NIA

What is Nia? The Nia Technique is a cardiovascular fitness and personal growth practice that integrates the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Nia embraces both form and freedom: the form of simple steps, kicks, and stances that anyone can learn; and the freedom of each student’s inner dance. Nia truly represents the “joy of movement.”

What’s different about Nia? Nia founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas transformed the fitness industry in 1983 when they took off their shoes and created a barefooted technique that addresses the whole person, not just the body. Nia works from the inside out, as students are taught to move their bodies the way bodies were designed to move. This “Sensory IQ” means the pleasure principle reigns and “no pain, no gain” is transformed into “no pain, all gain.” Because Nia teaches awareness and students move at their own pace and level, Nia is also kind to the joints. Students become their own personal trainers as they work the core of the body, emphasizing breath and vocalizing to build strength and stamina. Music of all types adds to the magic. It is no surprise that students say Nia takes the “work” out of working out and that they describe it as a “lifestyle” rather than a fitness program.

Who takes Nia? There are at least 21,000 regular Nia students around the world. Anyone can do it. Nia is for serious fitness buffs and for those who just want to have fun while staying healthy. Nia is for seniors and for children. It is for the corporate manager whose stressful life leaves little time for exercise. It is for the professional dancer who wants to rediscover the freedom of joyful, simple moves. Nia is for those whose goal is to lose weight and for those who want to add muscle. Nia teaches people to love their bodies; it helps those who are healing from injury or illness. People of all ages and body types take Nia to gain flexibility, agility, mobility, strength, and stability.

What is a typical Nia class? There is no such thing as a typical Nia class. The work is based on a variety of choreographed routines, and each class has a different focus--for example, knees, shoulders, the joy of movement, or the breath. At the beginning of each class, students consciously leave all distractions behind and open to the focus of the class. Students of all degrees of fitness and body types will dance together, at different levels and ranges of activity. Thus no two Nia classes look alike—except for the sweating, smiling faces that emerge when class is over.

Who teaches Nia, and where is it taught? There are more than 1,200 Nia teachers in the U.S. and 29 other countries around the world. Nia teachers are trained through a series of week-long intensives. There are four belt levels: white, blue, brown, and black. Nia can be taught almost anywhere. Nia is practiced in gyms, wellness centers, corporate board rooms, spas, churches/synagogues, hospitals, and more. But the true teachers of Nia are the students, who learn through awareness to take care of their body, mind, emotions and spirit. In Nia, the students are the stars.

Who created Nia and why? Nia began in 1983 when aerobics teachers Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas noticed injuries among their students doing high-impact, repetitive movements. They sought to replace the punishment of traditional workouts with more pleasurable, grounded movements. They took off their shoes and gave Nia a language and structure embodied in the joy of movement and inspired by nine movement forms: the power of tae kwan do, the precision of aikido, and the grace of tai chi; the explosive fun of jazz dance, the exuberance of Duncan dance, and the drama of modern dance; the conscious alignment of yoga, the spinal articulation of the Alexander Technique, and the awareness of sensation from the work of Moshe Feldenkrais. Over 21 years, Nia has evolved to become the fastest growing mind/body technique in the world.

To register or for more information, contact The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500A East Pratt Avenue, (256) 533-7975, www.yogacenterofhuntsville.com .