “I wanna be like that when I am their age”? Some of those people that just keep trying? They might not be doing it in a clearly recognizable way but they are still trying?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: active adults, cardio dance, City of San Jose, corpse pose, dance floor, easy pose, flexibility, learning to relax, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia dancers, Nia teachers, older adults, Senior Centers, seniors, YMCA, yoga classes, yoga teachers | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 21, 2013
As with all workouts, it is important to warm up before beginning. In a Nia class our warm up is one or two songs. When I was young and was first learning to exercise the way to warm up was to perform a series of static stretches. Science has proved that static stretching can actually increase relaxation and in a sense put your muscles to sleep. Research has now shown that the best type of warm up is to actually prepare your body for the activity it is about to do. So moving in a slower and more gentle way that you will be moving in the activity you are preparing for is a great way to actually warm up the muscles. Walking and/or a slow jog is always a great way to warm up the entire body — depending upon the planned workout. For a yoga practice a warmup could include moving the muscles that you will be using as you do the sequence of poses in your practice for the day. It is important to warm up the muscles before you put them into a full on stretch or expect them to hold you in a pose. A warmed muscle moves more easily and can stretch better than a “cold” muscle. In the beginning of our classes we often do an Upward Salute. I think it is a great way to start the warming up process.
The Upward Salute is sometimes called Extended Mountain Pose / Mountain Pose with Upward Stretch / Mountain Pose with Arms Overhead. The basis of the pose is the Mountain Pose. To do this pose first position your body in the mountain pose.
Summary of Mountain Pose: Toes touch and feet are parallel sense a stable base. Distribute the weight over the entire foot – both feet. Your legs are active and rooting you to the earth. The abdominals are engaged. The crown of your head is reaching up creating a long spine. Your muscles are active. Once you are comfortable in the Mountain Pose (for more details about the pose click here) turn your palms out and raise your arms up in a sweeping motion. Allow your arms to reach over the top of your head. Your palms come together. You gently look up.
If it is not comfortable to look up then keep your gaze forward. If it is not comfortable for you to bring your palms together then keep them apart, but facing each other. No matter if you are looking up or your palms are touching your shoulders are down. There is space between your shoulders and your ears. You have the idea of your shoulder blades sliding down into your back pockets. Allow the energy to flow down your arms, through your shoulders, through your back and your spine. Let it travel through your legs. Enjoy this nice stretch. Let it warm your entire body.
Staying here in this pose is a great warm up. If you would like more of a stretch and warm up for the back allow yourself to bend backwards. With this pose as a warm up the backbend is not deep. Your shoulders remain back and down even though you move your head tilts back while your gaze is up. Remain in this pose for a few breaths. Then move into Mountain and repeat several times.
Now, I am aware that many people have back issues either with their actually back bone, or their spinal cord, or the nerves, so these poses are to be done with the utmost caution. Keep in mind your OWN back situation and do only what is good for your own body. It could be that your body gets the stretch it needs by just standing in Mountain Pose with your arms raised and your gaze looking slightly up . . . that is fine. If that is a stretch for your back, then stay there and enjoy it. Yoga is not about competing. It is about doing what your body can do. Then as you do what your body can do there is a possibility that it will be able to do more. But there is no rush. Yoga is a practice. Enjoy the journey. This is a wonderful pose to stretch and warm up the body. And, of course it can also be done at the end of the session in the cool down when getting ready for Savasana.
Do you practice this gentle backbend?
Some Benefits Of Doing Back Bends
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: backbends, City of San Jose, Extended Mountain Pose, long spine, Mountain pose, Mountain Pose with Arms Overhead, Mountain Pose with Upward Stretch, Nia class, Nia songs, San Jose City exercise Classes, San Jose City gentle yoga, Upward Salute, yoga classes, yoga poses | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 9, 2013
In addition to teaching Nia classes for the city of San Jose, I was asked to teach a Gentle Yoga Class. I have taught three sessions and we have one more before the year is over. This last session before the holiday break is a short one, it is only four weeks. In the classes there is a large variety of fitness levels. Regardless of one’s level of fitness I believe it is very important for the emphasis to be on balance and flexibility. They also like to practice inner reflection which I believe enables a connection to the body. The connection is to allow for great stability and ease of movement. In order to meet the varieties of levels we do a cross between flowing through poses and holding them. I might have also mentioned before that we include getting up and down as part of our practice. With this next session we are going to do a progression of backbend poses. I have not yet decided on the progression of balance poses but I have the backbends progression planned. Since we only have four classes and there are five backbends I would like to progress through we will be doing two in the first class. As with my Nia classes, my yoga students are continually encouraged to do things in their own bodies way. Since yoga is a practice they can work into the poses. For the series of backbends they will be encouraged to stay at the level that is acceptable for their own body.
