Top 10 Things You Should Know about Nia
Here is my “Top 10” List of things you should know about Nia:
# 10: You’re going to sweat. Nia offers the ultimate pathway to fitness based on the pleasure principle: if it feels good, keep doing it! Who couldn’t use more pleasure in life? I grew up a star athlete. I crashed and burned as a collegiate athlete. After 2 major surgeries, it was through Nia that I reclaimed my health, my athleticism, power, grace and to living my life in that state of awareness called the Zone.
# 9: Your whole body gets conditioned. Nia utilizes 200/700 movement potential: moving your 200+ bones and 700+ muscles as they were designed up, down, and spiraling all around, opening and closing your joints targeting your base, core and upper extremities. Like yoga, it utilizes total body integration. Nia combined with yoga has done more for my flexibility and balance than yoga alone.
# 8: Nia puts you in the “driver’s seat.” You get to drive your body with the power of a Mazeratti or with the energy efficiency of a Prius. With conscious choice. Without judgment. I learned in my early days as a Nia student to listen to my body, to guide myself, to make personal movement choices and decisions that were right for me. I then found myself making choices and decisions outside of class that were healing and healthier for me. I tuned into nutrition. I tuned into my personal happiness.
# 7: Nia offers an attitude adjustment. For those of you who think you “can’t dance, feel uncoordinated or are freaked out about cutting a groove in a group setting” I’ve got a news flash for you. YOU were BORN to MOVE. Nia Philosophy 101: Through Movement We Find Health. A Nia class offers you perfect blend of “dancing like no one is watching” and moving together with the energy of community, to a phenomenal array of world music.
# 6: Nia offers a belt-level education system inspired by the martial arts. It also offers a somatic, self-healing practice that taps into your body’s natural ability to heal, to feel better, in 5 simple developmental moves called The Nia 5 Stages. White Belt is an exploration of sensing Your Body’s Way and inspires the desire for body knowledge and a life practice of feel good movement. Green Belt focuses on the art of teaching Nia. Blue Belt offers tools for two-way communication in all the realms. Brown is an energy education. Black Belt is the belt of mastery. The belts have been my path to personal and professional mastery. I have a deep level of embodiment and skill, use my energy efficiently, mindfully, creatively, and have tapped into my personal power.
# 5: You can take 5 strokes off your golf score ~ it did mine! I went from a 15 to 10 handicap and won a club championship after I discovered Nia. It improves balance, timing & sensory awareness of club positioning. My point: it benefits cross-training for sport and activities.
# 4: Nia is “nature’s little blue pill.” It will improve your sex life. You will be a better lover. Do I need to lecture you that by being more physically fit, by paying attention to your body, by being better balanced in body, mind, emotion and spirit, you will increase your capacity for giving and receiving pleasure?
# 3: Nia will empower you to accept and love yourself for who you are. Every time you step into a Nia class, you are stepping into the Now, into the present. Not what has been, you become open to possibility. You are enough. You are taught, through the power of focus and intent, that energy follows attention. I have learned to place my attention on my on what fills me with love and pleasure, what fuels my passion and inspiration.
# 2: Nia will connect you: to yourself, to your community and to a worldwide culture of like-minded “movers and groovers.” I have met my people, my tribe ~ locally and globally ~ who love to dance through life. Thank you, tribe!
# 1: Nia will inspire you to love what you do and to do what you love. I am that person who has always loved exploring my passion, to explore what lights me up. I have transformed my former athlete (basketball star, track and golf champion) into a “Sacred Athlete.” I live life with purpose, exploring my potential and am open to all possibility. I am a healer and teacher committed to moving and inspiring people to their greatest sense of well-being. I can tell you, I'm having fun, that I love what I do and do what I love.
Ready to discover what you need to know? Visit the class finder at NiaNow.com or visit my profile to begin your journey.
