As part of my New Year's resolutions, I vowed to try new things, so there I was — barefoot and in a room full of happy, chatty ladies, about to take a Nia class for the first time. I was excited because I had heard it integrated some of my favorite movements: dance, martial arts, and yoga. Once the music started, the instructor began demonstrating some simple movements to open the body. Tapping the toes, bending the knees, rocking the hips, waving the arms, wiggling the fingers, and rolling the neck were meant to activate "all 13 joints," meaning our entire bodies.
We continued to move through several short 10- to 15-minute dance segments, which were a fusion of these nine movement forms:
Martial arts: T’ai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido
Dance arts: jazz dance, modern dance, Duncan dance
Healing arts: yoga, Alexander Technique, the teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais
To hear more about Nia and see a video clip, read more.
The best way I can describe Nia is that it's a spiritual low-impact aerobics class. The instructor leads you through a simple choreographed move, like a jazz square, but you're encouraged to move your body in the unique and playful way your body wants to move. Nia is all about exploring your space and how your body moves in it. It's about sensory awareness, self expression, and finding joy. What I loved about the class is that it reminded me of yoga in that you're only concerned with your own body and not worried about what other people think. Although I was sweating a little, it wasn't a really intense workout, so if you're looking for a light workout to awaken your spirit and get those feel-good endorphins buzzing, give Nia a try.
If you want more information about this type of bodywork, check out the Nia website. They'll also help you find a class.
Mothercare
I mean this in the nicest possible way...I'll skip this class.
1Kinda reminds me of Richard Simmons' "Sweating to the Oldies". I'll pass too.
2I know in the video it seems a bit weird, but it's the kind of thing that you have to just try to know what it feels like. If you have an open mind, you can really get a lot out of the class. I always feel happy afterward.
3I tried this in 2001 after my son was born and it was fun. I was the youngest person in class and not nearly as granola as the rest, but it was fun and good exercise.
4sidc - Yeah, it really is the kind of class that you just have to try in order to know what it's all about. I definitely had fun too.
5It is fun and integrates the left and right brain, that's why it makes you so happy afterwards.
6Hey, Thanks for posting my video! While we had a great time doing this street festival demo, I think you'll get a better idea of the Nia experience from this much more polished demo by one of the Nia Technique's creators, Debbie Rosas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgfiwVaqNSs
In regards to some of the comments, I'd like to say that one of the most wonderful things about Nia is the great variety of music we use. This particular music was chosen for the audience we were presenting to. In my classes I do use pop- yes, even Celine Dion!- as well as African, Latin, gospel, chant, reggae, hip-hop, classical, new age, techno-dance, Celtic....shall I go on?
Using different types of music for a workout connects the body to different rhythms
and moods, invites more complex proprioceptive response than the standard BPM approach of conventional fitness.
You may also find after getting your body used to the Nia way of working out that you are able to up the ante on the sweat factor. If you are coming from a conventional fitness background which focuses only on strength and stability in the core, and range of motion for the big muscle groups for a cardio workout, the more integrated whole body approach of Nia may require a bit of a learning curve. We do warm up by mobilizing the 13 primary joints of the body, in order to turn on the intrinsic muscles first before moving the big muscle groups. This makes Nia more akin to a yoga or Tai Chi workout, helps connect the body-mind, and prevent injury by moving from the inside out. The grounded, low-impact approach to movement is more intense than it looks, although it can be modified to be as gentle as you need it to be. Also, as I said, if you are unfamiliar with Nia, it may take a few classes to learn to move the whole body in an integrated manner to access the cardio potential.
Thanks again your support in spreading the word about Nia! I have been involved in dance and fitness for 35 years, and Nia is the most sophisticated fusion fitness technique for functional fitness, healing through movement, stress management and sheer joy of living I have ever come across. I am happy to answer any questions regarding Nia. Best wishes on your fitness journey!
Warm Regards,
Anna Schantz
7Black Belt Nia Movement Educator
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.