The first backbend we will do will be the standing backbend. Then, in the same class, we will progress to the Locust. The Locust has many modifications some of which can be done with just legs lift or the head and shoulders lifted.
Then in our next class we will move onto the Sphinx. I’ll probably include the Locust in the routine before moving on to the Sphinx, but the Sphinx will be the next in the progression. Then the next meeting we will move onto the Cobra. Excellent for strength, stability, and flexibility. The last class before the long holiday break will be the Upward Dog. Even though the idea will be for the students to progress through the backbends the modifications will be presented so each individual can progress only if they are ready.
Some students participate in yoga more than once a week so they are more likely to be able to participate in the progress whereas others will do so to a lesser extent – and modifications meet that need. This is a great way to work on flexibility. Everybody is moving in their own natural time through their yoga practice so I am excited to present this progression of backbends. I will include other flexibility poses and balances poses as in all the classes. I have been putting the emphasis on one or the other during a class which can still tie into the backbend progressions.
Of course, this is my plan prior to meeting with the class. It could be that after our first meeting I have to adjust my plan and that will be fine. I do like to see where the class is at and go from there, but it seems like our group has been pretty consistent. But I can easily adjust my plan for any new body.
I am very grateful and inspired by the students that come to class every week. It is very exciting to me to see their progress. Stay tuned for more on the poses that I have yet to post about.
Do you participate in a yoga class? How is it structured? Is it an on-going class or is it a series of classes?
Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: backbends, balances poses, City of San Jose, cobra, flexibility poses, gentle yoga, holiday break, locust, Nia balance, Nia class, Nia participants, San Jose City Nia classes, San Jose City Yoga Classes, Sphinx, yoga balance, yoga classes, yoga flow, yoga poses | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 9, 2010
Whether I am teaching a Nia class or participating in a Nia class I sweat . . . . a lot. I used to think I sweat too much, then I heard that when you sweat your body is sweating out toxins. So then I went on thinking that it was good and ok that I sweat a lot because I was ridding my body of toxins. My plan for the post today was to jump on the computer and find all kinds of information regarding the toxins that are sweated out and to provide information about why we sweat. The first thing I read said there is no scientific evidence that proves bodies sweat out toxins. What? Did you know that?
Sweat is not just water, it does contain other things (minerals, lactate, and urea) but it has not been found to contain toxins or maybe more accurately, it has not been found to contain enough toxins to conclude that we actual sweat toxins out. Sweating is the bodies way of cooling us down. The mechanisms that produces sweat is not constructed to filter out toxins like, say, the liver or the kidneys.
When our bodies get hot the 2.6 million sweat glands (average person) produce perspiration or sweat. There are two different types of sweat glands and they produce two different types of sweat. There is the armpit and genital area type and then the rest-of-your-body type. Sweat itself does not have an odor, it is mainly made up of water. It is the bacteria in the areas of the body that mixes with the sweat that sometimes causes odor. Our bodies constantly sweat, but for some, most of it is absorbed back into the body before it even reaches the outer layer of the skin. When too much is produced to be reabsorbed that is when it comes out of the body. When it does come out of the skin some of it is evaporated to help produce a cooling effect. When there is more perspiration then can be evaporated it rolls or drips off the skin (or soaks into clothing).
Like many, many things there is just not scientific evidence showing that toxins are sweat out. Many people swear by saunas and bikram or hot yoga to sweat out the toxins. When you are sick some of us have been taught to sweat it out. I am just surprised that I have heard it for so long, but when I go to find supporting evidence I can’t. Maybe I just can’t. Maybe it is out there, but I am unable to find it.
The only information I found that supported the idea was webpages that had to do with the sale of saunas or one that has to do with a Detoxification Program created by the late L. Ron Hubbard. What do you think? Do you believe that we sweat out toxins?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: bikram yoga, Detoxification Program, hot yoga, kidney toxins, L. Ron Hubbard, liver toxins, Nia class, Nia Teacher, perspiration, saunas, sweat out toxins, sweaty yoga, teaching Nia, toxins, yoga classes | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 13, 2010
Ahhhh, so what are you thinking? Friends that you have all your life? Yeah, no. This is about friends for LIFE. As in friends for health. As in friends for well being. It is very important to have good friends. The definition of “good friends” is vast and we can have a lot of “good friends”, but I believe that we all can benefit from friends that we can connect with.
