What is Nia?  How Does it Work?


Exercise Motivation

  • People talk about exercise motivation and self discipline as though exercise were something to conquer through and effort of will
  • Through the Nia Technique, you WANT to exercise

Nia has 13 Principles - I'll talk about #1 & #2

Nia Principle #1 - The Joy of Movement

  • Connect to the inherent Joy of being in a body and moving.  
  • Enjoy feeling every part of your body as though you had a massage.  
  • Enjoy the movement and enjoy the relaxation that comes after movement.

Nia Principle #2 - Natural Time and the Movement Forms

Natural Time is YOUR Time
Learn in Natural Time, and then speed up
Speed is the Illusion of mastery
We want to move because it feels good - fitness is a by-product
The Movement Forms
  1. T'ai Chi - The Slow Daqnce
  2. Tae Quan Do - the Dance of Precision
  3. Aikido - Harmonious Spherical Motion
  4. Jazz Dance - Fun, Showmanship and Expression
  5. Modern Dance - Creating Shapes in Space
  6. Duncan Dance - Free-Spirited Honest Movement
  7. The Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais - Conscious Awareness of Sensation
  8. Alexander Technique - Movement from the top
  9. Yoga - Conscious Alignment of Bones and Joints
The combination of 52 moves and the 9 different movement forms creates a Cross Training Effect

Fitness must address the whole self, not just the body
  • repetitive movement becomes unconscious, less effective (treadmill)
  • no shoes - must be aware of the floor and how the foot contacts the floor
  • Gain fitness by using the body the way it is designed to be used - gain balance by moving, not staitic poses
  • Use your own weight and vary intensity, range of motion, speed
  • Use your body to heal itself by becoming aware of what feels good and tweaking your movements in ways that are healing
Focus on all five sensations
  1. Strength 
  2. Flexibility
  3. Mobility
  4. Stability
  5. Agility
52 Moves - feet, stances, steps,kicks, pelvis, chest, head,arms, hands, fingers 3 planes, 3 levels of intensity, and you can always modify by only doing part of a move - the upper or the lower body

7 Cycles of a Nia Class
  1. Focus and Intent
  2. Stepping In
  3. Warm Up
  4. Get Moving
  5. Cool Down
  6. Floor Play
  7. Stepping Out
Video Clip - The Joy of Movement is the Secret of Fitness


What Does it Take to Teach Nia?  What's Next for Me as a Nia Teacher?