Nia Frequently Asked Questions

 

 Life lived in a body the Nia way is life lived in relationship to the sacred geometry of life.

 

What is Nia?

Nia is a personal growth, body-mind-spirit fitness program. It is a "living system" that works with the natural wisdom and intelligence of the body, mind, spirit, and emotions. Nia supports the Pleasure Principle: If it feels good keep doing it, if it hurts, stop! The blueprint of Nia is practical, experiential, and focuses on internal guidance to change and develop awareness. Process-oriented, the Nia format is user-friendly. Nia empowers students and teachers to make their own movement choices by offering students a flexible structure they can personally modify to suit their needs. Nia combines a diverse blend of Eastern and Western movements, concepts and philosophies from the worlds of the healing arts (love), martial arts (mindfulness), and dance (technique). Nia reaches people emotionally, in their hearts, motivating them to get fit and healthy by creating a deep personal desire to explore their potential and love their growth. Fitness, health, well-being, and self-love naturally result from the Nia experience. What makes Nia so innovative is its unlimited adaptability. Not only can people of all kinds participate, but a wide range of therapeutic, wellness, self-growth and educational models can effectively integrate Nia.

Who created Nia?

Nia was created in the early 1980's by Debbie Rosas (then Debbie Bender) and Carlos Rosas. At the time, they were fitness professionals in Marin County, California, searching for a smarter, less-painful way to workout and stay fit. They began training teachers in the early 1990's when they set up their international headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Today, they continue to educate and be pioneers for future generations in fitness and health.

Why was Nia created?

Since 1983 we have devoted our personal and professional lives towards the dream of transforming the way of fitness. We were deeply impressed by the health and knowledge of many teachers in the Martial Arts, Yoga, and Healing Arts field, specifically in relationship to human potential. The possibility of merging Art, Craft and Science into a movement form was fascinating to us. Through an incredible movement experience outside the usual fitness paradigm we discovered for ourselves that pleasure and joy, rather than pain and guilt, were far more effective motivational tools to helping us improve our fitness, participation, level of enjoyment and adherence. The voice of our Inner Sacred Athlete called to the intelligence of our entire being to change the way we were getting fit. We did. Our vision has created a new paradigm in the industry - The Body-Mind Holistic Approach. This new way of getting fit has motivated students, teachers, and the industry to consider human potential. Our vision created a new way to feel fitness-Pleasure, and a new perspective on how, where, and what one can do to gain fitness-Lifestyle. Together these establish a new model of health that teachers can implement into fitness and non-fitness models. Our pioneering and ground-breaking work has been time-tested since 1983, withstanding press, customer, medical, and industry scrutiny that questioned our slowing down, expressing feelings, reducing impact, and taking the shoes off.

What type of movement does Nia involve?

Nia movement is based on the design and function of the body, what we call, "The Body's Way." With 52 basic moves, Nia movement is multi-dynamic and multi-directional. Drawn from three martial arts, three dance arts, and three healing arts, Nia involves a variety of movement speeds and styles, ranges of motion, and energy dynamics. The bio-chemistry of the joint and muscle action is triggered by imagination and by expressing emotion. Movements work with and against gravity and are perceived by the body as sensation derived from the action of: abduction, adduction, flexion, extension, eversion, inversion, dorsal flexion, plantar flexion, pronation, supination, horizontal flexion, horizontal extension, rotation inward, outward, upward, and downward, elevation, depression, and circumduction. Nia utilizes a multidimensional variety of combinations of patterns, as well as freestyle movement, designed to train the body, mind, emotions, and spirit to stimulate creativity and break movement habits.

How does Nia differ from other "mind-body" programs?

Nia is unique in its body-mind approach, which incorporates East-West philosophy… visual and sensory language… interactive and internally directed experiential and teaching style… adaptability to a variety of health models… versatile choreography… holistic application… eclectic and healing use of music and sound… practical integration of movement forms and body integration therapies… expressive and emotional interpretation of movement… ability to take complex, esoteric concepts and translate them into user friendly tools… intelligent approach that respects the whole being.

Where can I find Nia?