Most of us have an array of friends in our life, we have people we call friends but they might REALLY be categorized as acquaintances. We have friends that call us when they need something, and friends we call when we need something. We have friends that annoy us and friends that don’t. We have friends that we might not think of often, but that we are very fond of. And, when we are lucky we have friends that fill us up. That make us feel good. They make us feel grounded and connected to humanity.
These friends could agree with us when we need it and tell us to get it together when we need that too. They could agree with us on something and disagree with us on others. They can see our faults and ignore them or try to help us with them, but either way, they are there and they are our friends. I believe that is vital to our health. I believe that sometimes life needs to be suspended—in between appointments, and kids athletic games, around the Nia classes, the gym, and the yoga practice, regardless of work and responsibilities–you need to be with those types of friends.
Enjoy time visiting with these friends no matter how frequent or infrequent it is important to connect, to refill, to recharge. It is awesome.
It is as important as good nutrition and exercise . . . . .at least, I think so . . . . I think there are friends for life.
Do you believe that friendships play a role in life/health?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: athletic games, connected, exercise, friends, grounded, gym, humanity, life, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Practice, nutrition, yoga classes, Yoga Practice | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 28, 2009
As you might now be aware Nia includes elements from three disciplines from three different arts. From the martial arts, we borrow from Tae Kwon Do. Not just “moves” from Tae Kwon Do but also some of the other elements of it. With its kicks, punches, blocks, and stances it helps allow Nia to be a great leg workout and provide a stable base for some of our other moves. Tae Kwon Do can also contribute to one’s confidence by providing exercises that allow one to become strong and stable. These are the things Nia gains from Tae Kwon Do.
Nia calls Tae Kwon Do the Dance of Precision.* So when delivering a punch, block, kick, etc. with the energy of Tae Kwon Do, it is done with precision and intent. However, Nia likes to play so at times even though we might not be executing a punch or a kick, but we might choose to energize our movement with “Tae Kwon Do” like energy, and be forceful and aggressive even adding sound to our movement.
Adding the energy of one form to the moves of another is one of the things that make Nia fun and keeps is challenging. It takes different muscles to skip with force and authority than to skip like a child without a care in the world. That is an example of how Nia incorporates different moves with different energies.
In Nia we don’t “DO” Tae Kwon Do, things have been gleaned from it and brought into Nia and mixed in with aspects of Tai Chi, Aikido, Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, Duncan Dance, Yoga, the Alexander Technique and the teachings from Feldenkrais, and the combination from each form is Nia. A lot of Nia routines include moves and concepts from each discipline, but not always. In an effort to keep each workout fresh, fun, and joyful teachers often mix things up.
If you are near San Jose, come to one of my Nia classes. If not, I hope that you will find a Nia class near you and give Nia try.
*Both the Nia Technique Book and The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual state this. Both books are by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. **V3 of The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: Aikido, Carlos Rosas, Dance of Precision, Debbie Rosas, disciplines, Duncan Dance, exercise class, exercise classes, Feldenkrais, Jazz Dance, joyful, leg workout, martial arts, Martial Arts Disciplines, mind, modern dance, movement, movement class, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Movement, Nia Practice, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, Nia Yoga, San Jose Nia, San Jose Yoga, sounding, T'ai chi San Jose, Tae kwon do, Tae kwon do San Jose, Tai Chi, the Alexander Technique, White Belt, White Belt Manual, workout class, Yoga, yoga classes, Yoga Exercise, Yoga Nia, yoga poses, yoga pracitce, Yoga San Jose, Yoga workout | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 3, 2009
A Nia workout includes elements from three disciplines from three different arts.
From the healing arts, we use moves and ideals from Yoga. As with all the movement forms incorporated into Nia, Nia does not claim to be practicing Yoga. It is understood that years of studying and practice can be involved in the practice of Yoga, and Nia respects that, that is why I say that we “use move and ideals”. Nia recognizes the benefits that can result from Yoga and with that does its best to utilize some of its amazing power. Nia calls Yoga “The Conscious Dance of Alignment”.* It helps with the proper alignment of the bones. It also assists in increasing flexibility for all fitness levels.
We use the aspects of Yoga to help find balance in the body. In Nia we can also call upon the focus that is evident in Yoga.
The White Belt Manual 3/2001 V3 states:
Witness the value this form provides to increasing and restoring the natural flow of energy throughout the entire body. Recognize the specific principles that help to clear and calm the mind, bring balance to the nervous system, improve breath and posturing, and strengthen specific body parts. Acknowledge the way Yoga unifies the body, mind, spirit, and emotional being, and how the internal, core body becomes soft and supple to provide real “energy” strength from the inside out.
So we might do some exercises of twists, bends, and poses in our workout, it is to help increase strength, flexibility, alignment and our conscious connection.
The breathing in Nia reminds me more of Pilates than to Yoga. We inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, often times sounding. I have not participated in a Yoga class that does chanting or is vocal so that is why I am reminded more of Pilates than Yoga.
Many of Nia’s teachers are also Yoga instructors or they attend Yoga classes. I sometimes attend a Yoga class in San Jose. The two forms of movement are a great compliment to each other.
***V3 of The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: Carlos Rosas, Debbie Rosas, exercise class, movement class, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Movement, Nia Practice, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, Nia Yoga, Pilates, Pilates breathing, Pilates class, Pilates San Jose, San Jose Nia, San Jose Yoga, sounding, White Belt, White Belt Manual, workout class, Yoga, Yoga chanting, yoga classes, Yoga Exercies, Yoga exercises, yoga instructor, Yoga Nia, yoga poses, yoga pracitce, Yoga San Jose, yoga stretches, yoga teacher, Yoga workout | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 12, 2009
I have only taken two yoga classes. One was this evening and throughout the entire class, while the teacher was instructing I kept thinking, “Oh that is so Nia. Oh this is so Nia. . . . . .Oh THAT is so Nia.” Even though earlier in the class I realized that maybe Nia was “so Yoga”.
Yoga was first. It has been around for thousands of years. For some it is rooted in religion, where as Nia has been around for 25 years and is rooted in the body. I just couldn’t help thinking that this yoga class was so like a Nia class, except much slower. Slower, in the sense that in this class the movement wass not to the music, but to the breath. There was no rhythmic quality to the movement, just the flow of your breath. Every once in awhile I would hear the music and to start sway to it and realize that I was supposed to be holding a pose so I would stop my body from moving but my spirit continued to boogey away.
This yoga class is about joy in yoga, allowing for another comparison, comparing to the first principle of the Nia White Belt which is the Joy of Movement. The Joy of movement is actually found as a sensation and not a feeling. In Nia it is something that is sensed in the body and not felts as an emotion.
The teacher started the class with the suggestion that you set an intention. I actually wiggled with happiness at this because in every Nia class we set a focus and an intent (in cycle one).
This yoga class made me realize why so many people that practice yoga also practice Nia because there are many things in common. In yoga there are poses that open areas of the body, in Nia we have movements and poses that open the body and get the joints juicy. Yoga has muscle strengtheners and ligaments and tendon lengtheners and so does Nia. But with yoga it is a pose and in Nia it is primarily movements linked together in a more cardio-dance fashion. In the cool down we do poses or stretches and sometimes there are yoga poses. It just amazed me how similar they were. With the request of awareness that the teacher was giving during the ending meditation, something that we request during the entire Nia workout, I was extremely delighted to realize that yoga and Nia aren’t competing practices, but companion practices. They are so similar that you can apply a lot of the principles to both. You can have a non-impact booty shaking cardio and strength workout (Nia) that you balance with the complete stretching and strength workout (yoga).
I truly was amazed at how Nia has taken so much of what is “yoga” and created a practice that can be such a great companion. With so many similarities it really allows for an expansion of exercise and workout possibilities for so many people who do yoga in San Jose and in the Bay Area.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Bay Area Exercies, Bay Area Nia, Bay Area Workout, Bay Area Yoga, cardio, cardio dance, cardio yoga, dance class, dance exercise, Dance Workout, exercise class, Joy of Movement, juicy joints, movement class, Nia, Nia cardio, Nia Classes, Nia Practice, Nia principles, Nia Teacher, Nia White Belt, Nia-like, San Jose exercise, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, workout class, Yoga, yoga classes, yoga flow, yoga instructor, yoga meditation, yoga poses, yoga pracitce, yoga religion, Yoga San Jose, yoga stretches, yoga teacher | 6 Comments »
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