Nia is taught in nearly every state in United States, as well as in 30+ other countries around the world. Nia is offered in a variety of settings - from gyms and fitness centers to the finest spas and resorts. You'll find Nia in: Fitness and Health Clubs, Yoga Centers, YWCA's, Pilates Studios, Non-Exercise Facilities, Healing and Wellness Centers, Senior Centers, Retreat Programs, Summer Camps, Personal Growth and Transformation Seminars and Conferences, HMO Programs, Corporate Wellness Programs, Sport Vacations, Teen and Inner City Youth Groups, University PE, Theater, and Pre-med Departments, Dance & Martial Arts Schools, Spas, Hospitals, Prisons, and Drug/Alcohol & Cardiac Rehabilitation Centers, to name a few!

Who takes Nia?

Nia Students and teachers represent all ages, fitness levels, and nationalities. Nia students range from people who are enthusiasts of dance and movement to people who have never exercised or danced before. Some students join Nia classes because they have become bored or injured in other programs. Some students come to Nia because they have reached a skill plateau with traditional exercise classes; some are athletes looking for cross-training. Nia Students include burned-out runners, aerobic students, teachers, dancers, and martial artists looking for a new approach that combines mindful awareness with fitness, movement, and health. We also have students who are in wellness, recovery, and therapeutic programs. Some students take Nia at school (grade school, high school, and college programs) and some take classes at their local senior center. Nia is adaptable to any age range or fitness level. Participants enjoy Nia's comfortable, natural approach to working out that allows for self-expression, exploration, and individuality.

What are the benefits of taking Nia?

When participants embrace an active, healthy lifestyle, they can attain increased fitness, health, and well-being in their body, mind, emotions, and spirit. As a movement program based on the Pleasure Principle, Nia:

• Increases the pleasure of living in your body
• Creates weight loss and proper weight maintenance
• Strengthens muscles, improves muscle tone, and increases muscle definition
• Calms the mind and relieves stress
• Improves endurance
• Increases grace and flexibility
• Balances the autonomic nervous system
• Improves posture and can even increase height
• Improves organ function, particularly that of the heart and lungs
• Enhances sensory awareness
• Heightens sexual function
• Builds reservoirs of chi
• Alleviates emotional problems, including depression, anxiety, and stress
• Improves circulation of blood and improves lymphatic drainage
• Strengthens immunity
• Improves concentration and cognitive function

Does Nia require special equipment?

No, Nia requires no equipment. In fact, Nia was designed to be performed in bare feet. If you choose to dance with shoes, we suggest wearing a shoe, a thin, soft soled shoe in order to strengthen the feet.

Can someone participate as an individual or is a group required?

While Nia was created as a group exerercise program, you can still participate as an individual. You can purchase Nia routines to practice at home, and you can also have one-on-one personal training sessions with a Nia Teacher. Contact your local teacher for more information about Nia's unique Conscious Personal Training program.

Does Nia require a trained teacher?

Yes. Nia teachers are required to attend the White Belt Intensive Training to become certified, and they must purchase and renew an annual license to teach Nia. In the Nia Training, participants are trained to develop skills in cognitive and experiential knowledge of the body, mind, spirit, and emotions; bio-mechanics of movement; nine movement forms; and teaching and communication techniques, including human potential and psychology. The Responsibilities of the teacher are to safely and effectively guide, internally direct, educate, personally empower, and stimulate students to self-direct their own experience, including being responsible for the choices and decisions they make regarding their own fitness and lifestyle process.

Has Nia received industry recognition?

Over the past 20 years, Nia has been presented at Health and Fitness industry programs, such as IDEA, Mind-Body, and IRHSA Conventions, as well as in Wellness and Consciousness industry programs, such as the Science and Consciousness Convention, the National Wellness Conference, and Health Magazine's annual Women's Wellness Weekend. Nia is recognized as an ACE and AFAA CEC provider.

What is the future of Nia and Body-Mind Healing?

Nia is constantly growing and expanding in its vision of providing the very best body-mind-spirit education in the world. As a company, we are committed to our on-going growth and development to:

• Inspire people to have a loving relationship with their body
• Educate and spread the message that loving movement leads to positive lifestyle change and wellness
• Motivate people to take action and make choices and decisions that will help them achieve their goals